A New Plaza For Downtown Raleigh

"So, City Plaza. This is the acre or so that occupies most of the 500 block of Fayetteville Street, including the space in front of the Sheraton on its west side and in front of the nondescript office tower opposite on its east side. Since both buildings are set back farther from the street than all their neighbors, and since the 500 block is about midway from the Capitol to Memorial Auditorium, the effect is a natural gathering place within a block of the new convention center."

"The city's Urban Design Center's new scheme is to run Fayetteville Street right through the middle of the plaza, where it belongs, but without any raised curbs or sidewalks, only well-marked boundaries on a flat plane. In other words, cars will proceed, but very slowly, whenever the plaza's going strong because everything about the place will say that it's for people first, cars second."

"Then - and here's the other cool idea-the rest of the plaza will be set up so that it can accommodate lots of different, active things, not just one static Plensa thing. It might be a beer garden one weekend, a Shakespeare Festival site the next. Or a dance hall (with flooring). Or an outdoor shopping mart."