Project Values
Our five core values are a lens through which we make our design and programmatic decisions, and a way for us to communicate our intentions and visions with local stakeholders. We are outcome-oriented, and focused on incorporated evidence-based best practices in order to design a project that embodies these values.
Authenticity
Keep It Local: State Street Village will showcase the things that make Redlands so special: local businesses, heritage street trees, beautiful architecture, gourmet food, and walkability. The ground floor retail space in State Street Village will provide a range of retail, commercial, and restaurant opportunities focused on local ownership. This project will be a platform for local businesses- a place to showcase the best of Redlands, to expand the activity of State Street, and open up more opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Shared Experiences: High-quality public space is a cornerstone of the State Street Village plan, and the public space in the project is being designed intentionally to foster shared experiences between community members. It is our goal to cultivate places that create shared experiences and bring people together, to strengthen the connection between people and the places they share.
Celebrate Heritage: Redlands has a distinctive and rich social, cultural, and architectural heritage that serves as inspiration for State Street Village. Downtown Redlands, and the project site, was once home to beautiful, historic buildings with diverse architectural styles and building heights. Many of these buildings, including La Posada, were demolished to make way for the Mall. State Street Village will honor and reference the architecture and human scale of historic Downtown Redlands.
La Posada Hotel. Image courtesy of Redlands Area Historical Society.
Inclusivity
All ages, all abilities, all genders, all incomes, all races: The public space and streets of State Street Village will be designed to welcome all members of the Redlands community. Our community outreach process has been designed to include a diverse range of stakeholders in the Redlands community. We have already spoken with Redlands residents of all ages, from high school students to retirees, and are incorporating community feedback into our plan.
Design for All Ages: State Street Village will be designed to be an age-friendly community that is welcoming and enjoyable for Redlands residents of all ages. The project design is in accordance with AARP's recently released guide to walkable, age-friendly communities Enabling Better Places: A Handbook for Improved Neighborhoods.
Single Level, Walkable Housing: Walkable neighborhoods allow community members of all ages and levels of ability to enjoy full lives without relying on a car for transportation. State Street Village is being designed as a walkable community that will connect residents with the rest of Downtown Redlands. Beyond the walkable urban design, the residences at State Street Village will include single-level, stacked flat housing options that will create additional housing opportunities for Redlands residents of all ages and abilities.
Health
Design for Physical and Mental Health: The design of our neighborhoods influences the physical, spiritual, social, and mental well-being of our communities. The healthiest people in the world don’t spend two hours a day in the gym, they live in walkable communities where it is safe, convenient, and enjoyable to get around on two feet. Walkable, green neighborhoods can function as preventative healthcare districts and are empirically proven to improve physical and mental health outcomes. Active transportation, including walking, biking, light rail, is not only healthier for the environment and our air quality, but it is essential for human health.
Healthy Retail: As we create new commercial opportunities in the heart of Downtown Redlands, we are focused on creating space for health-oriented retail, restaurants, and services. This includes healthy eateries, farm-to-table restaurants, and fitness studios.
Sustainability
Environmental, Economic, and Social: The three pillars of sustainability are interrelated and can work together to create successful outcomes. Our overarching goal is to develop a neighborhood that promotes environmental health, contributes to Redlands’ long-term economic prosperity, and improves social well-being and quality of life.
“Cool Neighborhood”: Extreme urban heat and the heat island effect is a growing long-term threat in Redlands. Extreme heat is on the rise and is worsening with climate change. Extreme heat events are on track to become more common, more severe, and last longer. In its existing form, the Redlands Mall is a heat island and contributes to a range of environmental, energy, economic, and human health impacts. The plan for State Street Village will incorporate evidence-based design solutions to combat extreme urban heat and create a cooler neighborhood.
Reduce GHG Emissions and Improve Air Quality: Emission reductions are not only critical to the fight against the existential threat of climate change but are urgently necessary to improve air quality and local community health outcomes. To adapt to climate change, we need to take cues from our ancestors and begin building communities based climate-responsive urban design, centered on people. Walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods are essential to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and combat climate change. Analysis of transit-oriented developments in California demonstrates the significant reductions in vehicle miles traveled, emissions, and car ownership generated by this type of development.
Active Transportation: Active transportation (walking, biking, and transit) is beneficial to the environment. Not only are these forms of transportation efficient in their use of space, they reduce emissions and create less waste. State Street Village is strategically located in the heart of Downtown Redlands, which is already on the cusp of a pedestrian and bicyclist renaissance. State Street Village will have immediate proximity to the Orange Blossom Trail and the historic pedestrian State Street, and is located within easy walking distance to the upcoming Downtown Redlands Station for the Arrow Passenger Rail. State Street Village will be a pedestrian and bicyclist-friendly neighborhood, with beautifully landscaped pedestrian paseos, human-scaled walkable blocks, and abundant bike parking for both residents and visitors.
Connectivity
Physical Connectivity: Connectivity for all modes of transportation helps create linkages between places and people. Physical linkages between places and people are facilitated through smart street design, walkability, bicycle amenities, and easy way-finding. We are considering all modes of transportation - biking, walking, transit, and driving- in our plan for physical connectivity.
Social Connectivity: State Street Village will connect people to places and to each other. We are prioritizing social connectivity and community-building in our design and programming of public space. The plaza in State Street Village is being designed to welcome Redlands residents of all ages and to encourage intergenerational connectivity.