Reso 2001-021 RDA 2001-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Plazas Historically, plazas have been the great social and public gathering places of societies. Usually located at the center of civic life, plazas provide a com- munity with a common space dedicated to the needs and functions of the people in the community. San Leandro has such a plaza, located at the inter- section of the two main roads through town, at the focal point of the city's grandest buildings and most intense commercial activity. Over 150 years, this plaza has been the site of important civic functions such as markets, festivals and celebrations. When the grid was abandoned in 1983, the historic plaza was delegated to a secondary role. The streets that had bound it changed significantly: traffic speeds and volumes on East Fourteenth became so high that the plaza was no longer a pleasant place to meet. The commercial buildings forming the edge along Washington were removed and replaced by a parking lot. The plaza itself was redesigned as a passive park, with raised planters and dense trees that obscured its visibility. The plan recommends restoring the function and prominence of this his- toric plaza. It would be renovated as a gateway and showpiece for the re- stored downtown, with new retail buildings to reinforce the Washington Avenue edge. The plaza itself would be opened up and simplified, allowing it to function as a traditonal gathering space again. In addition the plaza would be programmed with events and activities to keep it alive for the community. To complement this commitment to pedestrian public space, the plan calls for additional plazas throughout the downtown. These can be dedi- cated gathering spaces or flexible spaces that can be used for parking or pe- destrians on a daily basis and converted to accomodate specifically pro- grammed functions such as a seasonal festival, live music, sidewalk sale or a farmer's market. The result will be a network of spaces that will organize the downtown and provide flexibility for a variety of civic events. h The historic plaza has often been the focus of renewal. San Leandro Downtown Plan & Urban Design Guidelines October 2000 page 41 San Leandro's historic playa has served as a public gathering space for over a century.