City Hall Square, Waco, Texas

Abstract

A Town Square has existed in Waco since the city was established in 1850. The history of the square in Waco is similar to the development of other cities and open spaces in the nineteenth century American west. In attempting to create a Square for Waco certain issues are addressed concerning the application of appropriate urban forms to a site which has drastically changes in the last twenty years. Urban renewal razed many of the structures which defined the urban fabric. Newer structures were erected on the open site which had no relation to the historical and physical context of the city. Analysis of the site in Waco suggests guidelines for the creation of a square. Of critical concern is the integration of new forms with already existing structures.