Named in reference to the width of Downtown Austin’s laneways, 20ft. Wide was a five-day laneway activation that took place in April 2012. Led by The City of Austin’s Downtown Commission and Art Alliance Austin, the project’s goal was to demonstrate the potential of laneways as vibrant community spaces.
20ft. Wide Concept | Austin, Texas (Image Credit: TBG Partners)
BACKGROUND
Austin’s downtown laneways have been historically overlooked; perceived as unsafe, unsanitary eyesores, strictly reserved for utilitarian purposes such as trash collection and deliveries. In the early 2010s, the demand for engaging public spaces in Downtown Austin was growing and the City shifted it’s perspective on laneways. The hundred-plus blocks of laneways were now regarded as a way to provide vibrant urban spaces that could enhance the pedestrian experience and provide an urban respite from the bustling downtown. The City of Austin’s Downtown Commission created The Alley Activation Workgroup to examine the potential of investing in downtown laneways for this purpose. They were tasked with the revitalization of Alley 111, located in the heart of Downtown Austin (North-South from 9th to 10th Streets, between Congress Avenue and Brazos Street).
Art installation in progess (Image credit: TBG Partners)THE PARTNERSHIP
The Alley Activation Workgroup was a multi-disciplinary group with representatives from the Downtown Commission, local design firms, individual architects, artists, and community activists. One of the primary project collaborators was Art Alliance Austin, a non-profit that connects Austin youth to art. They host events focused on creating opportunities for investment in and showcasing Austin as an art city.
THE ACTIVATION & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
This project had a small budget of $5,000 from a City of Austin Cultural Arts Division grant, which was used to create the overhead art installation. A local landscape architecture firm, TBG Design provided an additional $500 grant for art and design materials. The rest of the improvements were implemented using community donations.
Art Alliance Austin collaborated with other local organizations to create engaging programming including a candlelit dinner, a commuter’s pop-up breakfast, and a family day in the laneway, alongside an “open day” for the community to experience the improved laneway without any active programming.
Pop-up vegetation and an art installation of brightly coloured twine knits hung above paper cranes and upcycled street furniture passively transformed the experience of the space.
Creative Action, an Austin-based art education organization, engaged the city’s youth to create the art installation with their after school program, “Peace Cranes”, during which students folded the hundreds of origami paper cranes that were used to create the sculptural piece.
TBG Design repurposed community donations of plant materials, pallets, and burlap sacks to create furniture that transformed the laneway into a multi-purpose space that encouraged social interactions. Stacked pallets were used as seating, polystyrene foam as steps, and clothing filled burlap sacks as cushions.
This community integration contributed to the positive perceptions of the project. Throughout the activation, volunteers conducted surveys on the public's opinions of the revitalized space/project.
20ft. Wide Activations (Photo credits: TBG & Arch Paper)OUTCOMES
The community’s response was overwhelmingly positive and the project was acknowledged as a success by Austin’s City Council, who, in the following year, voted to establish a Downtown Austin Alley Master Plan. However, due to the reorganization of Austin’s City Council in 2014, the push for laneway activation lost traction. Despite this, 20ft. Wide shed light on what collaborative partnerships and devoted community efforts can look like at their best, and how grassroots approaches can bring new life to laneways.
Written by Isabel Lee | Exploring connected communities, happy cities,
and all things urban planning. | LinkedIn