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Transcript of Mass Street District Urban Design Standards
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Support Vibrancy
Preserve the IdentityNourish a Sense of Community
Mass Street DistrictUrban Design Standards
December, 2013
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2
Introduction....Moving Forward..
The Mass Street District.......1. Land-Use .........2. Density .....3. Faades ......4. Environmental ...........5. Streetscape ......6. Parking .....7. Signage....
AppendicesA. Glossary of Terms....................B. Diagrams..................C. District Design Review Boards...................
Mass Street District
Urban Design Standards
Prepared forThe City of Lawrence, KansasDecember, 2013
Prepared byMatt Buchanan
M.U.P. Candidate, May 2014School of Architecture, Design & PlanningUniversity of Kansas
Table of Contents
Cover photo provided by D
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Downtown Lawrence is dened by its quaint local bouques and restaurants, walkable tree-
lined streets, live music, art, culture, and historic buildings. This vibrant environment, which
has become ardently cherished by Lawrence residents and visitors, is the product of planners
abilies to employ unique economic development strategies, secure historical district
designaons, and write prudent urban design guidelines. In their success of establishing a
disnct sense of place, planners have created an environment that may become more dicult
to preserve as both populaon and property demand increase over me.
The recent construcon of four mid-rise, mixed-use towers and new proposals for two
addional mixed-use towers demonstrate increased demand for various types of properesdowntown. The pressures to allow new and denser forms of development create several
serious quesons for planners to address. While the mixture of land uses does not conict
with established downtown uses, the density and design of new development are deviaons
from tradional forms of development. These changes to the cherished downtown
neighborhood are viewed by some residents as dangerous threats to the communitys long
established identy.
Lawrencians must ask themselves, should future development be strictly controlled to
preserve downtown as we know it today? Or should developers be given the exibility to
meet property demand and increase vibrancy? This plan addresses this issue by laying out a
clear path forward that protects what Lawrencians love most about their downtown, while
also encouraging appropriate new forms of denser development.
Introduction
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The scale and aestheticsof Figures B and C are in-
compatible with the tradi-tional architectural styles
and forms depicted inFigures D - J. Photos cour-
tesy of Treanor Architects(B, C); Dan Davis, Flickr
(D); and the University ofKansas (E).
In order to address increased prop
and support vibrancy, denser fdevelopment must be allowed in t
The locaon, aesthecs, and func
development, however, should be
in order to preserve the identit
historically characterized downtow
Furthermore, new urban forms sh
to nurture a sense of commu
Therefore, the policies outlined in aimed to ensure the downtown g
that strengthens its cherished cha
Moving
Figure CFigure B
Figure D
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Photo courte
This Mass Street District (Map A) will comprise the enre downtown footprint as w
as well as expand into some residenal areas west of Kentucky Street and south su
Park. The boundaries for this design overlay district were drawn to beer manage
the downtown historic district. All future development and building modicaons
overlay district will be subject to density and design policies that conform and comcontribung properes of the historic district. The districts expansion into nearby
will allow for the controlled and gradual redevelopment of certain properes into
uses, whether mul-family residenal, oce, retail, or mixed uses.
Dening the Mass Street
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Tennesse
e
Massachusetts
NewHam
pshire
Vermont
Kentucky
RhodeIsland
Connecticut
NewYork
12th
9th
11th
10th
8th
7th
6th
Ohio
The Mass Street
District
North
.125 Mi .25 Mi
Figures G - J illustrate the generalcharacteristics that dene the Mass
Street District identity which shouldguide future development
Photographs courtesy of Neil1960,
Flickr (G); Colleen Prohaska (H, I)
and Bob Travaglione (J)
Figure G
Figure I
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1. Land-Use
Goal 1.1: Mixed-UsesPromote a viable mix of uses that promote living, working, and
Policy 1.1.1: Properes shall be used according to the land-uses permi
Policy 1.1.2:Mixed-use development shall provide oce or retail spaclevel, and either mul-family residenal, oce, or retail space on all upp
Goal 1.2: IntensityMinimize any adverse impacts that development or redevelophave on single-family residential neighborhoods surrounding th
Policy 1.2.1:High intensity (greater than 5:1 FAR) commercial or mixebuered by lower intensity (1.25:1 or lower FAR) uses such as green spa
commercial or medium intensity mul-family residenal uses.
