Map of downtown’s ‘dead space’ shows opportunities

It’s a map of downtown Sioux Falls unlike any ever produced.

A map of “dead space,” blank walls and — for those with a little vision or creativity — possibilities.

Sioux Falls urban planner Adam Roach is the mind behind the map, inspired by a trip to downtown Omaha where he saw creative reuses for underutilized spaces.

“We’ve never had this information, and we really should harness this and see what people do with it,” he said. “We thought it would be a neat map to include and see what kind of ideas come from it.”

So last summer, he and an intern used a combination of Google Maps and plenty of windshield time — “down every street” — to produce this:

His colleagues gave him odds looks when he proposed it; the intern wasn’t so sure either.

“What am I doing? I’m looking at blank walls?” he said. “Yeah, but it’s important. And after awhile, they saw the importance and ran with it.”

The map identifies blank walls and what Roach calls “dead space” — buildings without windows, for instance, or areas where people aren’t inclined to walk.

“Windowless structures don’t make people feel safe,” he said. “We consider that a dead space, a dead zone. Zero activity. A wall that will make you want to cross a street because it doesn’t feel safe. Anything uninviting.”

Clearly, he found many such areas. But not everywhere.

“If you look at Phillips Avenue, there’s virtually none,” Roach said. “We all know that’s the gem.”

On nearby Mall Avenue, though, there are many unimproved areas, including between 10th and 11th streets.

Roach considers his own walk to work, which takes him on Ninth Street between Phillips and Dakota avenues without much engagement.

“Within these old buildings there are nooks and crannies, and opportunities for small retail to activate,” he said. “Activity in public art, there’s a lot of opportunity for that. It’s a small, little thing. One piece of art could take a half-block and make it better. That’s what I hope to see — just more activity on areas people don’t generally walk down, maybe change pedestrian paths and make things more visually appealing to visitors.”

The map is “a good analysis,” said Joe Batcheller, president of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

“I had to take a little time to digest it, but it looks like a pretty good analysis of areas that are prime for activation. It’s a good piece to include as part of the playbook for how we shape the future of downtown.”

The “inventory of dead space” is included in the proposed 2035 downtown master plan, which is being finalized. Within that plan, it notes this is the first time the city has had such a resource.

“Dead space within a downtown is defined as the pockets of space that lack human interaction,” the report said. “These spaces can be the result of developing buildings that do not factor in the existing built environment. This lack of forethought hinders connectivity and creates space devoid of human connections.”

The report suggests that the city and its partners “continue to find ways to enhance dead space with site activation that could include murals, street art, artistic performances or even creating maker pop-up shops that provide goods and services. The city should also ensure burdensome ordinances do not get in the way of tasteful dead-space activation.”

Whether the areas receive temporary activations or permanent changes, Batcheller said he sees plenty of spots ripe for reimagining.

“I think crowdsourcing is a really fun and exciting way to bring something like that (forward),” he said. “We’ve got a lot of passionate people in the community and a lot of smart people, so let’s try and spark some people’s imaginations and see what they come up with.”