Sioux Falls has created some wonderful downtown gathering places. The next challenge is to expand them, connect them, and create more.

Downtown Sioux Falls has become one of the city’s great success stories. It is a point of pride in the city. Twenty years ago, few people wandered downtown except to visit Minervas or some other restaurant. Today, people gather downtown just to enjoy being there. Restaurants spill onto sidewalks. Families visit Jacobson Plaza or explore the shops. Outdoor patios are full. Levitt concerts draw thousands to north Phillips.

In addition, Downtown Sioux Falls (DTSF) has been hosting popular Open Streets events, turning streets into pedestrian-friendly gathering places filled with activities. We’ve learned how to create places people love.

Open Streets Events Are Very Popular

Downtown’s Popular People Spaces

Phillips Avenue between 9th and 12th Streets is one popular spot. The northern end of Phillips, from 6th to 2nd, is another. Levitt and Jacobson Plaza attract thousands of visitors. The Washington Pavilion, Cherapa Place, the Steel District, and East 8th Street each contribute something fun and distinctive to downtown life.

These places attract people not simply because there is something to do, but because the surrounding environment is interesting and enjoyable. People want to spend time there. Our goal should be to expand these popular people spaces, connect them, and create more.

Levitt Concerts Attract Thousands

We Also Have Pedestrian Deserts

At the same time, we have plenty of pedestrian deserts downtown. A pedestrian desert is exactly what it sounds like: a place where walking feels empty, uncomfortable, or uninteresting. Large surface parking lots, blank building walls, parking ramps, and single-purpose developments discourage people from walking from one destination to another.

Think of the areas around the downtown library and Wells Fargo building. Or take a walk north on Phillips Avenue from 12th Street to 2nd Street to check out this year’s SculptureWalk offerings. From 12th to 9th, restaurants, shops, and patios create a lively street environment. Crowds routinely show up there on weekends from spring to fall. But between 9th and 6th, parking ramps and buildings with limited street-level activity don’t have much to offer pedestrians.

Then, as you approach 6th Street, the environment improves. The Levitt, Jacobson Plaza, Cascade, and nearby developments create great people places. In just ten blocks, we experience both the promise and shortcomings of downtown development.

Parades Are a Regular Attraction

An Extraordinary Opportunity to Get It Right

Over the next 10 to 20 years, the Sanford District, and perhaps the Riverline District, could add well over 100 acres to downtown Sioux Falls. We should be thoughtful about what goes there.

It is tempting to propose big landmark structures. Some suggest a new convention center or baseball stadium downtown. I’m not so sure. Such facilities can be tremendous community assets, but only if they fit into the neighborhood.

A stadium or convention center surrounded by acres of surface parking creates a pedestrian desert. Consider our existing facilities on Russell Avenue. How many people stroll through the surrounding parking lots when there isn’t an event?

Downtown Sculptures Draw Crowds

Large-footprint facilities are challenging to integrate into a walkable downtown. Doing it right, including structured parking with active street-level uses, can be expensive. But cheap can be very expensive in the long run. And we have a tendency to opt for cheap here in the Midwest.

Build Neighborhoods, not Landmarks

My hope is that the next generation of downtown development creates more people spaces. Think two- and three-story buildings with housing above restaurants, boutiques, galleries, and local businesses. Think shaded sidewalks, outdoor seating, and frequent building entrances. Maybe many smaller buildings rather than a few massive ones.

We don’t need every building to be an architectural landmark. We need buildings that collectively create interesting, welcoming streets. Cities become memorable because of the energy on their streets and public spaces, not just their buildings.

We only get one chance to develop downtown’s next 100 acres. Let’s make sure we build neighborhoods, not pedestrian deserts.