Fairbanks, AK
Testing a new vision for underutilized street space
The Project
In 2019, two streets in downtown Fairbanks were selected to be a part of FAST Planning’s Green Street Plan, an initiative to create green infrastructure and beautify streets and public spaces to create more welcoming spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. 5th Avenue and Lacey Street were identified as candidates for this kind of intervention because of their low traffic volumes, lack of pedestrian space, and lack of green infrastructure. Through a review committee and public polling, four artist teams were selected to design murals that created new pedestrian space by closing Lacey Street to vehicles and expanding the sidewalks on 5th Avenue. Keeping with their green mission, the project team used a soy-based biodegradable traffic paint for their murals.
“The Asphalt Art Initiative was an incredibly meaningful opportunity to engage the community in reimagining the future of two downtown streets. It brought so many smiles and fresh ideas to the table on how we can make our streets more accommodating to residents, businesses, and visitors alike.”
Jackson Fox, Director, FAST Planning
Use the slider to see the transformation
Best Practice Highlight: Using art to test out infrastructure improvements
One of the key elements of this project was to use the murals to demonstrate to residents what longer-term infrastructure improvements could be like for downtown Fairbanks. The murals on 5th Avenue displayed a mockup of wider sidewalks and landscaping, while Lacey Street’s murals demonstrated what a blended corridor and linear park design could look like. After the installations have been in place for a year and community feedback is collected, the City of Fairbanks will determine how best to implement permanent infrastructure improvements at the sites.
Press
Planning commission approves Fifth Avenue reconstruction (Daily News-Miner, June 17, 2022)
Art project kicks off, adding a splash of color to downtown streets (Daily News-Miner, June 5, 2022)
Downtown streets art project starts Saturday (Daily News-Miner, May 31, 2022)
Asphalt Art concepts available for public input (Daily News-Miner, April 22, 2022)
Transportation planners issue call for street artists (Daily News-Miner, April 9, 2022)
Yes, asphalt art can make streets safer (Daily News-Miner, October 12, 2021)
For inspiration and tips for the creation of art on roadways and public places, download the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide which features successful plaza and roadway art activations around the world, as well as key steps for developing such projects.
