What is Streetscape?

In 2003 the City of DeKalb and Main Street DeKalb worked together to create a plan for redeveloping the pedestrian and street level atmosphere in downtown DeKalb. The plan provided recommendations for a multi-year strategy to create a quality environment that would be clean, safe and vibrant, both day and night. The plan included recommendations for the installing of a variety of street furniture and the incorporation of outdoor murals . The plan also recommended a variety of public improvements for signage, sidewalks, crosswalks, parking lots, and alleyways.

The Streetscape Program was approved by the DeKalb City Council with TIF funding and is currently administered by Re:New DeKalb .

What Streetscape projects have been completed?

To date the Streetscape Program has made the following improvements:
-Installation of new steel benches, ash urns and garbage receptacles along Lincoln Highway.
-Banner brackets installed along Lincoln Highway from First to Seventh, throughout Palmer Court, and on First, Second, Third and Fourth Streets.
-Coordination and placement of seasonal banners provided by NIU and Re:New DeKalb (with the assistance of the City of DeKalb Street Operations Department).
-Hanging flower baskets and scroll brackets from First to Fourth on Lincoln Highway.
-Coordination of flower basket planting and watering (with the assistance of the DeKalb County Master Gardeners, Wal-mart, and the City of DeKalb Street Operations Department).
-Bicycle racks installed in key locations.
-Concrete checker board tables installed in Palmer Court
-Re-surfacing of Palmer Court (with the assistance of the City of DeKalb Street Operations Department).
-Painting of light poles, garbage receptacles, and various other items.- 2 Informational Kiosks installed on the corner of Second and East Lincoln Highway and at the corner of Third and Grove. Community information supplied by the City of DeKalb, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, the DeKalb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and Re:New DeKalb .
-Mural program created.
-2 murals have been created and installed and we are working on the third.

What are some of the future Streetscape projects?

The Streetscape Program will be working on various projects in coordination with the implementation of the downtown redevelopment plan. Here are just a few:
-Improved signage for parking and other downtown destinations.
-2 additional murals
-Crosswalks
-Landscaping along Lincoln Highway and in various parking lots