Goal 1.3: Downtown LivingEncourage a growing and diverse downtown residential popu
Policy 1.3.1: All future development in the district that exceeds an FAcomprise at least 50 percent mul-family usage.
Policy 1.3.2: All future development in the district that exceeds an FAcomprise at least 50 percent mul-family usage, 50 percent of which m
as aordable housing.
Goal 1.4: Green SpacePreserve existing green spaces.
Policy 1.4.1: Green spaces delineated in Map 1 of this plan shall be pr
and shall connue to be used for public recreaonal purposes.
Figure 1.1
Figure 1.2
Figure 1.3
Figure 1.4
Appropriate Land-Uses
Photographs courtesy
of the Universityof Nebraska (1.1);
Fanshare.com (1.2);Auntie Zooie, Flickr(1.3); and The Times
Union(1.4).
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Conne
cticut
NewY
ork
12th
9th
11th
10th
8th
7th
6th
Tennessee
Massa
chusetts
Vermo
nt
Kentuc
ky
Rhode
IslandN
ewHampshire
Ohio
Mass Street DistrictFuture Land-Use Map
North
.125 Mi .25 Mi
Single-Family ResidentialSingle-Family orMulti-Family ResidentialMixed-Use Retail, Office
and/or Multi-FamilyResidentialOffice or RetailGreen Space
InstitutionalMass Street DistrictBoundary
Mass StreeFAR & Lot C
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Goal 2.1: Cohesive DensityCreate a cohesive density pattern that ensures structures are comparable in scale with the contrproperties of Lawrences Downtown Historic District.
Policy 2.1.1:All structures shall abide by the following minimum and maximum height restricons, which are eallowed FAR delineated by Map 2:
a. Structures restricted by a maximum FAR of 0.1:1 shall not exceed one story (12 feet) in height.b. Structures restricted by a maximum FAR of 1.25:1 shall not exceed three stories (36 feet) in height.
c. Structures restricted by a maximum FAR of 5:1 shall be at least two stories (24 feet) in height and shall not
stories (60 feet) in height.
d. Structures restricted by a maximum FAR of 8:1 shall be at least ve stories (60 feet) in height and shall not
(120 feet) in height.
Policy 2.1.2: Maximum building FAR and lot coverage shall abide by the restricons delineated in Map 2.
Policy 2.1.3: Row houses shall be encouraged in residenal areas.
Goal 2.2: Pedestrian Orientated ScaleEnsure retail visibility and support pedestrian-scale development
Policy 2.2.1: All retail, oce, mixed-use or row house properes shall directly abut the sidewalk unless to allowa. Highlight Entrances: A minimum setback of four feet from the sidewalk shall be allowed to highlight entranc
wider sidewalks;
b. Corner Lots: A maximum setback of up to 10 feet from the sidewalk on corner lots shall be allowed to provi
2. Density
Appropriate Densities
Photographs courtesy of Cohodas208c, Flickr (2.1); Chicago Agent
Magazine (2.2); and Amy.arch, Flickr (2.3).
Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Figure 2.3
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Goal 3.1: Architectural IntegrityStrengthen neighborhood character by preserving or restoring historic properties and ensurfuture development reects the districts established design principles.
Policy 3.1.1: Alteraons or addions to buildings listed as contribung structures of the Lawrence DownDistrict shall be conducted following The Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Histor
Policy 3.1.2:Materials, massing, colors, and detailing of the original structure shall guide the design of aalteraons of historic structures.
