The City of Alcoa Plans for Revitalization from a New Downtown

The City of Alcoa broke ground on a new downtown in April, marking the start of a project expected to have an impact not just on the City of Alcoa, but the entire Knoxville region.

Nearly twenty years of planning have gone into this project, including a 2015 workshop that was made possible through a Smart Growth America technical assistance grant. That workshop gave residents and planners tools and techniques to implement new development standards to create more compact, walkable places to boost the local economy and reduce public spending on infrastructure.

As the project continues to unfold, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization is working with Alcoa City Planner Jeremy Pearson to develop a master plan. The goal is to create a place that helps increase the value, identity, health, and happiness of the entire city. It will also respect the new downtown’s relationship with the high school, neighborhoods, airport, and the proposed new street.

For this to be achieved, the guiding principles for the plan include:

  • Creating a strong identity;
  • Attracting people and investment;
  • Connecting the site with its surroundings;
  • Providing attractive locations for socializing; and
  • Encouraging economic growth.

The site will consist of 350 acres at Alcoa Highway and Hall Road. The proposal includes commercial, retail, office, and residential uses where an aluminum fabrication mill once stood. Work has already begun on the property with road construction, utility infrastructure installation, and site grading. Construction of a boulevard to connect the Hunt Road interchange with Hall Road and Associates Boulevard and grading of nearly 100 acres are expected next. Once the road construction is well underway, property will be available for development.

More information on this project can be found in this Daily Times article.  

Retrofitting Suburbia for 21st-Century Challenges

Ellen Dunham-Jones visited the Knoxville area on April 4 and 5 for several events, sharing information about walkable suburban places with officials and the public.

Dunham-Jones shared case studies of communities that retrofitted suburban-style developments into more attractive, more walkable places with a better mix of uses and more greenery.

Dunham-Jones shared case studies of communities that retrofitted suburban-style developments into more attractive, more walkable places with a better mix of uses and more greenery. Demand for these types of retrofits is being driven by two key demographic groups: millennials and empty-nest boomers who desire urban amenities but don’t necessarily want to live in the urban core. Dunham-Jones literally wrote the book on suburban retrofitting, as co-author of “Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs.”

More than 225 people attended the four sessions with Dunham-Jones, including a session for elected and appointed officials that had about 40 attendees.

Dunham-Jones’s visit was part of the ongoing Walkability Speaker Series sponsored by the TPO in partnership with the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors, the Knoxville Chamber, and East Tennessee Quality Growth.

The next events will be held on May 9 and 10 when Emiko Atherton speaks about mixed land use. There will also be presentations about the Atlanta Beltline on June 6 and 7. To be added to the email list for this speaker series, contact ellen.zavisca@knoxplanning.org.

Roadway Repurposing Workshop Brings Attendees to Knoxville from Across the State

The TPO was selected by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to host a training on how to use the new workbook, Incorporating On-Road Bicycle Networks into Resurfacing Projects.

This is part of an effort to integrate more bikeways through regular pavement preservation projects. Forty-five engineers, designers, and planners from across the state attended this training on April 18, 2017. FHWA sent two instructors, Thomas Huber and Eric Mongelli PE from Toole Design Group, to lead the workshop.

The course covered the use of different approaches to repurposing roadway space and addressing internal processes that can be incorporated into the decision-making process. Presenters used case studies from their work around the country along with local examples. They then led participants through a guided exercise to help them develop their own step-by-step processes for incorporating bicycle facilities into resurfacing projects. There was also a discussion about existing barriers that prevent these safety improvements from being included in resurfacing projects. In post-evaluations, attendees cited this discussion as the most beneficial part of the workshop.

Participants walked to two nearby roads, Middlebrook Pike and Liberty Street, and then worked in small groups to propose ways to re-design the roadway, incorporating what they had learned from the workshop. All four small groups came up with either lane or road diets that made it possible to add bike lanes to the roadways.

Workforce Housing Report Available for Download

The Workforce Housing report examines challenges associated with providing adequate housing for Knox County's working families, including transportation costs.

In Knox County many working households are spending more money on housing and transportation than they can afford. The housing market is not supplying enough affordable units, so households have fewer choices and are often left spending more than 45% of their income on housing and transportation expenses.

Learn more here.

The Draft Amended FY2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program is Now Available

The Knoxville TPO wants your feedback on the amended FY2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)!

The amendment will add over 30 new transportation projects and studies as well as update existing projects consistent with the Mobility Plan 2040, the Knoxville Region’s Long Range Transportation Plan.

Both the Mobility Plan 2040 and the TIP guide transportation investments in our region. The Mobility Plan 2040 lays out a vision of what the transportation system will look like in the future. It includes all of the transportation projects that will be funded and scheduled over the next 20+ years. The TIP is a shorter-range plan which includes all of the transportation projects that will be funded, designed, and built over the next four years. The FY2017-2020 TIP prioritizes roughly $549 million for improvements to roadways, bridges, transit systems, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Where can I find the TIP?

  • View and download the amended FY2017-2020 TIP here: knoxtrans.org/tip
  • Hard copies are available for review at the TPO offices at 400 Main St., Suite 403, Knoxville, TN.

How can I give feedback on the TIP?

  • Contact Elizabeth Watkins via email at elizabeth.watkins@knoxplanning.org or by phone at 865-215-3825.
  • Attend the Technical Committee meeting at 9:00am on April 11th in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building (400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN).
  • Attend the Executive Board meeting at 9:00am on April 26th in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building (400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN).

HealthyHappySmart Symposium – A Community Conversation

March 29-30, 2017

What makes a city a great place to live? What is planning? How will driverless vehicles change our transportation system? The East Tennessee Community Design Center and Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization are hosting a symposium to share ideas and facilitate dialogue on urban planning and design.

The event will feature screenings of short videos intended to spark conversations facilitated by nationally recognized and local experts. Three separate sessions will be aimed, respectively, at the public, elected and appointed local officials, and design professionals. Everyone is invited to attend the free public meeting on March 29th. Meetings for elected officials and professionals are being held on March 30th.

March 29, 2017
Community Forum
5:30 – 8 p.m.

East Tennessee History Center
601 S Gay St

Join Us! HealthyHappySmart Planning Symposium

When: March 29-30, 2017

We are pleased to be co-hosting this event with the East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC). The two-day symposium is designed to raise awareness of planning, land use and transportation issues in our region. This two-day event is an innovative, film-based symposium is designed to explore planning, design and transportation and facilitate a dialogue on how we can create a healthier, happier, smarter region. 

March 29th, 2017 – Public Involvement and Input Session
East Tennessee History Center
5:30-8:00 PM
FREE!

March 30th, 2017 – Elected & Appointed Officials’ Breakfast Session
East Tennessee History Center
8:30-10:30 AM
FREE but RSVP Required to dori.caron@knoxplanning.org

March 30th, 2017 – Design Professionals’ Session
The Square Room, 4 Market Square
1:00-4:30 PM
CEU credits offered
FREE!

Additional assistance is being provided by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Knoxville Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission, East Tennessee Quality Growth and local sponsors.

Additional details are available at https://www.communitydc.org.