Urban Areas: Policy, Planning and Zoning Recommendations

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URBAN AREAS Policy, Planning, and Zoning Recommendations

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Our urban areas represent the greatest challenge for the future of Smart Growth. There is an abundance of land and deteriorated buildings for redevelopment. The market drive for these locations will be dependent on a larger regional strategy as well as high quality urban design, streetscapes, green spaces and transit. It is critical that redevelopment efforts be focused into specific urban neighborhoods and districts rather than diluted effort in all neighborhoods.

Portions of Hartford and one of its immediate sub-center areas, the Parkville neighborhood, were selected to represent the “urban” section of the survey. Urban places represent the most distressed areas of the survey, but also have the greatest potential for renewal and hope if the ideas generated by this survey are implemented. Images and questions generated from this section of the survey provide the basis for recommendations for future changes in the Comprehensive Plans, Zoning and Design Regulations.

Recommendations include rehabilitation of existing structurally sound buildings, building new housing and commercial buildings on vacant and underutilized land that fits an urban character, improved sidewalks and streetscapes, creating new neighborhood parks, creating parking and transit connections. Reinforcing existing neighborhoods and connecting them to jobs, retail and recreation with transit, bicycles and walking is critical.

Existing conditions near the Capitol

After infill and rehabilitation the urban character of the street is

reclaimed

URBAN AREAS: General Recommendations

General Policies for Urban Areas

Parking lots provide the greatest “land bank” for future redevelopment. As cities removed important street wall buildings, the city lost its human urban and dynamic character for a more negative suburban character. The urban area must be reclaimed and revitalized.

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Existing conditions today After Redevelopment

URBAN AREAS:General Recommendations for Urban Neighborhoods

Housing units are vacant and deteriorated but appear to be in good structural condition. The above units are across from a large park and therefore have a greater priority for redevelopment. The streetscape is the most important design feature.

Improving the character of the street generates a positive sense of place.

Converting brownfields and underutilized land to parks is critical for the future.


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Highest Rated Images - Urban Category

Image Value +8.0: Classic urban plaza with trees, pedestrian walks, pedestrian lighting and raised landscaping. This plaza offers pedestrians several seating options including benches and the raised edges of the planting beds.

Policy: Design plans to include new plazas in neighborhood centers and commercial areas.

Image Value +7.8: Rehabilitated streetscape with excellent semi-public edge, pedestrian scaled lighting of street with rehabilitated “perfect sixes” housing.

Policy: Develop standards for streetscapes and encourage rehabilitation and preservation of building form. Streetscape rehabilitation is as important as the rehabilitation of buildings and must be done concurrently.

Image Value +7.8: Classic neighborhood square surrounded by a combination of single and multiple family housing.

Policy: Design plans to include new neighborhood squares and greens in each neighborhood which could be the focus of a new neighborhood configuration.

Image 62Existing Conditions: Rehabilitated housing and streetscape

+7.8 (sd 3.2)

The highest rated images in the survey set the priority and fundamental planning policies for urban areas. Based on the results, the first priority is for the greater “pedestrianization” of the city and its neighborhoods through “greening” of the city in uses such as urban plazas, streetscapes with trees and hedges, and small urban parks. Building rehabilitation and adaptive re-use, as well as transit and bicycle lanes, are also top priorities.

Parks and Plazas Options: Urban PlazaImage 70

+8.0 (sd 2.9)

Image 69 Parks and Plazas Options: Neighborhood park

+7.8 (sd 3.2)


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Image Value +7.5: A new park created from an old industrial site. The park has features including a large water feature, open areas, and mature trees.

Policy: Redevelop vacant industrial sites into open space and parks in locations of the city that do not have parks within easy walking distance. Other areas could be reforested where there is no current market for their reuse. Leaving them as deteriorated ‘brown fields’ will extend their negative impact on the city.

Image Value +6.8: A commercial street with a dedicated bicycle lane provides the opportunity for on-street bicyclists

Policy: Where possible, integrate dedicated bicycle lanes into the street fabric.

Image Value +6.7: An example of urban rehabilitation. A former factory site has been converted into apartments or condominium units.

Policy: Where possible, revitalize existing urban structures with adaptive re-use.