Policy 3.1.3: Historic architectural features of historic buildings shall be retained and repaired, rather ththese features are severely damaged, they shall be replaced with features idencal in appearance to the
Policy 3.1.4: Where buildings within the block face establish regular paern of windows, oor height, odetails, new or remodeled buildings shall remain consistent with these regular paerns.
Policy 3.1.5: Primary exterior building materials for new construcon shall include wood or masonry un
le, or split face alternate course concrete). If panel materials are used, each panel shall not exceed a masquare feet.
Policy 3.1.6: New inll buildings or exterior renovaons shall exhibit only neo-classical architectural fea
Goal 3.2: Pedestrian Oriented WindowsEnsure retail visibility that supports the pedestrian-scale.
Policy 3.2.1: Street level facades, exluding single-family homes, must exhibit a minimum of 60 percent windows. Upper oor facades shall contain a minimum of 40 percent transparent windows. Windows fro
the riverfront shall use transparent, non-reecve and non-nted materials.
Policy 3.2.2: Windows above the rst story shall be vercally proporoned from a 3:2 to 2:1 height to w
Figure 3.1
Figure 3.2
3. Faades
Appropriate Facades
Photographs courtesy of
Mrs. Mass (3.1, 3.2) andFoutch Bros. (3.3).
Figure 3.3
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Goal 3.3: Pedestrian Orientated DesignPresent visually interesting architectural features and patterns designed to reduce mass and sc
Policy 3.3.1: All faades must have a recognizable "base" consisng of (but not limited to):a. thicker walls, ledges or sills;
b. integrally textured, colored, and paerned materials
d. lighter or darker colored materials, mullions or panels;
e. cornices/caps
f. planters;
g. plinth treatments;
h. commercial property bases shall have display windows which abide by Policy: 3.2.1.
Policy 3.3.2: All faades of buildings greater than four stories in height must have a recognizable "middle" conot limited to):
a. Building middle cap;
b. integrally textured materials which dierenate from the base and top;
c. integrally colored and paerned materials which dierenate from the base and top;
d. lighter or darker colored material that dierenate from the base and top;e. windows which contrast from the base through exposed lintels, sills, shape, and proporons. Overall wa
within for Building Middles shall contain at least 30%, but no more than 60% glazing. A vercal proporo
panes or window openings (3:2 to 2:1 height: width rao) shall be used.
Policy 3.3.3: All faades must have a recognizable "top" consisng of (but not limited to):a. cornice treatments, other than colored "stripes" or "bands" alone, with integrally textured materials
b. sloping roof with overhangs and brackets;
c. stepped parapets.
Policy 3.3.4:Large areas of blank wall shall be avoided by design accents such as windows, panels, pilasters, tor other faade arculaons which will reduce the overall scale appearance.
3. Faades (Continued)
Appropriate Facades
Photographs courtesy ofPlanetware.com (3.4) and
St. Joseph, Missouri, Flickr(3.5).
Figure 3.4
Figure 3.5
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Policy 3.3.5: Awnings that overhang windows or entries on street level facades shall be constructed of canvas orheavy cloth, ulizing neutral colors.
Goal 3.4: Building MaterialsBuildings should be made of high-quality and attractive materials
Policy 3.4.1:All building sides, visible from primary and secondary streets must include materials and designcharacteriscs consistent with those on the front. Use of inferior or lesser quality materials for side facades is not
permied.
Policy 3.4.2: Allowed faade building materials include: brick (tradional red-clay colors), stone, stucco, and non-reecve glass (cumulave surface area of less than 40 percent of all exterior walls). The following materials are
expressly prohibited: vinyl siding, reecve glass, asphalt siding, aluminum lap siding, wood siding, corrugated
metal, and siding grade plywood.
Policy 3.4.3: The design of accessory buildings shall reect and coordinate with the general style of architectureinherent in the primary structure for the proposed development.
3. Faades (Continued)
App
Phot
St. JoFlick
comNea
Figure 3.6 Figure 3.7
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Figure 4.1
Figure 4.2
Goal 4.1: ShadowsAdverse shadow effects caused by multi-story properties should to ensure adequate sunlight.
