ABSTRACT
Effective public spaces can require public money, which is also needed for many other competing government projects. Creating a desirable public space often requires linking the design and construction of the space to other public or private objectives. In Nashville, a public square was a concept with a long history, but an actual public square no longer existed. In Milwaukee, turning the downtown river frontage into a public amenity also had a long history but nothing had been done to make it happen. Midtown Omaha needed to have an identifiable centerpiece and the combination of Turner Park and Mutual of Omaha's parking lots was a way to make such a place possible. The next step each time was to present a visualization of what the public space could become. Each project also needed a funding mechanism to move it from idea to reality. In Nashville, the construction of a 1,000-car underground parking garage made financing the public square on top a small fraction of the combined projects. In Milwaukee, the development of a second frontage along the river had a real-estate value and the city's timely subsidy for construction of walkways and bulkheads helped make the project attractive for private owners. In Omaha, the city's willingness to make Turner Park part of the project made the location a much more marketable location.