Image 78Mobility Options: Provisions for on-street bicyclists

+6.8 (sd 3.9)

Highest Rated Images - Urban Category

Housing Options: New park created from an old industrial site

Image 68

+7.5 (sd 3.3)

Image 63 Redevelopment Options:Conversion of Industrial buildings to lofts and

live-work units

+6.7 (sd 3.9)+6.7 (sd 3.2)


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Lowest Rated Images - Urban Category

Image Value -2.4: Large surface parking lots in downtown Hartford.

Policy: Realize that these are the greatest “land bank” for future development in the city. If to be used as a temporary use, landscape standards should be imposed.

Image 55 Existing Condition: Surface parking lots in Downtown Hartford

-2.1 (sd 5.8)

Image 57Existing Condition: Corner parking lot in residential area

-2.7 (sd 5.5)

The negative images in the survey can be viewed as “opportunistic neglect”. The need for additional parking became more prevalent as the city dismantled its transit and society became more auto dependent. These changes combined with demographic and economic changes in the city. Negative images can be viewed as opportunities for renewal, if existing conditions are developed properly. Redevelopment and improvement of these areas could be a preview of the rebirth of the city and its neighborhoods.

Image Value -2.4: Corner parking lot in residential area, surrounded by chain link fence. Multiple family housing on either side lack landscaping and trees. Compare this image to the photo below, a computer simulation of this image. With the addition of street trees and landscaping, the image value increases to +5.4.

Policy: Raise and establish design standards for existing commercial areas and residential neighborhoods. Include landscaping and edge treatments around parking lots.

Parking Options: Screened parking lot with new streetscape Image 72

+5.4 (sd 3.9)


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Simulated Development Options

The following image sets depict various development options for existing conditions in the urban areas. For each set, an image was selected and modified by computer simulation to explore various development options and their acceptability by the people of Hartford.

In most cases, images that captured generally negative or indifferent characteristics were chosen for simulation. A variety of development options were then added to the existing conditions to gauge what was acceptable and what was unacceptable for the redevelopment of the Hartford Region. In some cases, however, the reverse was performed. Anton Nelessen Associates (ANA) took images of Hartford that captured positive aspects of the Region. ANA then simulated what those places might become if current development patterns of sprawl and strip-commerce are allowed to continue.

From the VPS responses to these images, both existing and simulated, ANA was able to gain a greater understanding of what types of redevelopment were appropriate for the city and more importantly, how these images fit within a greater regional picture. In some cases, both the “before” and “after” images were included from a set. These sets provide the most accurate and convincing evidence of what the people of Hartford want and don’t want. In other cases, only one or neither of the images from some sets made the final cut for the VPS. These omitted image sets are still valuable to this report. When viewed in conjunction with the results from the VPS and Community Questionnaire, the image sets provide additional evidence and examples of development options for the Hartford Region.

These image sets and simulations are a proven method ANA has used in numerous of projects similar to the Hartford Region study. When used in conjunction with the rest of the VPS and Community Questionnaire, ANA is able to make informed, quantified recommendations for the future development and redevelopment of the Hartford Region.

Urban Category


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Existing Conditions

Development Options—streetscape enhancements (simulation)

• Neighborhood beginning renewal in center but with significant deterioration

• Poor pedestrian realm

• Lack of street furniture

• Lack of street trees

• Parking on sidewalk

(not rated in VPS)

• Rehabilitated buildings

• Enhanced pedestrian realm

• Addition of street furniture

• Addition of street trees

• Pedestrian crosswalk

(not rated in VPS)

Neighborhood Center Options


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Existing Conditions

Development Options—same site as green space (simulation)

• Industrial “Brownfield” site

• Under-utilized land

• No screening

• Lack of landscaping

• Deteriorated surroundings

(not rated in VPS)

• Conversion to large neighborhood park space

• Screening added

• Landscaping

• Water feature

Parks & Open Space Options

Housing Options: New park created from an old industrial site Image 68

+7.5 (sd 3.3)


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Existing Conditions

Development Options (simulation)

• Deteriorated residential area

• Littered yards

• Poor pedestrian realm (note people walking on streets)

• No street lamps


• Looks and feels abandoned

(not rated in VPS)

• Revitalized residential area


• Street lamps

• Textured sidewalks

• Semi-public edge defined

Image 62Existing Conditions: Rehabilitated housing and streetscape

+7.8 (sd 3.2)

Residential Rehabilitation Options


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Existing Conditions

Development Options—same street with improvements (simulation)

