VENTURA'S DOWNTOWN: A FINE ROLE MODEL

VENTURA'S DOWNTOWN; A FINE ROLE MODEL

Cities such as Ventura are creating distinctive civic directional signs.

Way to go downtown Ventura!  Every town deserves a nice Main Street, and Ventura has built a great one.  It has all the elements - wide sidewalks, nice street trees, a variety of stores and restaurants, historic architecture and interesting parking (more on that later!).  And, most importantly, it's clear that the locals love it.

I think that there are seven elements that create a successful downtown and Ventura does them all well:

1) WELL-DEFINED PUBLIC SPACE - Great streets, like Main Street, have continuous block faces  of buildings that are not interrupted by parking lots.  This creates a comfortable "outdoor room" that constantly grabs your attention.

Wide sidewalks, nice street trees, and a continuous blockface of storefronts make for a successful downtown street.

2) VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES AND PEOPLE- True town centers have a mix of retail, civic, residential and recreational uses.  They are not simply nice shopping centers. Ventura's downtown has a great variety of restaurants, cafes, shops, boutiques, thrift shops, parks, museum and plazas.  It's interesting that thrift stores exist alongside fairly trendy restaurants.  Also, there's a noticeable mix of different ages and incomes.  The homeless are present but there seems to be a comfortable coexistence.  Families, twenty-somethings and older folks seem to equally enjoy downtown
.

3) AESTHETICS - Ventura has shown great attention to detail.  On Main St. you find historic buildings with their well-detailed facades, a rhythmic blend of canopy and palm trees, pedestrian-scale street lamps and strings of decorative lights, customized wall signs rather than generic plastic ones, and wide sidewalks.

Iconic downtown street signs celebrate Ventura's mission.

4) ACCESS - With diagonal parking, nearby structures and attractive city directional signs, Main Street is easy to navigate.

5) AUTOMATED PARKING - Parking meters are cheap ($1 per hour) and the money is funneled back to the Downtown Improvement District.  I spoke to several of the workers commissioned to keep the sidewalks clean and they thought the system works well.  Some residents complain that there isn't enough parking, but based on the number of spots I saw, the system seems to work well.  The parking machines were easy to use and you don't have to place your receipt on the dashboard.

6) SAFETY - With parking money directed to extra security and a good amount of people walking around, Main Street has a secure feeling.  The parking meter revenue funds security officers.

This downtown "ambassador" cleans the sidewalks every morning.  His salary is paid by revenue from parking meters.

7)  PRIDE IN ITS HISTORY - Yes, downtown Ventura is lucky to have its Mission on Main Street and a beautiful City Hall just two blocks away.  But it's clear that the City treasures its past and took many steps to preserve it.  Its General Plan policies encourage the designation of historic resources and its Historic Preservation Committee has worked closely with the city.  Its  Museum of Ventura County highlights the art and history of the region, including its agricultural heritage and resources which have been painstakingly
preserved.

Ventura's City Hall is a neoclassical masterpiece from 1913. It was built during the City Beautiful Movement when public buildings were place along clear axial sight lines.

Taken together, these elements have created a wonderful sense of place.   You know you're in downtown Ventura with its iconic street signs, custom directional signs, and historic architecture and great civic pride.  Every city is unique but some combination of these factors can make a big difference.  So many cities across the country are creating really nice downtowns.  The City of San Buenaventura is a fine role model.