While the Columbia leadership team hopes that the Amazing Place Ideas Forum will provide insight on how they should begin addressing those challenges, they’ve already been implementing new programs to capitalize on their downtown, attract new residents and spur future development.
The Columbia team is aiming to use the Forum to discuss a compliment to Walk Bike Columbia, the city’s long-term pedestrian and bicycle master plan adopted by the city in 2015. Of particular interest is sustainable growth that encourages walking, bicycling and transit. A county-wide tax to improve infrastructure, approved by residents in 2015, is estimated to provide nearly $50 million for sidewalks, bikeways, greenways and other pedestrian improvements between 2015 and 2020.
Also within the last year, Columbia has seen an incredible surge in public art, an effort facilitated by both city government organizations and public arts programs. It’s particularly resonated with local residents as an opportunity to celebrate the city’s history and culture amid major development and growth in the region. “The surge of public art in the city is helping Columbia find its identity in the New South,” says Eileen Blyth, a local artist.
With a growing number of visitors to Columbia’s art installations, restaurants and other downtown businesses are reaping the benefits of more pedestrians on the street. The downtown food and beverage industry has been growing, with an increase in chefs and restaurateurs looking to set up shop in the area. The mix of bars and restaurants has increased attraction to the downtown entertainment district, especially amongst local students. The farm-to-table movement has also helped put sustainability on the map for more residents in the region and the city has begun lowering barriers of entry for those interested in taking advantage of the opportunities presented by this growing sector. All of these changes has Columbia on the verge of moving from “a good food town to a great food town,” according to this piece in the Free Times.
Two rivers — the Saluda and the Broad, which become The Congaree as they merge in Columbia — are underutilized as they run through the city, but local leaders are already working to improve access to them. The Do Good Columbia workshop is emphasizing human-centered design to transform Columbia’s public spaces, including the riverfronts. The Three Rivers Greenway — nine-miles of paved trails, boardwalks, and small bridges — is bringing a new sense of pride and livability to the surrounding neighborhoods with each stage of its expansion.