000000_TownBburg_DowntownLiving_FB

NAV I GAB I L I TY

deficit in parking in high activity places, including the College Avenue/Main Street intersection, Progress Street, and the College Avenue/Otey Street intersection. Improved signage and walkability would make people more willing to walk from the existing parking. Communicating available parking and parking limits will assist visitors, residents, and employees find parking and simplify their Downtown experience. A new parking garage at the current public lot on Progress, as well as coordinating public use of privately-owned parking structures on nights and weekends, could further alleviate parking problems in the future.

While parts of Downtown Blacksburg are walkable, further development of distinct districts is needed to improve navigability.

Districts and Wayfinding

Districting allows visitors to know the best area within Downtown to go out to eat, and visit cultural attractions—and also which areas belong to residents, after a certain hour. Branding districts with names, banners, and other design elements creates distinct district characters and edges. Adding wayfinding like gateways, maps, or signage can assist visitors in navigating to the districts they want to visit. Downtown’s atmospheres change every few blocks. Some areas are mostly residential while others are home to the iconic shops and restaurants that represent Downtown. With modifications in some places, these distinct atmospheres and uses delineate specific districts that embody those unique qualities. Parking Driving is, and will likely remain, the primary mode by which people access Downtown. Therefore parking facilities in Downtown need to serve the needs of residents, workers, and visitors throughout the day and week. At the same time, ongoing technological changes in personal transportation options will require critical thinking about how to future proof parking infrastructure investments. The 2014 Blacksburg Parking Management Plan concluded that the core of Blacksburg has a

Wayfinding in Blacksburg

Parking in Central Downtown

GARAGE SURFACE LOT

5 MINUTE WALK 536 SPACES

P2

P3

P9

P4

P7

P8

P8

P1

P10

P5

P6

P11

46 Chapter 2 - Analysis: A Framework for Downtown Blacksburg

P2

P3

P4

P5

P6

SPACES

130

20

17

213

156

TYPE

Paid

Paid

Paid (limited)

Paid/Free (limited)

Free (limited)