The American Institute of Architects, Santa Barbara, on Oct. 21, will host Making State Street Work, a design charrette intended to generate ideas on how to keep Lower State Street vital to the fabric of Santa Barbara and address the influx of vacancies from Sola to Gutierrez streets.

The meeting will be 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Louise Lowry Davis Center, 1232 De La Vina St.

Architectural professionals, landscape architects and planners from Santa Barbara will explore such issues as housing, retail and economic that are present on Lower State Street.

The Making State Street Work charrette will brainstorm fundamental changes to State Street to adjust to global shifts in retail resulting in vacant storefronts.

Working with the city of Santa Barbara, through this gathering, AIA Santa Barbara seeks to help the community envision possibilities for dynamic working solutions for the State Street El Pueblo Viejo corridor from Gutierrez to Sola streets.

From the macro perspective of urban design to the micro look at singular parcels, design teams will discuss the opportunities on Lower State Street.

According to AIA Santa Barbara, the charrette is about thinking differently — big and bold — to get myriad ideas in true charrette fashion. Ideas generated ultimately will be presented to the City Council for consideration and planning for positive change.

Teams made of landscape architects, architects and planners will delve into a section along State Street to study and redesign for a more vibrant, economically vital, and sustainable future for downtown.

“Santa Barbara, going back almost 100 years, has a rich tradition of asking the architectural community to help envision it’s future,” said Brian Cearnal, AIA.

“We see this charrette as an opportunity to continue that legacy and help stimulate the community to take the steps necessary to ensure a vital and sustainable downtown,” he said.

AIA Santa Barbara invites Santa Barbara’s architects, associate architects, landscape architects, and planners to participate as part of a team for the Oct. 21 event. Members of the public can observe the process throughout the day and attend public presentations of the Design Team’s work, 3:30-6 p.m.  

Register to participate as an architect, landscape designer, or planner at https://letscharrette.eventbrite.com.

Register as a member of the public at https://letscharrettepublic.eventbrite.com.

For more about the American Institute of Architects, visit www.aia.org.

— Tara Rizzi for AIA Santa Barbara.