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INTRODUCTION Downtown Eugene is the heartbeat of activity in Lane County. Downtown is our civic center and the economic, cultural and governmental focus of the region. Downtown is the place where a wide range of people come for work, celebration, commerce, entertainment, and living. This combination of economic and social activity creates the vitality of downtown, the identity of our city, and the strength of our regional economy. This plan focuses on the character of our downtown as a special place, and presents ideas and policies regarding current conditions and desired changes. This plan renews our vision for downtown, and builds on momentum and enthusiastic community support for a strong and active urban center. Two central themes run throughout this document. First, the City will reinforce downtown Eugene as a strong regional center. City officials will work closely with property owners, developers and community members to bring about a diverse, dense and economically strong urban center. The City will encourage the transformation of vacant and underutilized sites and support the development of commercial, residential, and cultural activities. Second, the City will strengthen downtown as a cultural center and the center of community life. The City will coordinate with public and private developers to create special places downtown. The City will establish a network of great streets downtown that links parks and plazas, cultural and commercial activity areas. The City will create a walkable and memorable downtown, a downtown of short distances and inviting destinations. These ideas are illustrated on the Downtown Concept Plan on Page 5. Background The previous Eugene Downtown Plan was adopted in 1984 and reflected the issues and challenges of that time. Since then, numerous plans and studies focused on downtown, calling for significant public and private investment. Some of this energy and focus was reactive, a response to the changes in downtown shifting from a retail-based market to an employment-based market. Much of the work has also been strategic, a concentrated effort to strengthen downtown by introducing more housing and capitalizing on key development opportunities, such as Broadway Place, the new Eugene Public Library and the new Federal Courthouse. In 2000, the Eugene City Council appointed a Committee for Greater Downtown Visioning to develop a vision for downtown. The vision that emerged promoted downtown as a thriving, active urban center with ties to our rich natural heritage, a variety of intermingled activities, and safe, inviting streets. In 2001, City Council accepted the Vision for Greater Downtown Eugene and directed staff to use it as the basis for an updated Downtown Plan.