• Under-utilized commercial or mixed use space

• Adjacent to the Capitol


• Large surface parking lots

• No edge screening

• Regain Capitol image

• Multiple story, mixed-use buildings


• Edge screening

Redevelopment Options

55

(

60: In-

(

Image 55 Existing Condition: Surface parking lots in Downtown Hartford

-2.1 (sd 5.8)

Image 60Development Options: In-fill new buildings downtown

+5.7 (sd 3.9)


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Existing Conditions

Development Options—same lot with new standards (simulation)

• Unscreened parking lot


• No street lighting

• No street trees

• Screened parking lot


• Street lighting

• Street trees

• Textured intersection

Urban Neighborhood Parking Options

Image 57Existing Condition: Corner parking lot in residential area

-2.7 (sd 5.5)

Parking Options: Screened parking lot with new streetscape Image 72

+5.4 (sd 3.9)


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Existing Conditions

Development Options – same lot with infill (simulation)

• Under-utilized commercial lot


• Poor landscaping

• No street trees

• Undefined crosswalks

• Mixed-use infill


• Enhanced landscaping

• Street trees

• Defined crosswalks

Neighborhood Center Redevelopment Options

Image 59 Existing Condition: Corner commercial use

-0.3 (sd 5.9)

Image 61Redevelopment Options: In-fill on corner

+5.4 (sd 4.3)


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Existing Conditions

Development Options—same street with enhancements (simulation)

• Revitalizing neigh-borhood center



• Lack of street trees

• Wide street

• No buffer for the pedestrian

• Revitalized neigh-borhood center


• Street lamps

• Street trees

• Defined crosswalk

• Bicycle lane

• Textured sidewalk

Revitalization of Neighborhood Centers Options

Image 56 Existing Condition: Neighborhood “main street”

+0.6 (sd 5.7)

Parking Options: Revitalized Parkville streetImage 75

+6.6 (sd 4.1)


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Development Building Blocks: URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

Transition Area to other

Urban Neighborhoods

Core of urban

neighborhood

5 minute walk

boundary

Individual Neighborhood Diagram

Planning Standards for Urban Places

Recommended Planning Standards: URBAN Areas

A primary recommendation that emerged from the cumulative analysis of the urban section of the survey stated that the city needs to be further defined and planned as a series of neighborhoods, with specific plans completed for each, as is being done for the Parkville neighborhood. The following will provide a general guide.

An urban neighborhood is the primary development form for cities. An urban neighborhood differs from a suburban neighborhoods in that it is typically of higher density and has more compelling streetscapes. Each urban neighborhood should be identifiable. Urban neighborhoods are separated by major streets, parks or natural features, or by a change in character. The edge of each neighborhood should be within a five minute walking distance from a mixed-use neighborhood core with a small park or other focus feature such as a transit stop. Several neighborhoods can share schools, larger parks, and a larger sub-center. Each must have direct access to the major urban downtown or central city. The periphery of the neighborhood can be a lower density transition to another neighborhood or bounded by a major avenue or boulevard, with civic or institutional uses, cemeteries, or large educational institutions.

About 160 acres is the maximum size of a traditional neighborhood, although they can be smaller. A size of 160 acres is formed by a circle with a radius of a maximum five minute walking distance (1,320 feet) from the periphery to the center core of the neighborhood. The minimum gross density of 8 dwellings per acre supports transit and a proper street building wall. The net density, the number of units per lot, ranges from 12 to 32 units per acre in the core to as low as 4 to 6 units per acre on the periphery.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD

• Edges defined by Boulevards, major street or natural feature.

• Center green or plaza.

• Highest intensity of highest quality near the center.

• Mixed use commercial with parking in the rear located in the center.

• Maximum five minute walk to peripheral; from the center.

• School within walking distance of all homes in the neighborhood.



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The internal street pattern of a neighborhood must be laid out in an interconnecting network of narrow, tree-lined streets, forming blocks. Rear lanes or alleys, providing access to garages and rear lot storage, are highly recommended. Specific street cross-sections are appropriate for each neighborhood. Over the curb parking, (meaning the door swings over the curb or the bumper crosses the curb--parallel and/or head-in parking) is required in the core of the neighborhood. On-street parking is recommended as guest parking in higher density residential areas.

A Street Regulating Plan, consisting of a modified grid, is recommended for each neighborhood to help form developable blocks and the street structure. An excerpt from an example Street Regulating Plan is included in the appendix.

