North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The City of Raleigh has been recognized by the American Planning Association with the 2022 Marvin Collins Award for Capital North.
The small area plan category for large communities was awarded for the focus on inclusive engagement and recommendations for small business support and community stabilization.
Christopher Golden, a planning supervisor, and John Anagnost, a senior planner with the planning and development department, led the three-year process to enhance walkability and bikeability and promoting future conditions for employment growth.
“Being recognized for these efforts through the Marvin Collins Award is an incredible honor, affirming the hard work, dedication, commitment and leadership of the City of Raleigh, the project team and the community in which we engaged,” says Christopher Golden.
The Capital North Corridor Plan: A Future of Choice was adopted in July. It details improvements needed over the next 25 years, including major changes to roads.
The preferred alternative would convert a stretch of Capital Boulevard from a traditional thoroughfare into a multiway boulevard called the Capital Boulevard Multiway. Applying a multiway solution will provide significant relief of traffic congestion over the next 25 years, improve safety and convenience and “prepare the corridor for a high-quality transit service like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT),” staff wrote in the report.
The Capital North corridor has a mixture of residential, retail, and office development. Some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Raleigh are near this corridor. Shopping centers and other employers have been added consistently since the 1960s.
Those who provided input during the study said they want to see “a vibrant blend of mixed-use development, high quality employers, and diverse housing options”.
Visit the Capital North Study page to learn full details about the project.