Policy 4.1.1: A preliminary shadow analysis conducted by a neutral thirdconsultant shall be required for all proposed development greater than 45
analysis shall be considered by the districts design review board to beer
shadows cast upon adjacent properes or public areas pose an unaccepta
Policy 4.1.2: Shadowing shall not be allowed to adversely impact single-residenal districts or green spaces delineated by Map 2.2. Adverse impa
determined by a shadow analysis conducted by a neutral third party cons
Goal 4.2: SustainabilityConstruct an environmentally sustainable built environment.
Policy 4.2.1: Parking structures with open top decks shall integrate photand/or roof gardens to capture storm water runo.
Policy 4.2.2:Buildings shall be permied to integrate photovoltaic panelgardens to capture storm water runo.
Policy 4.2.3: Photovoltaic panels must not be visible from the street.
4. Environmental
Appropriate Environmental Features
Photographs courtesy of Transition Norwich (4.1), andWashington & Lee University (4.2).
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Goal 5.14: Pedestrian AmenitiesEncourage street level activity that embraces art, culture, entertainment.
Policy 5.2.1:Space for outdoor dining, retail, or live music may ocporon of the paved sidewalk provided a minimum 6 wide connu
travel is maintained.
Policy 5.2.2: Bulb-outs shall be provided on every street corner oMassachuses, and New Hampshire streets between 6thand NorthBulb-outs must provide space for sculpture or water feature, trash lighng, bike racks, and planters with ledge seang (8 person minim
Policy 5.2.3: Space for seang shall be provided no more than evecenter (measured per block face)on Vermont, Massachuses, and streets between 6thand North Park streets. Each block face shall prcapacity for at least 25 people, including bulb-out seang. Seang by benches, planter ledges, fountain ledges, or street sculpture.
Policy 5.2.4:Street art shall be permied provided a minimum 6 path of travel is maintained and the street art is approved by the dreview board.
5. Streetscape(Continued)
Appropriate Streetscapes
The vibrancy captured in Figures 5.1 and 5.3 should be replicated along Vermon
Massachuses, and New Hampshire streets between 6 thand North Park streets
achieved through providing ample seang, space for outdoor dining, street perf
and bike/ped amenies. Figures 5.6 through 5.7 should be used as a guide for s
development along the aforemenoned streets. Photos courtesy of Neal1960, FBay Realty Pro (5.4); and Alloveralbany.com (5.5).
Figure 5.3
Figure 5.4 Figure 5.5
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Goal 6.2: Structure DesignParking structures will be visually appealing and blesurrounding built-environment.
Policy 6.2.1:Parking structures shall have an external skstandards set forth in secons 2.7 to 2.10.
Policy 6.2.2: Elevator/stair corridors shall be located on corners and be highlighted architecturally.
Policy 6.2.3: The design of public art and lighng shall bstructures architecture to reinforce a unique identy.
Goal 6.1: Parking ArrangementsProvide ample on-street and off-street parking in places thatlimit visibility and congestion as not to undermine the pedestrianexperience.
Policy 6.1.1: Surface lots are prohibited except for residenal properes
(not mixed-use) with fewer than 25 dwelling units.
Policy 6.1.2: Except for on-street parking and the minimum ground-levelfrontage required for access to garages and loading, no parking or loading
shall be visible on the ground oor of any building faade that faces a retail
street. Parking structures shall provide habitable oor area along all retail
street frontages.
Policy 6.1.3: Parking, loading or circulaon located above the groundoor shall be lined by habitable oor area along all street frontages. If the
project developer demonstrates that it is not feasible to line the parking with
habitable space above the ground oor, it shall be integrated into the design
of the building faade, which must abide by all facade regulaons.
Policy 6.1.4: Where parking above the ground oor that is not lined withhabitable space is permied, a maximum of three parking levels fronng on a
public street shall be allowed above the ground oor when FAR requirements
permit.
Policy 6.1.5: Drive-through lanes are not permied.
