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“Great Cities Have Great Downtowns” is a core tenet of the Downtown Strategic Framework Plan, the independent study Alamo Architects co-led in 2012 as an outgrowth of the SA2020 community initiative. The study focused municipal efforts on a future-looking urban core, anticipating the long-term benefits to the greater metropolitan area.
The multi-layered study considered economic, cultural, and structural challenges and opportunities, and set out a roadmap to a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient downtown core. The working group established the Framework Plan to provide clear, measurable goals for growth by engaging stakeholders on a vision for downtown business, tourism, sustainable development, the arts, and livable urban neighborhoods.
As the urban design component of the working group, Alamo Architects brought expert knowledge of how people move through environments, of public process, and of creating great places that are economically viable. We mapped the physical changes needed to catalyze private development in the Downtown core and surrounding neighborhoods, creating a place-based strategy for public investment. This work ultimately resulted in a new set of City policies which coordinated development incentives with the City’s 2012 capital bond investments.
The Downtown Strategic Framework Plan became a north star for City Council through a decade of growth and economic challenge. The Plan fostered momentum on downtown housing and led to key public-private partnerships such as San Pedro Creek Culture Park, Zona Cultural, and Hemisfair Park. The completions of San Pedro Creek Culture Park and Civic Park at Hemisfair represent innovation in urban design, and are invaluable investments in our city center.
Centro Partnership San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
5.14 square miles
Completed 2012
HR&A Advisors
Ximenes and Associates
1512 South Flores St.
San Antonio, TX 78204
210.227.2612
