Pilaklakaha (PK) Avenue Streetscape

S&ME provided master planning, conceptual design, and landscape architectural services for Auburndale’s five-block Pilaklakaha Avenue streetscape. The project fundamentally changed the corridor from a flood-prone, high-speed arterial into a safe, sustainable, multi-modal street. The project design included a lane reduction from four lanes to two lanes, a multi-purpose trail, on-street parking, enhanced pedestrian safety measures, and rain gardens along this 3,300-foot section of roadway that links residential neighborhoods to the city’s historic downtown core. The project solved neighborhood flooding issues using multiple green infrastructure strategies including the use of permeable pavers in the parallel parking spaces planted rain gardens, which pretreat and detain the water for infiltration, and the development of a new stormwater basin. The project was awarded cooperative funding by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. In addition to the enhanced environmental benefits of the project, the City has also seen increased investment from the private sector along the corridor and has experienced a noticeable reduction in vehicle speeds since the opening of the project. This project received a Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida, 2019 and a Merit Award from the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, 2019.