Our ongoing emphasis on improving the physical appearance of the City coincides nicely with a whirlwind of exciting projects rife with opportunities. In just the past few weeks alone we’ve cut the ribbon at Evelyn’s Park, unveiled major renovations at the Nature Discovery Center in Russ Pitman Park, and kicked off the construction of new municipal facilities at Bellaire Town Square. And that’s just in our public spaces. We’ve also got a lot of new—and long overdue—redevelopment activity that’s refreshing the appearance of our commercial areas, with even more on the horizon. Good things are happening, with great potential to transform our cityscape and community image in very positive ways.
Yet, as we seek to build upon these developments through coordinated design standards for other things like streets, utility infrastructure, landscaping, wayfinding signage and gateway entrances, it’s becoming increasingly evident that there’s something missing. We’ve never really pinned down the “look and feel” we’re going for. That missing look and feel is not just about visual appeal; it encompasses our very identity as a city.
Yet, as we seek to build upon these developments through coordinated design standards for other things like streets, utility infrastructure, landscaping, wayfinding signage and gateway entrances, it’s becoming increasingly evident that there’s something missing. We’ve never really pinned down the “look and feel” we’re going for. That missing look and feel is not just about visual appeal; it encompasses our very identity as a city.
