Engagement along Folsom
Authored by Brian Tonetti
Community engagement along the Folsom Corridor, through the AARP’s Community Challenge, encouraged exploration and built support for its implementation. Urban intervention and programming were successful in gathering thoughts, visions, and ideas for the future Folsom Trail and daylighting of City Creek.
The Seven Canyons Trust was selected, among 1,200 applications, for the AARP’s Community Challenge. Efforts built community support for the Folsom Corridor on the west-side of Salt Lake City, Utah. Placemaking was used as a tool to raise awareness through urban intervention—low-cost, short-term efforts that catalyze long-term change.
Twenty-one temporary wayfinding signs and 11 pavement markings were placed along the corridor. Two narratives followed the City Creek story from east to west and, west to east, prompts inform about the Folsom Trail and its connection to the surrounding neighborhood. Pavement markings demarcate the corridor to encourage exploration and build support for its implementation.
A walk, in partnership with Jane Jacobs Walk and Salt Lake City Transportation, along Folsom Corridor engaged 35 participants of all ages and backgrounds to explore priorities, opportunities, and challenges. One participant suggested, “Orient businesses to [City] Creek to expand perceived open space.” Another made a note that, “In general, I like the daylighting concept. I believe it will increase our usable green space which improves the quality of life, as well as property value.” Frequent challenges through all the segments included lighting, noise, trash and debris, and unwanted activity. Suggested opportunities included gateways, art murals, retail opportunities, community gardens, and riparian vegetation enhancements.
The Seven Canyons Trust partnered with Salt Lake City and Fisher Brewing to host an Oktoberfest celebration at the historic Albert Fisher Mansion and Carriage House. Several food trucks and two bands, Pixie and the Partygrass Boys and Park City Polka Players, enlivened the grounds. Over 1,000 attendees joined to enjoy brews, bites, and tunes with their neighbors. Engagement activities, including asset mapping, surveying, cut-and-paste cross-sections, and priority ranking, gathered feedback on the Folsom Corridor.
The cut-and-paste cross-section activity allowed participants to design their own Folsom Corridor right-of-way for Segments Three (800 to 900 West) and Four (900 to 1000 West). The most popular amenities were riparian habitat, creek floodplain, sidewalk, car/bus lane, and paved trail, respectively. The two features include in all designs were the creek channel and creek floodplain. The least popular features were car/bus turn lanes, community gardens, lawn, car parking, and bike lanes, respectively. The max building height, 50 feet, was chosen most frequently for the scale of adjacent buildings.
Approximately 91 surveys collected more in-depth information on thoughts, visions, and ideas for the trail. One participant noted, “Simply having access to water and wetlands would encourage more wildlife and have great psychological benefits. It would help connect, in a very visible way, our mountains and rivers, which I think would be a huge catalyst for further environmental protection and restoration.” Another said, “I love that it's an east-west corridor. I often take TRAX with my bike [and] would love to have a place to ride that's beautiful and away from traffic.”
A large-map was laid out and participants mapped assets, the location of specific amenities, and opportunities areas. Additionally, participants placed stickers numbered one through six in six different project priorities. One being their highest priority and six the lowest. The highest priority in this activity was green space, followed by creek daylighting, recreation, education, art and placemaking, and economic development, respectively. Finally, a chalkboard board was placed out for participants to write or draw their vision for what they would like to see in the Folsom Corridor.
