The Site

Downtown Durham has made tremendous strides toward becoming a complete urban center of jobs, residents, shopping, dining, recreation, civic services, education, worship, the arts and entertainment. It has become a place that attracts residents of other parts of the city and county to visit, as well as visitors from other places.

The Project

In March 2015, about 80 citizens, elected officials, and City and County staff members gathered at Trinity United Methodist Church todiscuss the theme “Downtown Durham: from Potential to Greatness.” From the ideas and opinions presented in that charrette, we created a document outlining proposed next steps to make Downtown Durham more pedestrian, cyclist and driver friendly:

Durham's existing planning documents agree that among the next steps for the city is to renovate and remove the Downtown Loop, restore the historic street grid, and make it all two way traffic—including Roxboro Street and Mangum Street.

The Loop is a barrier to pedestrians. It is confusing to drivers. It reduces the development feasibility of land throughout Downtown. It is a constraint to achieving the goals of our Downtown Master Plan. Removing the Loop will create new downtown development sites and make existing undeveloped sites more desirable. This development will meet existing market demand. Restoring our two-way street grid will make Downtown a better place to live, work, walk, shop, play, and be a citizen.

Content from Downtown Durham: From Potential to Greatness; Learn more at www.fixtheloop.org.