Downtown – Old Town, Lansing, Michigan
Old Town is a neighborhood that specialized in making tools. It was a commercial crossroads by the Grand River with a mill, brewery, and shops. By 1900, it was a center for making plows and other agricultural tools. The arrival of the Olds and Reo motor car companies changed the face of the neighborhood. New factories made auto bodies, wheels and parts. Forges dotted the landscape, and Lansing grew as thousands of workers found jobs, bought homes and shopped at neighborhood commercial centers.
As these manufacturing uses waned, Old Town was reinvented as a destination with entertainment and arts, dining, and retail.
Old Town Lansing is defined by several multi-story buildings with distinctive architectural character.
Often one individual can have an outsized impact in the success of any given place. Thelma Joyce Osteen was one such person recognized for her leadership and dedication to North Lansing in 2000. Interestingly, just beneth this plaque commemorating her is another from 1984 to Fredith Taylor for service to her neighborhood and the North Lansing Community Association.
An effort to enliven the street is evident here with public art and a bike rack.
This Art District sign screens a parking lot and seeks to brand Old Town for the arts activities that can be found here. Similar approaches to pre-vitalization have occurred, including in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas, Texas.
This mural by the MICA Reach Student Art Center celebrates jazz and blue music, highlighting different people and personalities associated with this genre. It covers the entire side of the building, enlivening both the building and block.
Turner Park is an attempt at public space activation through placemaking. While tastefully designed, the park lacks the attractive power to draw people there and make them want to stay for any duration of time. Movable furniture might also allow people to customize their experience more. Plantings would also enhance the space and make it feel more welcoming.
The Arts Council of Great Lansing has a prominent location in Old Town. They make their presence known on the sidewalk. These mismatched chairs have a sense of playfulness while also giving people a place to sit. Further, the mixing of the inexpensive plastic molded Adirondack chairs with the rocking chairs gives variety of places to sit.
Great Lakes Arts & Gifts has photography, fiber art, ceramics, soaps, textiles, mosaics, wall art, jewelry, and woodworking all beneath the same roof.
Old Town General Store is in a one-story building with patterned concrete block to the sides. The recessed entrance expands the window display area and draws people in. A transom light over the entrance allows more light to enter further into the building. The other side wall facing a parking lot has a large mural with illustrations of trees.
Unicorn Lounge is a destination in Old Town thanks to the partial unicorn projecting from the building. This proves the concept “show me, don’t tell me.” Small spot lights for the unicorn are mounted beneath it to ensure that this business is visible day and night to passersby.
Katalyst has a parklet that is adjusted to be level despite the sidewalk being sloped. The step up limits handicap accessibility. It probably would have been better to make the parklet flush with the slope of the sidewalk.
Another parklet by Punk Taco is more accessible.
Meat BBQ makes use of a building with a courtyard space between the sidewalk and building entrance.
Cravings Popcorn Company has a very effective three dimensional sign over their entrance. It leaves no mistake what this business is about. The sign further enhances the
This outdoor dining area is enclosed though does not have a platform like the others. The use of stock metal railings within the wood frame creates a bit of a muddle. An opportunity to incorporate plantings with the wood frame is also lost. Hanging planter boxes from the side, for instance, could help to soften this enclosure quite a bit.
This simple outdoor dining setup is quite effective. The backless benches with paired planters create a buffer with the street and parking. Then the tables with umbrellas closer to the building give a comfortable place to sit. A mismatched aesthetic with slightly different shades of colors makes it cohesive as a whole.
Retail Therapy is a business with strong street presence thanks to the their projecting blade sign and fascia sign. The large display windows further help this business to stand out.
Fish Ladder Tattoo Company has a distinctive blade sign. A metal panel is laser cut to show their creative logo.
Old Town in Lansing, Michigan, has simple messaging “I Love Old Town.” Another banner nearby channels an artsy vibe and says “Welcome to Old Town.”
These wayfinding signs for businesses help people to navigate Old Town and find places that they might not have otherwise known about or been looking for. Customizing each sign adds yet another creative flourish to the district.