Bismarck, North Dakota - Downtown Plan
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Summary
The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the City of Bismarck initiated the Bismarck Subarea Study in an effort to transform the downtown area into a vibrant place where people want to live, work, and be entertained.
The resulting Bismarck Subarea Plan is the product of a yearlong study to save Downtown – the heart of the community – in a manner that is authentic and reconnects to the City’s history. A main tenant of the plan is to establish the pedestrian as a priority and to identify the location for growth opportunities and essential public spaces that balance economic development with quality of life. The plan emphasizes implementation within the first five years of Plan adoption and identifies game-changing public projects that will fundamentally change the public perception of downtown and stimulate private investment.
The Plan establishes well-defined and unique districts that build-off of existing historical uses and are strategically located and selected to maximize development potential and foster regional market growth in the downtown. The districts consist of a carefully arranged mix of land uses organized around public gathering spaces such as plazas, and parks. Each district is interconnected by ‘complete streets’ enhancements that define certain streets as destinations that support specific land uses and promote mobility through an active transportation network that encourages walking and biking.
OTHER DOWNTOWN PLANNING PROJECTS