The division of lots in each neighborhood should promote a range of lot sizes with larger lots on the periphery. Lots and buildings of varying sizes help to promote a range of family sizes, ages and income levels in a neighborhood and also offer visual variety.

A network of bicycle paths/lanes and a continuous pedestrian network is required for each neighborhood.

A consistent Design Vocabulary (illustrating building forms, materials, and colors) should be used in each neighborhood. Buildings of civic importance and those terminating the visual axis of major streets should have architectural emphasis. An excerpt from an example Design Vocabulary is included in the appendix.

A neighborhood possesses an identifiable center containing a public park, along with non-residential and/or mixed-use buildings to accommodate required retail, job, and civic functions. The center green (or park) must be large enough to accommodate civic gatherings of the entire neighborhood. These public spaces act as the focus or “front yard” of civic and/or religious buildings.

The area (square footage), resulting size, and number of the buildings in the core should be in proportion to the number of residential units in the neighborhood.

At the minimum, a meeting hall, a mail sub-station (pick up and drop off), and live/work units with several mixed-use or stand alone units must be provided. A bus/transit stop must also be provided.



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A Building Regulating Plan, which specifies the location and types of lots and buildings to be developed, is also recommended. The building types from the survey to be included in the Building Regulating and the Design Vocabulary are pictured below. To provide market flexibility, building types for various portions of the plan may overlap. An excerpt from an example Building Regulating Plan is included in the appendix.

Multi family apartments

Small lot single family

Mixed use retail and apartments



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A minimum of 12 square feet to a maximum of 25 square feet per housing unit is recommended for the local neighborhood retail component. Neighborhood retail should be limited to local service needs where and when possible. The national standard for neighborhood retail is approximately 19 square feet per capita, which most experts agree is overbuilt. According to Cushman and Wakefield, the ideal ratio is approximately 9 square feet per capita. Because all retail needs cannot be met in each neighborhood, a lower ratio of approximately 12 square feet per household is recommended to meet local needs.

Example: One neighborhood @160 acres @8 DU per acre = 1,280 units x 12 sq. ft/u = 15,360 sq. ft. per neighborhood (minimum)

Retail and service facilities at a minimum standard must be provided, as they are as important as basic infrastructure. They should be thought of as “vertical infrastructure” and initially may have to be leased or rented at cost. Retail for neighborhoods could include small restaurants, take-out food, and personal and business services.

The recommended square footage of space for jobs within the urban neighborhood is based on the ratio of jobs to housing. A minimum of 0.5 jobs per household is required. To calculate the actual square footage of building space needed for each neighborhood the number of jobs per household is multiplied by 150 to 350 square feet per job. Live/work units, mixed-use and/or stand alone buildings should be located in the neighborhood core. Home occupations, limited to a small amount of space and subject to parking restrictions, are recommended either in houses or above detached garages on the same lot as residential houses.

Example: One neighborhood @160 acres @ 8 DU per acre = 1280 dwelling units; 1,280 x 0.5 j/h = 640 jobs; 300 sq. ft per job = 192,000 sq. ft. per urban neighborhood

Example of urban neighborhood retail area



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Internal parks in a neighborhood should accommodate the active and passive recreational needs of neighborhood residents. A minimum of 250 square feet of park space per residential unit is required. The required park space is allocated both to the central green as well as smaller residential parks located within a short walk of units on surrounding streets. Sports fields and elementary schools, if required, should be located in the peripheral open space of several neighborhoods.

A minimum of civic space at 300 square feet per housing unit must be provided in each neighborhood. Required civic space is calculated by the square footage of land area, rather than the square footage of buildings. Civic uses in a neighborhood are similar to those found in a village; uses may include a community meeting room, a post office sub-station (pick up and drop off only), day care, churches, an elementary school, etc.. These uses must be situated at important visual locations in the plan of the neighborhood and must have significant architectural presence. It is important to note that the school must not occupy more land area than is allocated to civic uses. School site should attempt to be compact and community-use based.

Because of the extensive deterioration in many urban neighborhoods, there is an opportunity to create these highly desirable block parks as the center focus of the urban neighborhood.

Larger parks should be located on the peripheral of the urban neighborhood. This one is built on an older industrial site.



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“Multiple-Neighborhoods” is a term given to two to five adjacent neighborhoods. Individual neighborhoods should accommodate their local retail, commercial, civic and park uses as previously indicated. Each of these neighborhoods should relate to a larger city sub-center. A lower retail ratio is appropriate for urban neighborhoods in close proximity to city a sub-center. Each urban neighborhood can still have its own center with uses like small supermarkets, services etc. The larger uses should be located in the sub-center.

