Insights into a Lively Downtown (Urban Planning, Ann Arbor, Michigan) HQ version

Interested in a high-resolution DVD copy of "Insights"? We are making it available for purchase bundled together with our newest film, "The Great Street Toolkit" (not available on YouTube)! Go to http://www.westphalassociates.com/store for details, and thanks for supporting independent film!

What makes a downtown district appealing? Why do people go out of their way to walk down one side of the street and not the other? Using the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan as a case study, this exploration of successful downtown streets weaves together pedestrian interviews with footage of streetscapes and sidewalk behavior to show what healthy blocks have in common.

Feel free to e-mail toolkit@westphalassociates.com if you have any questions.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• urban planning
• urban design
• architecture
• pedestrian
• business improvement district
• streetscape
• landscape
• revitalization
• kirk westphal
• ann arbor
• michigan

[PDXDevelopmentComm]

I just watched this video AGAIN. I think I've seen it seven or eight times. I really have to thank you for making it. Your film is what gave me the inspiration to make films like this full time. Thanks again and again and again.

JC

[KirkWestphal]

@PDXDevelopmentComm -- Thank you for the generous compliments. You're welcome! Feel free to get in touch directly via my address in the description or "friend" me. Best of luck with the films and keep in touch! -- Kirk

[Magusjanus]

Having moved to Ann Arbor a year ago, the more time I spend in this city the more I grow to love it. The comparably small amount of land that makes up this downtown absolutely outweighs the feeling of variety from my hometown, Toledo which is 4 times larger than Ann Arbor. This feature is very well put together, and I commend your attention to detail without over saturation of points. I hope to do my own "Exploring Ann Arbor" series, once I go farther into my video production courses.

[KirkWestphal]

Thanks for the kind words. Please feel free to drop me an e-mail (my address is in the information to the right) if you'd like to meet up--I have some ideas you can steal!

[lumaix]

A city's living room :) Your tag-team scientific analysis and anecdotal experience was super informative. Great job.

[francisjutras90]

That was so interesting. thanks for sharing. I just got accepted into Urban Planning at the University of Montreal and watching this was completely captivating to me. I love downtowns like this one and i wish there were more of them in the suburbs... yeah in my dreams right.. Haha!

[sidsquidrick]

Fantastic job!

[J0HN91]

Im looking at the Urban Planning program at the University of Cincinnati