6. Parking
Appropriate Parking
Photographs courtesy of Peterlfrench, Flickr (6Walker (6.2).
Figure 6.1 Figure 6.216
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Policy 7.1.5: Monument signs shall not exceed ve feet insquare feet in area. Monument signs in the public right-of w
interfere with pedestrian movement or visibility along sidew
not block motorists visibility along the sidewalk or roadway
entry driveways and circulaon aisles will not be blocked. M
are prohibited on Vermont, Massachuses, and New Hamps
between 6th
and North Park streets.
Policy 7.1.6: Projecng signs shall not project beyond 4 (6from the building and shall be located at least 25 from othe
signs to maximize visibility and reduce visual cluer. Projec
placed at a 90 degree angle from the building surface and sh
lower than 8 from grade and no higher than the cornice or
Policy 7.1.7: The following types of signs shall be prohibitedistrict: billboards, digital signs, pole signs, portable signs (e
signs listed in policies 7.1.3 and 7.1.4), rooop signs, and an
that ashes, ies, inates, internally illuminates or moves.
Goal 7.1: Pedestrian Oriented SignageSignage type and positioning should suit a pedestrian-orientedenvironment.
Policy 7.1.1:Wall signs shall not exceed 15 percent of the exposed area ofthe wall on which they are located. Wall signs shall not project beyond 6
from the wall surface.
Policy 7.1.2: Hanging signs will be limited to nine square feet in area andmay not project beyond four feet from the building surface. Material used
for fastening or supporng hanging signs will be restricted to metals with
porcelain enamel, stainless steel, brass or bronze nished. Signs shall be
placed between eight and 12 feet above grade
Policy 7.1.3: Temporary window signs shall not exceed 10 percent of thewindow.
Policy 7.1.4: Temporary sandwich board signs (or A-frame signs) shall bepermied as long as they do not interfere with pedestrian movement or
visibility along sidewalks.
7. Signage
Figure 7.1
Figure 7.2
Appropriate Signage
Photographs courtesy of Mrs. Mass (7.1) andTranding Co. (7.2).
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Goal 7.3: Signage UniformityPublic signage should unify the district by exhibiting design elements which promote the district identity.
Policy 7.3.1:Light poles, parking meters, banners, street snding markers, paving graphics, and any other form of pu
be unique to the district by exhibing consistent tradionacomplement the districts historic integrity. Public signage s
by the district design review board.
Policy 7.3.2:Public signage idened in Policy 7.3.1 shall design through incorporang neutral colors and one of the
Baskerville Old Face
Bookman Old Style Goudy Old Style
Garamond
Modern No. 20
Calisto MT
Policy 7.3.3: Nonconforming signage replacement shall bve years upon the adopon of this plan.
Goal 7.2: Signage DesignSign quality should complement the district character.
Policy 7.2.1: Monument signs shall be accented with landscaping equalto two square feet for every one square foot of sign face and include a
supporng base composed of allowed building materials listed in Policy
2.10.2.
Policy 7.2.2: Sign materials shall be extremely durable. Permissiblematerials include: painted or carved wood; carved wooden leers; epoxy
leers; galvanized sheet metal; slate, marble, or sandstone; gold leaf; gilt,
painted, stained, or sandblasted glass; clear and colored acrylic; neon; or
stained glass. Paper and cloth signs shall be prohibited for exterior use
(except high quality, weather-resistant canvas for awnings). Wood signs
should be sealed and maintained to prevent deterioraon from moisture.
Policy 7.2.3: All new permanent signs (including awning signs) shall bereviewed and approved by the district design review board, as part of thesign perming process. The board shall approve signs based on whether
they complement or contribute to the district character.
Policy 7.2.4: The Granada Theater and Varsity Theater signs are exemptfrom signage policy due to their unique historical signicance and
contribuon to the overall downtown identy.
7. Signage(Continued)
Appropriate Public Signage
Photographs courtesy of MetroAtlantic (7.3) and South Beach
Street Historic District (7.4).
