Reimagine Russell Boulevard
Davis, CA
Project Summary
Three miles in length, Russell Boulevard is a critical east-west connector that establishes the northern edge of the main UC Davis campus and provides access to downtown Davis. In a joint UC Davis and City of Davis effort, Toole Design led the visioning study to reimagine Russell Boulevard as a signature multimodal boulevard and gateway.
Inspired by the local agrarian context, Davis’s long-standing history in innovative bicycling infrastructure, and the clients’ joint commitment to sustainability and climate adaptation, the design solution prominently features best practices in green infrastructure, multimodal street design, and historically-sensitive placemaking.
At the core of our design approach was developing a cohesive strategy that fit the unique boulevard context. We also developed a three-part toolkit that the City and university could potentially deploy city- and campus-wide within public rights-of-way.
As part of the design process, we looked at the corridor through three lenses: placemaking, multimodal design, and sustainable stormwater management. The Vision Plan includes concepts to advance a sense of experience along Russell Boulevard and also includes a three-part toolkit that the City and university could use city- and campus-wide.
Design Approach
As a community-based visioning process, engaging with multiple stakeholders and translating the feedback into design concepts was an integral part of the process. Community conversations informed the team’s strategy in separating an existing shared use path into separated bikeway and walkway facilities, and was key to helping the team embed important safety measures such as better pedestrian crossings.
The result is a Corridor Vision Plan that sets the stage for Russell Boulevard to advance from just moving cars and people, to a contributing experiential part of the City, County, and UC Davis experience.