Crawfordsville, IN

Alley Activation

Located south of the Montgomery Courthouse along Main Street, the alley activation was spurred by the installation of a roughly 30′-tall by 120′-long mural completed by New York-based muralist, Jenna Morello, in 2021.

The mural proved extremely popular with residents for photo ops, leading the City to create a more pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare to complement the mural. The design team worked with the funding parties of the Montgomery County Community Foundation and the City of Crawfordsville to further activate the alleyway through elements that reflected the floral motif and bright color gradient of the mural.

Custom design elements include site furnishings and walkway surface treatments placed repetitively down the alley in a corresponding manner to the color gradation of the mural. Custom lighting elements, including programmable catenary lights and a metal gateway along the street, match the energy of the mural. A planted bump-out at the end of the alley creates a front door to the pedestrian space, breaking up vehicular parking along Main Street to frame and emphasize the newly activated space.