Figure 7.3
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Adapve Re-Use: conversion of a building into a use other than that for which it was designed,
such as changing a warehouse into a gallery space or housing.
Aordable housing: Rental housing with rents controlled so residents do not have to pay more
than 30 percent of the households annual income.
Animaon: a quality of the built environment which supports sustained acvity throughthe architectural and arsc embellishment of materials and details, the visual and physical
accessibility of interior acvies from the exterior, and the introducon of supporve public
facilies and amenies.
Areas of Archaeological Potenal: Areas favorable with medium or high potenal for the
discovery of archaeological resources. This potenal is based on the presence of a wide range of
geographic and historical features which inuenced past selement. Archaeological potenal is
conrmed through archaeological assessment.
Area of Sign: the total area within the extreme perimeter of the aracon area intended to draw
aenon to the sign, including all open spaces and the supports which the sign rests upon.
Arst: A person who is regularly engaged in the visual, performing or creave arts.
Awning: any structure, such as canvas, projecng from the wall of a building over a window or
entrance.
Barrier-Free Design: building and site design which is accessible to all people, regardless of age
and abilies.
Bay: a vercal division of a faade or a structure division of a building, marked by column
spacing, roof compartments, windows or similar measures.
Boulevard: the poron of land on either side of a street, between the curb and the property line,
and may include sidewalk.
Buer: a strip of land established to provide separaon between land uses and typicallydeveloped as a landscaped area.
Building Envelope: the volume of space that may be occupied by a building, usuall
dimensional requirements such as setback, stepback, permied maximum height,
lot coverage.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs): geographically dened areas in which prop
to pay an assessment in addion to property taxes to fund cleaning streets, provid
capital improvements, construcon of pedestrian and streetscape enhancements,
area. These services supplement those provided by City government.
Canopy: a permanent xture designed to shelter pedestrians and display goods fro
condions; a xed awning.
Circulaon: movement paerns of pedestrian and vehicular trac.
Compability: the characteriscs of dierent designs which, despite their dierenc
located near each other in harmony, such as scale, height, materials, fencing, land
service areas.
Cornice: an ornamental molding along the top of a wall.
Cultural Heritage Landscape: A dened geographical area of heritage signicance wmodied by human acvies. Such an area is valued by a community, and is of sign
understanding of the history of a people or place.
Digital Sign: sign that displays sll images, scrolling images, or moving images, inclu
animaon, through a series of grid lights, including cathode ray, light eming diod
display, plasma screen, ber opc, or other electronic media or technology, where
changed through electronic means.
Districts: geographic areas of relavely consistent character, such as exhibited in m
neighborhoods and the downtowns.
Elevaon: a drawing showing an external face of a building.
Enclosure (sense of): an experience in which a pedestrian feels sheltered with a se
Buildings, trees, landscaping and street widths are all factors in creang a sense of
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms
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Facades: the exterior wall of a building exposed to public view or that wall viewed by persons
not within the building.
Fenestraon: the arrangement of windows in a building.
Floor Area Rao (FAR): the relaonship between the amount of useable oor area permied in
a building (or buildings) and the area of the lot on which the building stands. It is obtained by
dividing the gross oor area of a building by the total area of the lot.
Focal Point: a prominent structure, feature or area of interest or acvity.
Gable: any basically triangular-shaped, upper part of a building wall, usually under a pitched
roof; somemes upper walls topped with stepped parapets are referred to as gables or stepped
gables.
Gateway: the design of a building, site or landscape to symbolize an entrance or arrival to a
special district.
Hanging Sign: a sign suspended from a building or structure which is perpendicular or parallel to
the facade of the building.
Heritage Conservaon: the acvity undertaken to protect, safeguard, pass on or enhance
heritage resources.
Human Scale: the quality of the physical environment which reects a sympathec proporonal
relaonship to human dimensions and which contributes to the cizens percepon and
comprehension of the size, scale, height, bulk and/or massing of buildings or other features ofthe built environment.
