Downtown Baton Rouge’s North Boulevard Town Square recently clenched the Downtown Merit Award for public spaces at the annual International Downtown Association Conference in Minneapolis.
Davis Rhorer, Downtown Development District executive director and International Downtown Association board member, said a space like the North Boulevard Town Square, located at the center of Baton Rouge’s Arts and Entertainment District, is necessary when developing a city’s downtown area.
Rhorer said Town Square is a venue for public activities in the heart of Baton Rouge. It’s a place where Baton Rouge residents can enjoy activities such as free Zumba or yoga lessons, dog walks or live entertainment.
“What we find is that the 20-to-30-year-olds love the loft living kind of concept, and they come downtown,” Rhorer said. “So I want to create great urban spaces for them to enjoy.”
The Town Square was one of 22 entries in the public space category, which recognizes capital improvements that enhanced the urban design, physical function or economic viability of downtown and the surrounding community. Baton Rouge’s Town Square was crowned as winner for its viability as a common space where people can experience South Louisiana’s culture.
“Downtown Development’s project received the IDA Merit Award for delivering excellence in downtown management,” said David Downey, IDA president and CEO, in a news release. “Each year, the IDA Awards jury recognizes organizations that utilize best practices in our industry. The North Boulevard Town Square is a shining example of excellent downtown management that delivers real results.”
More than 550 downtown organizations are part of the International Downtown Association, making it a “great resource” to learn about the current trends in downtown development, Rhorer said.
The North Boulevard Town Square has won seven awards for planning and public spaces from organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects and the U.S. Conference for Mayors.
The most recent award is the Town Square’s second from the IDA for planning at the 2012 conference. Rhorer said these awards create local, but maybe more importantly, national attention for the city.
“We were very excited to win in the public spaces category,” Rhorer said. “It certainly puts us on the map nationally.”
