May 13, 2014 – KS Associates has contracted with James Corner Field Operations (JFCO) to provide a comprehensive topographic survey of Cleveland Public Square in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The approximate 10-acre project involves surveying all four quadrants of the Square and surrounding streets. The goal of the assignment is to deliver a detailed basemap of Public Square, which will serve as a foundation for the Square’s proposed re-design.
JFCO is working on behalf of the Group Plan Commission — a board of civic and corporate leaders charged with reimagining Cleveland’s signature public spaces and connecting catalytic developments. The work of the Group Plan Commission includes developing concepts to reconstruct the Square, turning it into a welcoming civic space. According to the team, more than 125,000 people work within a five-minute walk of Public Square, and most downtown car commuters travel through the square; however, few people spend time in the Square. The team’s proposed re-design involves unifying the Square’s four quadrants to create a more public, park-like environment in the heart of the City.
KS is using a combination of surveying methods — 3D laser scanning and conventional field surveying — to provide the design team with a detailed digital map of the existing site. The map will precisely depict visible features, such as monuments, buildings, signs, poles, sidewalks, and utilities.
KS was selected for the assignment due, in part, to its 3D laser scanning capabilities. According to Mark A. Yeager, P.S., Director of Surveying Services, “The scanner captures an enormous amount of information, much of which will be used to create the basemap. It also captures data that can be re-mined in the future. Should the design team want a closer look at a particular feature of the Square, or should the project take a new direction, KS can extract data from our Point Cloud without having to re-survey the project site.”
Laser scanning and past Public Square survey projects are helping KS accelerate the project schedule. According to Yeager, “KS had previously scanned the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument to demonstrate the 3D Laser Scanner’s ability to capture detail. We used this existing scan data to begin mapping the southeast quadrant of the Square, where the monument is located. We also incorporated survey data from our work on The Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. It’s not every day that we can start mapping work before field work is complete, so we capitalized on these opportunities to accelerate the project.”
About the Group Plan Commission
The Group Plan Commission, appointed by Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson, Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald, and other key stakeholders, is charged with reimagining Cleveland’s signature public spaces and transforming Downtown Cleveland for today’s Clevelanders and generations to come. The Commission is moving forward with three priority projects, one of which is revitalizing Cleveland’s Public Square. Working with partners including the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and LAND studio, the Commission aims to bring together public, private and philanthropic resources to complete these projects and spur an additional wave of transformational development.