Day 21: Main Street - Park City, UT

Eric Fredericks • Sunday July 22, 2007

We’re now into my Top 10 photos of this series. Today, I’m taking you to one of the hidden gems of America – Park City, Utah.

Park City is probably best known in recent times as the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. However, it’s definitely one of my favorite walkable communities in America. Its location is picturesque—located in the Rocky Mountains just 30 miles from Salt Lake City. While the surrounding area is still heavily focused on the automobile (it’s a mostly rural area), you can tell that they are really trying to create a unique place where you might least expect it.

Park City has some great design standards that seem to incorporate a Wild West type of feel. The building setbacks from the street are generally just a few feet, giving it that old small town character.

Main Street, where I shot this photo, is one of my favorite streets in the country. This photo does not do it justice, but I thought the mountains in the background of this photo gives a little hint of just how amazing the setting is. The street has a funky, eclectic feel to it and has a seemingly endless row of restaurants, stores, bars, cafés—you name it. There are many public art pieces, paseos, and pocket parks that host small performances. There is even a bike trail that parallels Main Street and runs along a creek.

All in all, if you’re traveling through Utah on I-80 or near the Salt Lake area, you MUST see Park City. I planned to spend just a short time there, but ended up staying for several hours! Be sure to check out the additional photos I shot in the Park City photo gallery (make sure you visit the last few pages of photos to see more of Main Street).

This article is a part of the Exploring the Walkability of America in 30 Days photo series.

 

Category: Great Places •• Region: Utah •• comments

Mapleton Village: Utah County's First Traditional Neighborhood Development

Eric Fredericks • Sunday December 17, 2006

Miki Bringhurst of the Jack Johnson Company asked me if I would share some news about their new development with our readers. The development is called Mapleton Village and looks to be a new urbanist type of development. The town center type of development in the pictured plan looks to incorporate many of the good design features we promote here—buildings close to the street with small setbacks, compact and walkable design, and parks and open space.

I always want to be honest in my articles, and I do have some concern that some parts of the development are not walkable and might be a bit heavily focused on residential development. However, it’s very difficult to tell from these plans and judging by the contours, there are some steep slopes in the area. Certainly, we hope the project is very successful for Mapleton and the Jack Johnson company. There are many innovative and sustainable features to this development as evidenced in this press release:

PARK CITY, UTAH (November 23, 2006) – Jack Johnson Company, in conjunction with Presidio Capital LLC, is proud to announce Mapleton Village as one of Utah County’s new neighborhood additions, an impressive example of the increasing popularity of traditional neighborhood design in the United States.

Mapleton Village is a unique 672-acre development nestled among scrub oak at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. Designed with traditional neighborhood principles, such as large front porches, walkable streets, classic architecture, and multiple common open space areas, Mapleton Village seeks to become the premier destination for families in Utah County.

“We appreciate Mapleton’s City Council and Planning Commission embracing this project to approve the first traditional neighborhood design for Utah County. This development will be an excellent and unique addition to our state,� notes Jack Johnson, president of Jack Johnson Company. “Residents will be proud to call Mapleton Village home.�

A significant portion of the Mapleton Village site will be preserved as usable open space including Crowd Canyon and Maple Mountain, as well as acres of natural habitat. Additionally, ponds, play fields, common gardens, and miles of integrated trails will be key features of the project. Formal gardens, playgrounds, pocket parks and a village green will complement the Mapleton Village open space. As a pedestrian-friendly environment, Mapleton Village will enable residents to hike the canyon trails or play with their children at the neighborhood playing field without ever getting in their cars.

“Mapleton Village is in a pristine location at the foot of Crowd Canyon, directly abutting the Uinta National Forest. Families will greatly appreciate the tremendous amount of recreational offerings in the Mapleton neighborhood and their accessibility to their homes,� states Todd Ford, Jack Johnson Company’s project director for Mapleton Village. “Planning a progressive neighborhood with an environmentally sustainable design will benefit Utahans. We are pleased to bring Mapleton Village’s traditional neighborhood design to Utah County.�

Mapleton Village will offer a wide variety of unit types, including town homes, village homes and large estate homes with panoramic views of Utah County. This variety among the 565 units will help to create a true sense of community among residents. Additionally, Mapleton Village promises to be a healthy and environment-friendly community using sustainable development practices, Energy Starâ„¢ rated homes, recycled irrigation water, and native vegetation and landscaping.

Jack Evans, Managing Director of Presidio Capital LLC, states, “We hired Jack Johnson Company because of their long and successful track record of creating distinctive destinations. At Mapleton Village, they have lived up to that reputation and more.�

Jack Johnson Company is a destination design firm, with a primary focus on residential communities and recreational resorts. Services include land planning, architecture, civil engineering, surveying, project management, governmental processing, and more. Jack Johnson Company has been a key player in designing world destinations for over 30 years, with offices in Park City, Utah; Atlanta, Georgia; Boise, Idaho; and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information on Jack Johnson Company, please contact Courtney Stern, Marketing Manager, or visit their Web site at www.jackjohnson.com. For more information on Mapleton Village, please contact Todd Ford, Project Director.

Contact: Courtney Stern/Todd Ford
Jack Johnson Company
435.645.9000

 

Category: New Urbanism •• Region: Utah •• comments

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