Revitalizing Fairview: Creative Ideas from the Reconnecting Fairview Symposium

Anchorage Design Week 2024 brought together visionaries, planners, and community members to explore the potential of urban spaces in the North. At the heart of this inspiring event was the Reconnecting Fairview Symposium, where creativity flowed freely, and ideas took shape.

Gambell Street Reimagined: A LEGO Adventure Led by Alaska Chapter ASLA President-Elect Peter Briggs, participants embarked on a unique journey. Armed with pre-built LEGO models and a kaleidoscope of loose LEGO pieces, they set out to reimagine Gambell Street. This bustling thoroughfare, often dominated by cars, became a canvas for pedestrian-friendly dreams. Small groups huddled, discussing the current cross-section of Gambell Street. How could it better serve residents? How could it become a lively main street? The answers emerged as LEGO vignettes and components took form. Sidewalk reconfigurations, green spaces, and

vibrant active transportation network assets sprouted from the colorful bricks.

Participants transformed existing right-of-way into a people-centric corridors, inviting residents to stroll and navigate safely to community gatherings and destinations while retaining vehicular mobility and encouraging economic and residential development. Mapping the Fairview Greenway

In another workshop, Lee Post guided participants through the creation of maps and designs for the proposed Fairview Greenway. This envisioned pathway would connect the Chester Creek and Ship Creek greenbelt trails, weaving commuters and residents in nature-based spaces within the urban fabric. Participants explored variations of the corridor; greenways, Woonerfs, pedestrian boulevards, and regional trails. Each participant-generated map told a story—tales of connectivity, health, and shared experiences. Lee’s approach was playful yet purposeful. Illustrative tourism maps showcased Fairview’s current and future assets. Architectural isometric maps revealed the interplay between buildings, active transportation, and green space. Game-like interlocking map cards allowed for endless combinations, sparking conversations about possibilities and passive collaboration from tile to tile, mimicking neighborly urban property owners building a more vibrant community.

Community Voices, Collective Vision

The symposium wasn’t just about LEGO and maps; it was about community voices shaping Fairview’s destiny. Neighborhood residents, small business owners, and advocates came together. They envisioned public spaces teeming with life, greenways fostering well-being, and economic development that uplifted all.

These ideas didn’t stay within symposium walls. They found their way into the Alaska

Department of Transportation’s Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study for the Glenn Highway Connection. The community’s vision now informs policy, ensuring that Fairview’s future reflects its people’s aspirations.

As the sun dipped below the Chugach Mountains, the symposium left a trail of inspiration. Anchorage Design Week had ignited a spark—a commitment to design with purpose, to create spaces that resonate with the human spirit. Fairview, once a mere street on the map, now pulses with possibility.

Article written by our Trustee, Jonny Hayes.