TBG to compete in park(ing) day challenge in denver
The challenge was simple: utilize creative design to reclaim the streets for pedestrian-centered activities including the use of bicycle, scooter and other electric and human powered vehicles.
TBG Partners’ Charge, Rest, Go! was chosen as one of six finalists in the Spin Spot Design Competition hosted by Dallas-based urban design nonprofit, Better Block and Spin, a San Francisco-based dockless scooter share provider. The international competition was established to provide communities with creative solutions to manage the growing number of multi-modal mobility options in cities throughout the US. Finalists will showcase their design at Park(ing) Day in Denver, Colorado on September 20th, 2019.
TBG’s participation in the competition is an extension of the firm’s commitment to creating more livable spaces through design. As noted by Beaudry Kock, Head of Policy Initiatives at Spin, “Scooters and bikes are here to stay…” TBG’s Charge, Rest, Go!, represents a dynamic micro-mobility parklet which provides order to the chaos of our streets and sidewalks. The implementation of Charge, Rest, Go! acts as a catalyst for effective micro-mobility policy in our cities by easing the tension between different forms of travel.
The Charge, Rest, Go! Team, comprised of five landscape architects and urban designers based in Dallas and Denver, brought a unique perspective to the design problem. The team held a series of collaborative meetings to discuss the complexity of bridging the pedestrian realm with differing modes of transportation. The TBG team expanded their design expertise to include the use of digital design and fabrication to create solutions for mobility conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists and scooters and drive a larger conversation on how scooters can be more effectively integrated into the urban fabric.
Considerations of street safety and rider experience allowed the team to create a bold concept that blends a traditional parking footprint, bike corral, and bus shelter with scooter parking and placemaking. The design represents a democratic space for people to rest between trips and utilizes a carbon neutral approach to mobility through renewable energy sources. Charge, Rest, Go! encourages public engagement and discourse as visitors Charge scooters and phones on a solar powered docking stations, Rest under a canopied structure and Go forth via a dedicated launching pad with direct street access.
As landscape architects and designers, TBG’s commitment to the public realm aligns well with Better Block Foundation, who implemented similar design projects in the past — including challenges to build better pavilions, pop-up retail kiosks, and bus stops that enhance place in community. “We love working with creatives to reimagine spaces for people,” says Better Block Foundation’s Director Jason Roberts. “We were blown away by the designs that were submitted and are excited to see them come to life in Denver.”
Installations will be judged and have a chance to win the Jury’s First Prize or People’s Choice Award, each worth $2,500 during Denver Park(ing) Day on September 20th. We’re excited – and cannot wait for the big reveal of Charge, Rest, Go! in September!