The periphery of “multiple-neighborhoods” should have a transition to other neighborhoods separated by a major street, park, natural feature etc. The separation between neighborhoods should be apparent and distinct. The edge of several neighborhoods could be a “seam,” (a planning term for a linear area between two similar districts or in this case urbanneighborhoods) formed by a major avenue or boulevard with civic or institutional uses. It can also be a park or natural feature. Connections between the various neighborhoods are required and must be pre-designed within the context of a specific plan for that urban neighborhood.

Parking is a critical need in the city. Much of Hartford was traditionally trolley based, and the demise of the trolley combined with existing development and inadequate transit service yield a parking problem. Primary parking must be confined to parking lots behind commercial and mixed-use buildings where possible. Pocket parking that is well screened and lighted and safe is required. Over-the-curb parking should be required in neighborhood cores. As residential buildings get larger and more dense, parking can be provided in multiple use parking structures within walking distance or in the case of new buildings, in the lower level.


The conversion of these older industrial buildings into live/work spaces is a great catalyst for the redevelopment of an urban neighborhood.


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Recommended Program Characteristics

Area: 80 - 160 Acres per neighborhood

Recommended Density: 8DU/ acre - 32 DU/ acre

Dwelling Units: 640 Minimum (to achieve positive streetscapes)

Net Units per Acre: 12 - 32 in the core, 4 - 6 at the periphery

Jobs to Housing Ratio(@ 150 to 350 sq.ft./buildingspace per job): 0.5:1 - 1.25 :1

Internal Parks: 250 sq.ft./unit

Local Retail: 12 - 25 sq.ft./unit

Civic Space: 300 sq.ft./unit (minimum)

Water: Regional

Sewage: Regional treatment

Two urban neighborhoods separated by a school and/or green site



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A city sub-center is an area of mixed-use, retail commercial, and service uses for a number of neighborhoods. It differs from the Rural Center or a Town Center or a City Center. This center serves multiple neighborhoods. It is called the city sub-center because it is not downtown. The primary service area of a city sub-center also extends a 5 minute walk (approximately 1,500 feet) from the end of the commercial district. It has a secondary service area up to a 1/2 mile from the core (approximately a 15 minute walk or a short bicycle ride). Beyond a five minute walk, most people will default to using a car. For those who default to a car, the intention of the city sub-center is to keep the drive as short as possible. This is facilitated by the provision of multiple access opportunities to the center, thereby minimizing the impact on surrounding streets. A sub-center should not front directly on a major arterial, but should be laid out parallel or perpendicular to it. By definition, a sub-center will be more auto-oriented and therefore, must accommodate more parking. It is critical that each city sub-center be connected to the primary City Center and the suburban Town Centers.

A city sub-center has a retail core extending from 1,000 to approximately 1,300 feet in length, the prescribed walking distance for most retail areas. In the traditional sense, this can be characterized as a “Main Street”, which contains mixed-use retail, services, and civic uses, along with a green park or common as the focus of the sub-center. The mixed retail core can be as deep as it is long or, in other words, it can be made up of several inter-connected blocks. The block pattern of a center or sub-center is larger than traditional residential blocks. A 200 foot by 400 foot block size, with a larger combined module of 400 feet by 400 feet, is recommended for larger service uses.

The core of the city sub-center should contain single use retail buildings, as well as mixed-use buildings which have ground floor retail and/or services and housing or offices above. Because modern retail uses are typically related to streets with high traffic flows, it is critical that the proportion and character of the “Main Street” be controlled. Parallel parking and high quality streetscape features must be provided. Width and character of the street must be in proportion to the height of the building wall.

Development Building Blocks: SUB-CENTERS


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A city sub-center can range in acreage from 50 to 400 acres. 250 acres is considered the largest optimum size for a linear “Main Street” type sub-center. The ultimate size and configuration of the city sub-center is defined as a maximum five minute walking distance from the periphery of the neighborhood to the beginning of ground level, mixed-use buildings of the sub-center.

