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Background <br />The previous Eugene Downtown Plan was adopted <br />in 1984 and reflected the issues and challenges of <br />that time. Since then, numerous plans and studies <br />focused on downtown, calling for significant public <br />and private investment. Some of this energy and <br />focus was reactive, a response to the changes in <br />downtown shifting from aretail-based market to an <br />employment-based market. Much of the work has <br />also been strategic, a concentrated effort to <br />strengthen downtown by introducing more housing <br />and capitalizing on key development opportunities, <br />such as Broadway Place, the new Eugene Public <br />Library and the new Federal Courthouse. <br />In 2000, the Eugene City Council appointed a <br />Committee for Greater Downtown Visioning to <br />develop a vision for downtown. The vision that <br />emerged promoted downtown as a thriving, active <br />urban center with ties to our rich natural heritage, <br />a variety of intermingled activities, and safe, <br />inviting streets. In 2001, City Council accepted the <br />Vision for Greater Downtown Eugene and directed staff <br />to use it as the basis for an updated Downtown Plan. <br />This current plan for downtown incorporates the <br />Vision into a framework for public and private <br />decisions affecting downtown in the future. The plan <br />builds on previous plans and studies. A list of this <br />previous work is included in the Appendix. <br />Downtown Plan Study Area <br />The Downtown Plan study area includes the <br />downtown core and immediate adjacent areas. The <br />study area overlaps with three neighborhood <br />refinement plan areas, the Whiteaker Plan, the West <br />University Refinement Plan, and Jefferson/Far West <br />Refinement Plan. Where the policies of this plan <br />conflict with adopted policies in previous plans, this <br />most recent plan prevails. <br />Organization of this Plan <br />The plan includes nine related elements, each a <br />fundamental aspect of downtown urban vitality and <br />economic strength: <br />I. Strong Regional Center <br />II. Building a Downtown <br />III. Great Streets <br />IV. Special Places <br />V. Living Downtown <br />VI. Downtown Riverfront <br />VII. Cultural Center <br />VIII. Safe Civic Center <br />IX. Getting Around Downtown <br />The discussion of each element includes policies, <br />implementation strategies, and examples of possible <br />projects. Only policies are adopted by the City <br />Council. <br />POLICIES are statements to articulate and move <br />the community towards its goals. With the <br />exception of Policy IV 3, relating to EWEB's <br />riverfront property, the policies in the Downtown <br />Plan are aspirational, and cannot be the basis for <br />denial of public or private proposals regarding <br />change in the downtown. <br />IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES are tactics to <br />address the policies. Implementation strategies <br />often require coordination between city departments <br />or divisions. <br />PROJECTS are examples of specific actions that the <br />City may choose to undertake or participate in. <br />The list in this plan is neither definitive nor <br />comprehensive; projects are often contingent on <br />public funding and development opportunities. <br />2 EUGENE DOWNTOWN PLAN APRIL 2004 <br />