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Case Studies: Piazza del Campo & Pioneer Courthouse Square

Piazza del Campo and Pioneer Courthouse Square are considered two of the mostsuccessful squares in the world. 1Piazza del Campo, located at the center of Siena,Tuscany functions as the gathering area for the entire town. The piazza is paved with

different shades of brick laid out in a herribone pattern and broken up into stripes by white marble 2 Pioneer Courthouse Square, in Portland, Oregon, is fondly referred to asthe citys Living Room and hosts over 9.5 million visitors a year. 3 The square is a large, brick- paved square which features an amphitheater, canopies with seating a reas, a

fountain. These squares are a vital part of downtown for their respective cities and assuch are worth studying when thinkingabout the future of Kennedy P laza

Piazza del Campo was originally the site of a Roman forum and later became the citys central marketplace. In 1349, the Council of Nine commissioned thesquares paving pattern featuring nine radials of the pattern which symbolized theCouncil as Sienas ruling power. 4 The designers used the areas existing slope to givesthe Town Hall dominant position within the square and create the effect of anamphitheater. Unlike Piazza del Campo, the location for Pioneer Courthouse Square wasnt always an open public space. The square originally housed a hotel, which wasconverted into a two-level parking structure in 1951. Between 1972 and 1974, PortlandsDowntown Plan proposed that the area be developed into a block of open spaceultimately resulting in the City purchasing the block. Will Martins design scheme wonan international design competition and the park was completed in 1984. 5

1 The Worlds Best and Worst Parks. Making Places . Project for Public Spaces, Sept. 2004. Web. 14 Feb.2010. < http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/september2004/september2004_best_worst >.

2 Rubenstein, H arvey. Pedestrian Malls, Streetscapes, and Urban Spaces . Somerset: John Wiley & Sons,1992. 4.

3 Pioneer Courthouse Square Annual Report

4 Rubenstein, Harvey. Pedestrian Mal l s, Streetscapes, and Urban Spaces . Somerset: John Wiley & Sons,1992. 4.

5 Pioneer Courthouse Square. Great Public Spaces. Project for Public Spaces. Web. 14 Feb. 2010..

http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/september2004/september2004_best_worsthttp://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=19http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=19http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/september2004/september2004_best_worsthttp://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/september2004/september2004_best_worst

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surrounding uses of the square, its popularity is enhanced by the 300 events i t hosts every year ranging from performances to festivals. While it is difficult to find much information about the management of Piazza delCampo, Pioneer Courthouse Square has an organized management system. The squarehas a Board of Trustees consisting of 34 elected members. 11 members are

representatives of the community, 11 are representatives of the region at-large, and 11are representatives of downtown businesses. The City Commissioner, who is in charge of Portland Parks and Recreation, also serves on the Board. 9

Piazza del Campo and Pioneer Square Courthouse both have features thatcontribute to their success that could be recreated in Kennedy Plaza. There are a total of eleven roads that lead into Piazza del Campo, so even when simply wandering throughthe city it is easy to happen upon. Having a number of safe and pedestrian friendly streets leading to Kennedy Plaza would lead to greater foot traffic to the area, and once youre there, there are many reasons to stay, including all of the restaurants and shops.The addition of more restaurants and cafes to the Kennedy Plaza area would alsoencourage visitors to remain in the area for longer and transform Kennedy Plaza into a

destination rather than a transportation hub.Pioneer Square Courthouse has a block-large paved area in which pedestrians canroam freely and without worry, whereas Kennedy Plaza has little pedestrian only spaceother than the park. If the busses were moved, as is proposed in the Placemaking Workshop Summary, pedestrians could have greater opportunity to roam safely aroundthe area and have a more pleasurable experience in Kennedy Plaza. Additionally, all of the events that take place in Pioneer Courthouse Square are great examples of how events can bring many visitors to a park or square. If the events that are currently takingplace continue to gain popularity and are well advertised, Kennedy Plaza will be able toattract a variety of visitors, not only those using Kennedy Plaza for transportationpurposes.

9 Management. Pioneer Courthouse Square: About Us. Pioneer Courthouse Square. Web. < http:// www.pioneercourthousesquare.org/management.htm >.

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