A city’s downtown area is its heart. It represents the vibrancy and personality of the community. Today, residents and visitors alike love a downtown that is welcoming, walkable, and bustling with activity that spills onto the sidewalk without blocking foot traffic. It’s no surprise that many communities are focusing on downtown revitalization. Restoring beautiful old buildings, opening new stores and restaurants, and creating walkable, recreation-friendly spaces can transform a city’s downtown into a hotspot to delight locals and attract visitors in successful economic growth.

One of the biggest challenges to downtown revitalization, however, is the existing design of the streets and sidewalks. While modern downtowns should feature wide, walkable promenades, many original downtowns were designed with narrow sidewalks that are less ideal for terrace dining, seating, and beautifully lit plazas to stroll through. That is where MODSTREET’s modular parklets and walkways truly shine.

The Role of Modular Products in Urban Development

Urban development provides the greatest benefit when changes are rapid, simple, and durable. Cities want to avoid closing off traffic routes and valuable economic spaces to make upgrades. Therefore, modular products are ideal for urban development projects.

Modular structural products are designed to fit together quickly without the need for construction. The modularity of each design element adapts easily to the diverse features of an urban environment. This allows urban development projects to add ramps where there are curbs, make way for intersections, extend into plazas where there is space, and wrap around existing urban features like statues and landmarks.

The nature of modular installation and design allows these products to contribute effectively to urban planning and development.

Advantages of Using MODSTREET Modular Products for Downtown Revitalization

MODSTREET modular products give your city the ability to design plazas, walkways, terrace dining, and shaded attractions to your downtown revitalization project in just a few hours of assembly. Many communities have already discovered these advantages:

• Cost-Effective – MODSTREET modular products allow you to build your own budget with cost-effective solutions that save on construction while creating appealing outdoor spaces.
• Time-Efficient – It takes very little time to fit together modular environments with our versatile components.
• Flexible and Scalable – Build your modular environment to fit any space at any scale, and expand at any time.
• Sustainably Eco-Friendly – Our products are sustainably designed and provide an eco-friendly alternative to downtown construction.

MODSTREET Case Study Success Stories

• Carpinteria’s first permanent outdoor parklet
• Sidewalk Extension Without Construction
• Repurposed Parklets and Activating Dead Spaces
• Four prominent downtown Peoria businesses could soon add outdoor dining

Key Modular Products from MODSTREET for Urban Revitalization

Which modular products are best for your urban revitalization? MODSTREET makes it easy to reimagine your downtown spaces with easy-to-assemble parklets, pedlets, and custom accessories to create your ideal commercial center.

Parklets

Parklets are beautiful fenced platform spaces that can be used to create terrace dining areas, shaded seating areas, and attractive plazas using any available space in your downtown space. Parklets consist of modular flooring foundations and attractive barriers that make it possible to redefine space smoothly expand beyond the curb, and invite pedestrians to gather.

Pedlets

Pedlets are modular walkways that add a pedestrian-friendly boulevard to any street or area. They are ideal for extending the width and aesthetic appeal of any sidewalk, allowing for both outdoor seating and an enjoyable walking path along the same line of shops with a safety barrier that allows cars to pass nearby in the next lane. Pedlets are less enclosed than parklets but are built using the same easy fit-together modular design.

Shaded Plazas

Combining the platform and barrier design with MODSTREET accessories like string light posts, shade sails, and barrier planters, it is possible to transform any space into promenade, seating, or a welcoming plaza.

Transit Shelters

You can even extend your bus and trolley stops with shaded transport shelters placed along your extended platform spaces with modular transit shelters that can be constructed in less than 30 minutes.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Modular Products in Downtown Projects

How can you implement MODSTREET modular products in your downtown revitalization project? It’s easier than you think with a simple 4-step process.

1. Planning and Design – Begin by envisioning the space you want to create. Use square platforms and barriers as your baseline to plan the best way to expand walkable spaces, create welcoming plazas, and empower local venues to expand into terrace dining. Consider how to use modular spaces to enhance your existing landmarks, attractions, and historical downtown features.
2. Rapid Installation – With your design ready, installation is rapid. Fit together your modular pieces by laying the frame, securing the platforms, and attaching barriers or fences where you would like to protect or direct the flow of traffic. Everything comes together quickly with modular installation.
3. Maintenance Routines – Built for outdoor use, and minimal maintenance is just what you need for your new downtown modular space.
4. Scalable Expansion – You can expand your modular downtown design at any time simply by adding new modular peices and creating new spaces with the same modular design.

Success Stories: Revitalized Downtowns Using MODSTREET Products

Permanent Outdoor Dining Patios in Downtown Greensboro

DGI has partnered with Modstreet of Durango, Colorado, for the construction of 13 outdoor dining patios to be installed. Each patio will allow restaurant owners to add an additional eight to 12 dining seats based on the size of their patio.

“I personally am very excited about the prospect … Adjustment might be made based on feedback from residents,” said resident Rohit Singh. “Downtown feels more like a kind of a hybrid between a residential and commercial neighborhood. I am hoping this seating will create more community, more conversation, more opportunity for people watching and feel more connected to the city,” Singh said.

Four Prominent Downtown Peoria Businesses Could Soon Add Outdoor Dining

Four businesses in downtown Peoria will be a part of a city-run pilot program aimed at growing outdoor dining options in Peoria’s Central Business District. Ardor Bread and Provisions, Ulrich’s Rebellion Room, Kickback on Fulton and the new Neon Bison locationhave all been selected to participate in the program that will see them get aid from the city in creating an outdoor dining atmosphere.

The outdoor dining experiences will include sidewalk cafes that are expected to be operating by the spring at all four locations. Councilmember Bernice Gordon-Young said an extension of the program up Main Street would be “perfect.”

Future Trends in Downtown Revitalization with Modular Solutions

Revitalizing downtowns with modular construction is cutting down on the time, expense, pollution, and interruption of traditional reconstruction projects. It is also opening the way to a brighter future in urban design overall.

Modular elements make it possible to re-imagine any outdoor space and rapidly rebuild to accommodate the new way locals and visitors want to enjoy the existing infrastructure. Here are a few future trends we have seen in modular downtown revitalization on the horizon:

• Event planning: Quickly rebuild downtown areas for festivals, performances, and special occasions with modular space creation.
• Rooftop Design: Transform the rooftops of historic downtown buildings into trendy new semi-outdoor venues
• Accessibility: Enhance the handicap accessibility of historic areas faster and more aesthetically than ever before.

Revitalize Your Downtown with MODSTREET

If your city is planning downtown revitalization, why rip up the pavement when you can use modular products to create a new space more quickly, affordably, and sustainably? MODSTREET parklets and pedlets make it possible to completely reinvent your space for walkability and pedestrian delight to transform a historic downtown into a beautiful center of culture and commerce for your city.

Contact us today to design a custom modular solution for your downtown revitalization project.