City of Lincoln, Centennial Mall Revitalization

City of Lincoln, Centennial Mall Revitalization

Centennial Mall provides a vista of the Nebraska State Capitol through Downtown Lincoln, visually connecting the Capitol with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through seven downtown blocks—some open to vehicular traffic and some closed—with fountains, green spaces, sculptures and walkways.

We led work on a master plan and design renovations to revitalize the mall, increasing its accessibility, balancing motorist and pedestrian transportation, incorporating sustainable features, and creating a design that conveys the identity of the state. The design concept celebrates the State’s past, present, and future, with public art and paving details designed to help to tell the story of Nebraska.

The redesigned mall includes improved community spaces through the creation of plaza and green spaces, water features, public seating, and improved lighting. Corridors of large trees frame the mall and line the side streets to better integrate the mall into downtown. Silva cells were used to increase soil volume and support the large tree canopy and capture storm water.

To make the mall more walkable and pedestrian friendly, the streets were narrowed through the use of curb bump-outs at the intersections. A creative new design for the public storm sewer curb inlets was implemented to place the vault structure of the inlets in the street in lieu of under the sidewalks to preserve space for landscaping. With the help of a grant received for stormwater management, the project includes permeable pavers, water conserving nozzles on all water features, and other water quality enhancement features.

Stats and Results
Location Lincoln, Nebraska
Square Feet 35,000
LEED Certification Gold
Energy Savings $200K/YR
Awards
  • ASLA Central States Chapter, Merit Award Design-Build Category, 2019
  • ASLA Nebraska/Dakota Chapter, Award of Honor, 2018
  • Lincoln Arts Council Mayor’s Arts Awards, Enersen Urban Design Award, 2018
  • HNA Hardscape Project Awards, Winner – Concrete Paver (Commercial), 2016

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