Civil Engineering Firm helps “Wake Up” Brighton’s downtown
Detroit, Mich. August 5, 2024 – Giffels Webster, a Detroit-based civil engineering firm, received the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Lansing-Jackson branch of the Michigan Chapter’s Quality of Life Award for the company’s work on the Brighton, Michigan Streetscape project.
The project began in 2018 when Giffels Webster assisted the City of Brighton with developing a comprehensive new streetscape plan that focused on thinking of the city in a more holistic way. In 2023, this transformative initiative, spanning half a mile along Main Street and Grand River Avenue, was brought to life with a refreshed streetscape. The project showcased Giffels Webster’s commitment to enhancing urban and suburban environments through comprehensive city planning and innovative design.
The Brighton Streetscape project includes significant infrastructure upgrades, such as a new water main, concrete sidewalks, improved road pavement surfaces, and modern electrical systems. The design enhancements to downtown Brighton also feature decorative street lighting, thoughtfully designed street furnishings, and lush landscaping that adds to the area’s charm. The project further extends to the adjacent park near the mill pond, offering public seating, a fire pit, and other amenities that foster community engagement and enhance the overall quality of life for Brighton residents, business owners and visitors.
Giffels Webster received The Quality of Life Award in part due to their emphasis on the ASCE Michigan Section’s theme, “Civil Engineers Make the Difference – They Build the Quality of Life.”
This project helped improve Brighton business owners’ and residents’ quality of life by increasing accessibility by widening public sidewalks and expanding seating areas for special events to bring more residents and visitors downtown.
“Instead of implementing a trendy design, we wanted to ensure the city’s longevity, making it a more natural landscape,” said Justin Wellman, project engineer and partner at Giffels Webster. “Brighton’s residents, leaders, businesses and other key stakeholders drove the design elements with extensive planning and community engagement throughout the project.”
In partnership with the Downtown Development Authority, Brighton City Council, and Chamber of Commerce, multiple information sessions were scheduled to solicit feedback from city officials and the public on what they would like to see included in the project. The city also launched a social media campaign to keep impacted businesses, residents and other stakeholders informed throughout the construction.
The completed project brought the city of Brighton to life with a refreshed streetscape and improved infrastructure in the form of reliable water supply and electrical systems. The updated aesthetic of downtown Brighton focused on functionality and quality to bring lasting benefits to the businesses, city residents, and the more vibrant downtown.
Receiving the ASCE Quality of Life Award highlights the positive impact of Giffels Webster’s work and dedication to building communities that thrive.
“We’re proud to have contributed to the rejuvenation of Brighton’s downtown, setting a standard for current and future urban planning and development projects,” Wellman concluded.
About Giffels Webster
Giffels Webster is a collection of people — civil engineers, landscape architects, planners, GIS specialists and surveyors — who choose every day to make communities better. The Michigan-based firm serves public, private and institutional with their community planning, infrastructure and land development needs.
Since its inception in 1952, Giffels Webster has evolved to offer a broad scope of services centered on helping clients achieve their project or programming goals, including civil engineering, municipal consulting, planning, land development consulting, landscape architecture, traffic engineering, and GIS data creation and management. For more information, visit giffelswebster.com.