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F. Urban Design
Considerations Accentuating the lack of visual
transition between land and wa-
ter is the lack of relationship
The City of Muskegon enjoys some of between downtown and water-
the most spectacular lake views of any front land uses. At present, there
city on the Great Lakes. The numerous are few visual linkages between
bluffs and plateaus offer many pano- downtown and the lake. Each
ramic views of Muskegon Lake and are separate entities devoid of
surrounding dunes. Through projects any sense of physical unity. Nei-
such as Shoreline Drive, the Lakeshore ther place is made more special
Trail, and the dedication of waterfront by its proximity to the other.
parks such as Heritage Landing (a for- Shoreline Drive from U.S. 31 from the
mer scrap-yard), and Fisherman's Recommendations: south.
Landing the City has taken great strides
in reclaiming waterfront land for public Waterfront Focal Points Silos transformed into public sculpture. Boston,
use, and improving the general aesthet- MA. *Source: "Waterfronts: Cities Reclaim their
ics of the lakefront. The pavilion at Heritage Landing Edge" Breen & Rigby 1994.
is a good example of an attention-
In spite of these efforts however, there catching focal point which helps make
remains a general shortage of public a visual connection between the lake Despite its high visibility, Heritage
spaces, and an abundance of visual and downtown. It calls attention to the Landing is too far removed from the
clutter directly along the water. Much civic life of the City, and acts as a heart of downtown to effectively con-
of this clutter is composed of large, counterpoint to the City's modest sky- nect downtown to the lakefront. Sorely
utilitarian structures, piles of raw mate- line. More importantly, it beckons the needed, are more effective linkages be-
rials, salvage materials and other dis- passerby to explore it, and the water- tween downtown's primary east-west
cards of the City's industrial past; many front beyond. Its prominence is made streets, and where they terminate at
of which conceal or obscure views to more commanding by the fact that it Shoreline Drive. The need is especially
the water. In addition, many lakefront stands out against the backdrop of acute at the end of Third Street, where
properties have a raw, unkempt appear- Muskegon Lake, and is the first thing to the otherwise unobstructed view to the
ance which makes them appear harsh come into view as one approaches lake is made unremarkable by the lack
and forbidding. of visual focus at the water's edge.
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 22
The shoreline offers numerous view-scapes worthy of protection. The development pattern in Bluffton, where streets run directly to the
water's edge (top), preserves the visual accessibility of the lake. Such a pattern is worthy of duplication in newer waterfront develop-
ments.
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 23