I recently came across a competition to upgrade a traffic island. To take an underutilized, marginal space, and turn it into something of value, a place where people would want to be. Overall, I was happy with my proposal, although I do wish I would have pushed the boundaries a little more, and instead of improving on what was there, propose something drastic and creative, something totally different.
My proposal used a traffic island at 18th and Burnside in Portland. Currently, there is a bus stop, and lots of concrete and signs on the island. My proposal aimed to make it a more comfortable space, apply some rainwater storage and cleansing, and improve the visual appeal of the island.
The other entries can be found here.
Before Photo:
My Proposal (Click to Enlarge):
A sketch, and overall plan for the traffic island:
