"Our vision of Downtown Tigard is a vibrant and active urban
village at the heart of our community that is pedestrian oriented, accessible
by many modes of transportation, recognizes and uses natural resources as an
asset, and features a combination of uses that enable people to live, work,
play, and shop in an environment that is uniquely Tigard."
(Tigard Downtown Improvement Plan)
The Tigard Downtown Improvement Plan
(TDIP) (13 MB) is the result of three years of hard work by a volunteer Task Force
and the Tigard community. The Downtown Improvement Plan is a 20 to 30 year blueprint
that will guide the development of Downtown Tigard into a vibrant, mixed-use urban
village. Downtown will serve as the "green heart" of Tigard: a central gathering
place for the community to live, work, and play, that will incorporate environmental
ideas, such as providing open space, protecting Fanno Creek, and designing new streets
that reduce stormwater runoff.
Because of the Downtown Improvement Plan citizen involvement process, Tigard
was awarded the 2005 Good Governance Award from the League of Oregon Cities.
The award recognizes exceptional city programs that unite citizens within a
community.
Implementing the Downtown Improvement Plan will be a gradual process taking
place over the next 30 years. A 12-member citizen committee, the City
Center Advisory Commission (CCAC), is advisory to staff in recommending
priorities and funding levels for Downtown projects. Citizen involvement
will remain a top priority as this process continues.
Executive Summary
The primary objectives of the Tigard Downtown Improvement Plan (TDIP) are
fourfold. First and foremost, the TDIP is a downtown "improvement" plan,
one that builds upon the good "bones" of the current Downtown area, and
that builds upon the sound foundation of community-based planning for the
area. Second, the TDIP is intended to serve as the "master conceptual
plan" for the Downtown neighborhood, as envisioned by the Tigard
Comprehensive Plan. Third, the TDIP is intended to meet the objectives
of the Metro Functional Plan, as that plan designates Tigard's downtown
area as a Town Center. Finally, the overarching objective of the Plan is
to ensure that Downtown Tigard will serve the community's stated future
needs for an active, mixed use "urban village."
The TDIP aims to provide the blueprint for the evolution of Downtown
Tigard into a vital, vibrant, mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly environment
over the next 20-30 years. The TDIP summarizes the rationale for, and
the evolution of, the conceptual design plan. It identifies development
types and "catalyst projects", projects that are needed to jumpstart
other development in the area and create a climate for investment. It
promotes a multi-modal transportation system and concurrent development
that is conducive to the planned evolution into a Town Center.
"Great Ideas" - Things to make downtown Tigard truly unique
The suggestions and comments received from the public and the Task Force
during public outreach events were synthesized into "Great Ideas." These
ideas involved things that could make Downtown Tigard truly unique, things
that would later be fleshed out into key "catalyst projects" that would
create a climate for investment and stimulate development. The Great
Ideas included the following:
- Evolution of Main Street: A two-sided retail street with unique small-scale shops bordered to the south by a pedestrian promenade with pocket parks, fountains, and plazas.
- The Heart of Downtown: A central gathering place adjacent to Fanno Creek supporting a diverse range of activities including a farmers market, entertainment, restaurants, retail, and housing.
- Mixed Use Urban Village: A walkable village with ample opportunity for all ages to live, work and play.
- A New Transportation System: A safe and well-connected street system providing walking, bicycle, auto, and transit access throughout Downtown.
- Green Connections: A pervasive blend of pedestrian oriented natural features throughout Downtown including wide sidewalks, linear parks, water features, trees, native landscaping, pocket parks and plazas, etc.
- Transit Options: Service and facilities enhancements designed to meet the needs of Tigard's growing Downtown employment, residential and visitor populations.
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