THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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"We confuse green space and open space with an amenity, but the fact is, as cities evolve and take back spaces, this is economic development at the highest level," said Craig Gossman of MKSK, formerly known as KKG, the Covington-based planning firm. "These are projects that stimulate reinvestment in the cities." The Covington Business Council's monthly luncheon Thursday featured a discussion on green spaces in and branding a city, facilitated by Gossman and Kelly Kolar of Kolar Design.
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The discussion was mostly a continuation of the ideas prepared by Denver-based Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) in its Covington Center City Action Plan, lovingly referred to by Gossman, whose firm worked on the plan with PUMA, as 3CAP. Covington should follow the lead of other cities in the region and reinvigorate its riverfront while looking for ways to create more usable green space, like pocket parks, in the urban core. Both Gossman and Kolar pointed to Columbus, Ohio and its Scioto Mile which Kolar helped to brand. "How do you create community," Kolar asked those gathered inside the Madison Event Center, offering that her firm led the naming strategy that resulted in the branding Columbus's redeveloped waterfront as the Scioto Mile. "It's another way cities begin to build their brand. It's called sense of place."
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"Covington never had grand green space Downtown," Gossman said. "I'm not advocating to tear down a bunch of buildings. We want green space to be integrated in day to day activities." He pointed to the unexpected success of 5/3 Pavillion in Lexington. "When you create great spaces people want to open businesses nearby to capitalize on that traffic." Another example offered was the manicured parking lot near Mother of God Church.
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"Covington never had grand green space Downtown," Gossman said. "I'm not advocating to tear down a bunch of buildings. We want green space to be integrated in day to day activities." He pointed to the unexpected success of 5/3 Pavillion in Lexington. "When you create great spaces people want to open businesses nearby to capitalize on that traffic." Another example offered was the manicured parking lot near Mother of God Church.
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Covington is not completely bare of attractive outdoor spaces, however. Gossman pointed to the Suxth Street promenade that runs through Mainstrasse Village, but as was suggested in the center city action plan, the neighborhoods that work need to be better connected. "Gateway College to Mainstrasse seems like a long walk because of its fractured nature," Gossman said. "Sometimes we get too hung up on traffic flow. You want to capture people's attention, invite people to want to walk on it."
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Kolar's portion of the presentation focused on helping a city tell its story. She worked closely with Southbank Partners and Cincinnati Parks on such a task in the recent past. "How do you tell the story? What's different here than there?"
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What's different in Covington from Cincinnati and Newport is that those two cities have created excitement on their share of the riverfront while Covington waits. Rachael Winters, executive director of the NKY Emergency Shelter, referenced at the end of the presentation that she often walks across the bridges from Covington into Newport and Cincinnati and sees stark contrasts. Cincinnati and Newport have well manicured featured while Covington welcomes visitors with graffiti.
Covington is not completely bare of attractive outdoor spaces, however. Gossman pointed to the Suxth Street promenade that runs through Mainstrasse Village, but as was suggested in the center city action plan, the neighborhoods that work need to be better connected. "Gateway College to Mainstrasse seems like a long walk because of its fractured nature," Gossman said. "Sometimes we get too hung up on traffic flow. You want to capture people's attention, invite people to want to walk on it."
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Kolar's portion of the presentation focused on helping a city tell its story. She worked closely with Southbank Partners and Cincinnati Parks on such a task in the recent past. "How do you tell the story? What's different here than there?"
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What's different in Covington from Cincinnati and Newport is that those two cities have created excitement on their share of the riverfront while Covington waits. Rachael Winters, executive director of the NKY Emergency Shelter, referenced at the end of the presentation that she often walks across the bridges from Covington into Newport and Cincinnati and sees stark contrasts. Cincinnati and Newport have well manicured featured while Covington welcomes visitors with graffiti.
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City Manager Larry Klein, who was also present at the luncheon, responded, "What you see in Newport and Cincinnati didn't happen overnight. They have had a sustained vision. That's the path we need to follow. We're the last of the three and there's no reason it can't happen here, too."
City Manager Larry Klein, who was also present at the luncheon, responded, "What you see in Newport and Cincinnati didn't happen overnight. They have had a sustained vision. That's the path we need to follow. We're the last of the three and there's no reason it can't happen here, too."
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