| Project Rating: |  |
| Project Snapshot: | A cradle of American history blends updated street features into a dense fabric of seventeenth century streets. |
| Project History: |
The street system in Annapolis is more European than American. Two hilltop circles serve as spokes for a radial network of tiny cobbled streets. The historic Maryland Statehouse occupies State Circle and St. Anne's Episcopal Church sits atop Church Circle. Picturesque Main Street descends five blocks from Church Circle to Annapolis Harbor, the only pre-revolutionary docks remaining in America. Annapolis is also home to the U.S. Naval Academy and St. Johns College. As the traditional focus of city commerce, Main Street thrives today as an international tourist destination with many shops, restaurants and historic inns lining the street, and along neighboring blocks of the historic center of town. The rich history in Annapolis peaked in the Colonial period, when the city docks received African slaves (including Kunta Kinte of "Roots" fame) and later, when the Old State House served briefly as the United States capitol. Today, the building is still in service as the state capitol of Maryland. Annapolis does not take its stewardship of American history lightly. Consider that this modest city of 35,000 employs an urban designer, two historic preservation officers and a transportation planner, in addition to the conventional design review and zoning staff you might expect in a small city planning department. This dedication to preservation has clearly paid off, allowing the City to maintain its history, while evolving to accommodate the modern demands of a working state capitol. The street improvements along Main Street have evolved over many years, and now include fine examples of modern sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and street furniture that respond to heavy tourist traffic, while blending with the historic architecture. Most improvements have been constructed over the past two decades, often replacing older, worn facilities and structures. |
| Best Ideas: |
The City recently added a new plaza at the base of Main Street, adjacent to the harbor and public market building. The plaza provides a shady respite away from the buzz of Main Street, and the summer crowds that surround the market building. An excellent modern roundabout near the plaza quietly calms traffic as it directs the flow from Compromise Street into the downtown area. The design ensures a minimum of congestion and visual blight at the gateway to Main Street, and minimizes the street width at what would otherwise be a traffic bottleneck Throughout the downtown, refurbished sidewalks have been carefully constructed with traditional brick, complementing the colonial architecture that dominates the City. This subtle choice might be outperformed by newer concrete paver alternatives, but the effect would not be the same. Streets are also generally paved with brick, which has the advantage of calming traffic with the self-enforcing tire vibration that only cobbled streets can provide. Main Street also includes a number of smaller street details, including the understated (and presumably historic) Colonial street lamp styles, a generous supply of benches and landscape pots and occasional quirky signage aimed at directing tourists through alleys and along narrow streets. The City also does an excellent job of encouraging sidewalk commerce through tasteful commercial signage and street displays. |
| Worst Ideas: | Though the City streets are slow and friendly for bicycles, little signage exists to legitimize their presence. Few streets have bicycle parking, though a popular bicycle rack was added at the new plaza. This is a faint criticism, however. Annapolis presents a outstanding balance of street form and function that serves as an ideal model for any small town or village - don't miss it on your next trip to Baltimore or Washington D.C.! |
| Contact Information: |
City of Annapolis 160 Duke of Gloucester Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (410) 263-7961 e-mail: planzone@annapolis.gov web: http://www.ci.annapolis.md.us/ |
