Careful design and land use are critical elements of successful downtown revitalization. Design policies that are not oriented toward pedestrian-friendliness, the restoration and use of vacant historic buildings, a high-density mix of uses, and 24-hour activity can do more to harm revitalization than help.

Key Planning and Design Issues

The City of Fresno Downtown and Community Revitalization Department is engaged in multiple projects to improve planning and design in the Downtown area, including:

Design guidelines. In order to encourage revitalization, new development in Downtown Fresno must support foot traffic, historic preservation, mixed uses, and nightlife. Simple changes in how buildings, sidewalks, and signage are designed can help make them more user-friendly and yield major benefits to the surrounding Downtown area.

Façade restoration. Many older buildings in Downtown Fresno, especially on the Fulton Mall, have been covered over by newer facades from the 1960s. These facades are generally out of character with nearby historic buildings, are sometimes poorly constructed, and often conceal an upper-story office or potential living space. By enabling more intense use of a building, façade restoration improves both beauty and utility, allowing façade restoration projects to pay for themselves very quickly. The façade improvement program operated by the Fresno Redevelopment Agency is a valuable tool but will need to be expanded in order to encourage true restorations of these facades.

Wayfinding. As in many downtown areas, newcomers to Downtown Fresno can find it a maze of diagonal, one-way, and diverted streets. For both drivers and pedestrians, no system of signage exists to help guide visitors toward landmarks and nearby parking. Wayfinding signage in Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown Raleigh, and hundreds of other cities has added new functionality to downtown streets and sidewalks, while providing a crisp, clear visual identity for these downtowns and subdistricts.

High-Speed Rail.California’s coming high-speed rail system includes a stop in Downtown Fresno. Where this station is located, and how it connects to the rest of Downtown and the City’s transportation system, will have a major impact on development and revitalization in the Downtown area.

Future of the Fulton Mall. In 1964 the City of Fresno closed six blocks of Fulton Street, the historic central business corridor of Fresno, to car traffic to create a pedestrian mall conceived by the architect Victor Gruen and designed by landscape architect Garrett Eckbo. The economy of the Fulton Mall area has faltered in the ensuing decades. In addition to addressing the basic needs of Mall — programming more events, adding clean restrooms, improving the lighting, and creating helpful signage — the Department aims to bring the community to a conclusion of the perennial debate over whether to restore vehicle traffic to the Fulton Mall.

Specific Plan

All of the initiatives and projects above, and more, will come together in the creation of a Specific Plan for Downtown Fresno that encompasses the Cultural Arts District, South Stadium area, Chinatown, and the historic Fulton Mall/Central Business District.

The Specific Plan will ensure that City regulations governing development both provide clear standards and support revitalization goals such as foot traffic, historic preservation, mixed uses, and nightlife. Dozens of California cities — see Ventura and Santa Ana for examples — have adopted a Specific Plan as part of their downtown revitalization strategies.

The formation of the Specific Plan will be a community-led process expected to last between a year and a half and two years. Planning participants will have the opportunity to decide what development patterns are appropriate, what uses should be encouraged, and where.

In addition to the community-led development process, the Plan will be subject to an environmental impact report identifying possible impacts and potential alternatives. The Plan development process will conclude with formal adoption of the Plan by the City Council. Once adopted, the Specific Plan will carry the full force of law and will be the single controlling land use document for the Downtown area.

To sign up to participate in the development of the Downtown Specific Plan, contact Elliott Balch, City of Fresno Downtown Revitalization Manager, or Wilma Quan, Urban Planning Specialist, at (559) 621-8350.