Inll: the placement of new buildings into established built-up urban areas, which usually results
in an increase in the exisng building stock.
Landmarks: buildings, structures and spaces which create disnct visual orientaon points that
provide a sense of locaon to the observer within the neighborhood or district, such as that
created by a signicant natural feature or by an architectural form which is highly disncve
relave to its surrounding environment.
Mass: the combinaon of the three dimensions of length, height, and depth which give a
building its overall shape; a building is oen composed of many masses, hence the term
massing, which is oen used to describe the form or shape of structures.
Mixed Use: a development or area comprised of mixed land uses either in the same building or
in separate buildings on either the same lot or on separate lots or, at a larger scale, in nodes.
Modulaon: variaon in the plane of a building wall, oen used to provide
Monument Sign: an independent structure supported from grade to the b
the appearance of having a solid base.
Parapet: a poron of a wall that projects above a roof.
Pedestrian: all people on foot or moving at walking speed, including those
(wheelchairs, scooters, etc.), persons with strollers and buggies, and frail e
Pedestrian-oriented: an environment designed to make movement by ped
and comfortable for various ages and abilies; consideraons include sepaand auto circulaon, street furniture, clear direconal and informaonal si
visibility, shade, lighng, surface materials, trees, sidewalk width, intersec
cuts, ramps and landscaping.
Pedestrian-oriented Uses: uses which rely on pedestrian trac for the maj
such as retail stores, restaurants, service and repair shops.
Plinth: a vercally faced member immediately below the circular base of a
lowest member of a pedestal; hence, in general, the lowest member of a b
block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the
Pole Sign: A permanent, freestanding sign that is mounted on a pole(s) or
placed on and anchored in the ground or on a base and that is independeother structure.
Preservaon: providing for the connued use of deteriorated old and histo
structure through such means as restoraon, rehabilitaon and adapve r
Projecng Hanging Sign: a sign suspended from or supported from a build
projecng out therefrom more than one six inches.
Public Art: site specic artwork created to enhance and animate publicly a
through arsc interpretaons that range from individual sculpture to inte
and landscape features and treatments.
Public Realm: the public and semi-public spaces of the city, especially the
city from building face to the opposite building face (including the faade,and streets) and open space such as parks and squares.
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Publicly Accessible Spaces: buildings, streets and exterior areas, which may be privately-owned, but
to which the public has access.
Qualied Street Frontage: the width of storefront of a commercial or industrial development fronng
on a major or secondary thoroughfare. In cases of corner or through lots, only one street frontage
may be used as qualied street frontage for purposes of calculang permied sign area.
Renovaon: modernizaon of an old or historic structure which unlike restoraon may not be
consistent with the original design.
Restoraon: accurately recovering the form and details of a building and site as it appeared at a
parcular period of me by means of the removal of later work or by the replacement of missingearlier work.
Reverse Long: lots located adjacent to an arterial or collector road which front onto an internal
street, while the rear yard faces onto the arterial or collector road.
Roof Sign: sign supported by the roof of a building or placed above the apparent at roof or eaves of
a building as viewed from any elevaon.
Rhythm and Paern: relang to materials, styles, shapes and spacing of building elements and the
buildings themselves, the predominance of one material or shape, and its paerns of recurrence.
Right-of-Way: that part of the street space that is publicly owned and lies between the property
lines.
Scale: the sense of proporon or apparent size of a building or building element as crated by the
placement and size of the building in its seng; scale usually applies to how the sense is perceived in
relaon to the size of a human being and refers to the apparent size, not actual size, since it is always
viewed in relaonship to another building or element.
Stepback: a setback of the upper oors of a building which is greater than the setback of the lower
oors.
Storm water Management (SWM): plans and facilies designed to control the quality and quanty of
storm water ows on a site.
Street Furniture: municipal equipment placed along streets, including light xtures, re hydrants,
telephones, trash receptacles, signs, benches, mailboxes, newspaper boxes and kiosks.
