Downtown Chickasha Placemaking Strategy

IQC and the OU Environmental Design Capstone and Practicum students collaborated with the Chickasha Economic Development Council and community partners to create a downtown strategy for mobility, placemaking, and business development

Chickasha, Oklahoma | Spring 2018 – Spring 2019
View the Final Report Below

In March 2018, an application by the Chickasha Economic Development Council (CEDC) successfully won the opportunity to receive matching funds from the Oklahoma Municipal League for community assistance from the University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities (IQC). Following preliminary meetings during summer 2018, IQC and CEDC anticipated a strategy for downtown that would address downtown mobility, placemaking opportunities, business development, and residentialdevelopment possibilities. The scope of work below was developed, and subsequently carried out by the IQC team in collaboration with community partners from August 2018 through May 2019.

Throughout this process, six key priorities emerged, and the design team focused on recommendations presented in this document based on the following topics:

  • Approach revitalization efforts with a range of solutions at all levels
  • Increase activities on evenings and weekends
  • Activate sidewalks and public spaces
  • Improve multi-modal access to downtown
  • Leverage the traffic count of 4th Street and Choctaw Avenue
  • Review redevelopment options for existing buildings and sites