Case Study: CYP Studios achieves a revitalized, pedestrian-friendly Patterson Canal Corridor honoring Dayton’s history with VectorWorks

Two Firms Revitalize a Parkway to Honor Dayton’s Past

CYP Studios and MorrisTerra teamed up to revitalize Dayton’s Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway, a five-block corridor that separated downtown neighborhoods with narrow sidewalks, five lanes of fast one-way traffic, and awkward medians. The city sought a pedestrian-friendly cultural project that would improve connectivity, tell Dayton’s history, and stimulate economic development rather than simple signage.

The firms developed a “beads on a string” pedestrian promenade featuring a road diet, widened sidewalks, shade trees, planting beds, and a series of limestone-and-metal pylons with 90 interpretive panels, plus a 55-foot seat wall with bronze medallions, restored fountain and public art. Funded at $2 million and completed in 2013, the project has improved safety and wayfinding, been well received by residents and merchants, spurred nearby infrastructure upgrades, and positioned the corridor as a catalyst for further downtown reinvestment.

CYP Studios

Eugenia Martin

Partner-in-Charge