Sense of place: the feeling associated with a locaon, based on a unique iden
memorable qualies.
Setback: the horizontal distance from the property line to the face of a buildin
features to a building.
Street-line: the outside line of a required right-of-way or road allowance; the s
line.
Streetscape: the disnguishing elements and character of a parcular street a
degree of curvature, paving materials, design of the street furniture, pedestria
setback and form of surrounding buildings.Surface Parking: Open parking lots which are at ground level.
Tax-Increment Financing: a nancing method which uses the addional taxes g
by a complete development to pay for development costs such as land acquisi
improvements. The dierence between the taxes before the development occ
compleon is referred to as the increment.
Temporary Sign: a banner type sign constructed of a sturdy material, such as ca
rapid deterioraon. Such sign is intended to be displayed for a short period of
Terminang Vista: a building or monument that stands at the end or in the mid
when one is looking up the street the view ends with the site.
Transit: public transportaon services, parcularly bus service.
Transit-oriented or Transit-supporve: the elements of urban form and design
more accessible and ecient, these ranging from land use elements (i.e. loca
housing and commercial uses along transit routes) to design (i.e. street layout
bus roung) and encompassing pedestrian-oriented features as most transit ri
their rides as pedestrians.
Transportaon Development District (TDD): a special taxing district whereby a
of the landowners in an area request either the levy of special assessments or
sales tax of up to 1% on goods and services sold within a given area. Upon cre
municipality, the revenue generated by TDD special assessments or sales tax u
pay the costs of transportaon infrastructure improvements in and around the
Urban Design: the planning and design of cies focusing on the three dimensio
of public and publicly accessible space.
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Ulies: facilies for gas, electricity, telephone, cable television, water and
waste water, overhead and underground power and telephone lines, all re
hydrants, water mains, storm and sanitary sewers.
Vistas: a line of vision, contained by buildings of landscaping, to a building or
other feature which terminates the view.
Waynding: the informaon available to people which they need to nd their
way around the city and can be verbal, graphic, architectural and spaal.
Wall Sign: any sign painted on, aached to or projecng from the wall surface
of a building (including permanent window signs and signs on awnings). A wallsign shall not project above the apparent at roof or eave line as viewed from
all elevaons.
Walkable: A condion of a system of routes which are barrier free, interesng,
safe, well-lit, comfortable and inving to pedestrian travel.
Appendix B: Diagrams
Figure B1 d
Area Rao
depending
and building
expresses t
between th
useable oo
in a buildingand the are
which the b
is obtained
gross oor
by the total
Image court
of Columbia
Figure B1
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Appendix C: District Design Review BoardsThe district design review boards are 15-member, city planning commission appointed boards which areresponsible for protecng the aesthec integrity of their respecve districts. Specically, the boards must approvethe design of any proposed development or redeveloped projects within their parcular districts. The districtdesign review boards are also responsible for approving new signage and selecng public infrastructure featureswithin the district, including all street furniture, waynding systems, street trees, street lighng, and publicparking structure design. The district design review boards are to rely on this plan as their primary guidancemanual.
Three of the vong members are required to come from preservaon-related backgrounds (architecture,architectural historian, historian, landscape architect, and planning). Four of the vong members are requiredto come from a diversity of professions or be lay persons with demonstrated interest, knowledge, and trainingin elds closely related to urban design (architecture, landscape architecture, architectural history, nance, realestate, and urban planning). Finally, at least one vong member must have a law degree with at least someexperience with land-use or urban design.
Mass Street District Design Review Board Representation
Vong Board Members
Downtown Lawrence, Inc. representave
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce representave
Lawrence Convenon & Visitors Bureau representave
Lawrence Arts Center representave
Downtown stake-holding arst
Lawrence Historic Resources Commission representaves (2 members)
District residents (2 members)
District business-owners (2 members)
District property-owners (2 members) Downtown stake-holding lawyer
Non-Vong Board Members
City of Lawrence Planning Department representaves
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