Participants told us during the charrette work sessions that Maple Valley needs to have a center and a heart. The vision for the town center is a vibrant, village environment in a centralized area that has stores, public buildings, housing, parks and cultural facilities. The Maple Valley town center should not be too bustling, but should be open during the day and in the evenings.

Score: +5.6

The photos selected as appealing examples of town centers have some common elements. People preferred human scale (2-3 story) buildings that face directly on pedestrian pathways or landscaped areas. The buildings include a mixture of lands uses including retail stores with activities that spill out onto the sidewalk, such as outdoor displays and cafés.

Favorite town center images have vibrant streets that are gathering places for people with wide sidewalks, benches, bike racks, and awnings. The sidewalks have interesting paving that adds color and texture to the street and demonstrate that this is a special place within the community.

Score: +4.9

The streets of these town centers are accessible by foot and bicycle as well as by car, but traffic and parking is not the prominent land use. They also are inviting to small businesses, and retaining small businesses in Maple Valley is a priority for the Chamber of Commerce and others in the community.

As Facilitated and Recorded by Walkable Communities, Inc.
Website Produced by WebTown Technologies.
E-mail comments to Gregory J. McCormick
       AICP, Director of Community Development.