San Rafael Vision
Location: San Rafael, CA
Client: City of San Rafael
In May 2000, the San Rafael General Plan Steering Committee began its work on the update for the San Rafael General Plan 2000. To follow-up on the recommended land-use and design policies, the Steering Committee held a Community Design Charrette lead by MNA to engage members of the public in discussions about future planning and design possibilities in the area.
The General Plan Steering Committees' goal for the charrette was to obtain information and ideas from community members regarding possible visions for future development and change in San Rafael. Drawing on the expertise of volunteer architects and planners, the result was a series of planning and design principles that include drawings and sketches that convey the community's vision for its future.
Six focus areas were identified by MNA as study sites for the Charrette. These sites were viewed as places where substantial benefits to the neighborhood as well as the San Rafael Community could be realized from new investment, improvement, or redevelopment. The sites selected by the Steering Committee as focus areas for the Charrette were Canal Front, Loch Lomond, Marin Square, Medway, Northgate Commercial Area, and Woodland Avenue.
The objectives for the San Rafael Community Design Charrette were to:
- obtain an understanding of issues, resources, and implementation actions that could be used to improve the six focus areas,
- explore specific design criteria and planning policies, and
- generate visual images of the future for the focus areas.
The Steering Committee used the results from the Charrette to prepare land-use alternatives for traffic modeling, and to draft design policies for consideration in the draft Community Design Element. This Charrette provided a forum for the broader community to engage in discussions about the possibilities for San Rafael's future.