The internal street pattern of a city sub-center must be laid out as an interconnecting network of blocks with streets that are tree-lined boulevards, avenues and streets. The main street should be the principal street in the city sub-center. Commercial alleys should provide access to parking lots located behind buildings. Over-the-curb, parallel and/or head-in parking is required in the city sub-center core. In higher density neighborhood residential areas surrounding a city sub-center, parallel street parking is recommended as guest parking. Specific street cross-section illustrations are required for city sub-centers.

The core of the city sub-center should be surrounded by higher density residential units.The optimum number of housing units in a full sized sub-center is dependent on the land remaining, after retail, service, and civic components have been accommodated. The net density of residential units, the number of units per lot size, ranges from 12 to 24 housing units per acre/lot in and around the core and can be as low as 4 units per acre at the neighborhood periphery. If mixed-use units are used in the neighborhood center/ sub-center core, density can range from 4 to 50 dwelling units per acre in addition to the ground level retail.

Residential subdivision and building types in the city sub-center should promote a range of unit types, with higher density either in or immediately adjacent to the center core and lower density on the edge. Lots and buildings of varying sizes and types help to promote a range of family sizes, ages, and income levels of residents. A large number of housing units in the central core promotes pedestrian activity and provides “eyes on the street” security. A high percentage of rental units, as well as units for sale, should be provided. Mixed-use buildings in the core offer the opportunity for multi-floor buildings, contributing to the creation of a positive building wall and streetscape.

Every city sub-center must have an Urban Design Plan prepared for it and translated into a Building Regulating Plan, which indicates the range of possible lots and building arrangements.

A consistent Design Vocabulary (building forms, materials and colors) should be used throughout the city sub-center. Buildings of civic importance and those terminating major streets and/or forming visual axis should have architectural emphasis.

The city sub-center must contain a public park or plaza along with non-residential or mixed-use buildings to accommodate required retail, service, job, and civic functions. The center green or park must be large enough to accommodate civic gatherings of the attached neighborhoods.



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The area (square footage), resulting size and number of the buildings in the core should be in proportion to the number of residential units within the primary and secondary service areas of the neighborhood center/sub-center. A neighborhood center/sub-center must have a substantial retail and office core. Retail and service uses should serve neighborhoods within one to three miles from the center core. At a minimum a neighborhood center/sub-center should have a full-sized supermarket and pharmacy (these require a market base of approximately 3,500 housing units).

To calculate retail space required by a city sub-centers (and their surrounding neighborhoods) for planning purposes, a ratio of between 20 square feet to a maximum of 40 square feet of retail space per housing unit is recommended. Additional retail can be added to accommodate a greater regional market. Ideally, retail at 20 to 40 square feet per housing unit can be distributed throughout the service area (of surrounding neighborhoods), the majority, however, should be located in the center/ sub-center. It is critical that the surrounding neighborhoods, or service area, be connected directly to the center/sub-center with on-demand transit, trolley or direct bus connections. Transit connections must be located in the core of every neighborhood, near neighborhood retail, civic, and open spaces.

The national standard for retail is approximately 19 square feet per capita. However, according to Cushman and Wakefield, the ideal retail ratio is approximately 9 square feet per capita. Figured at 2.6 persons per household, the maximum ratio is 49.4 square feet per capita while the minimum is 23.4 square feet per capita. Because each neighborhood cannot provide all retail needs, a lower ratio of approximately 12 square feet per household is recommended in surrounding neighborhoods, with the remaining square footage per unit in the city sub-center.

A city sub-center should have a range of retail components including, but not limited to a supermarket, pharmacy, hardware/paint store, restaurants, bars, liquor store, beauty and barber, clothing store, shoe store, gas station, bank, etc. A sub-center could also have one or more hotels, gyms, and cinemas.

Integrating jobs into the neighborhood fabric creates a city sub-center with greater market appeal, ecological sustainability, and pedestrian appeal. Benefits of jobs located within walking distance of where people live include the reduction of auto dependence, the reduction of parking spaces, increased access of working parents to their children, and safer streets. Working within their neighborhood is generally a first choice for people, while using some form of public transit to get to the center/ sub-center, such as on-demand transit or trolley service, will generally be their second choice.



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The recommended square footage of space for jobs within a city sub-center is based on the ratio of jobs to housing for the entire group of neighborhoods, including the residential component of the sub-center. A minimum of 0.5 jobs per household is recommended in each neighborhood with the remainder, at 1.0 to 1.5 jobs per household, in the common sub-center. The actual square footage of building space is calculated by multiplying the number of jobs per household by 150 to 350 square feet per job, not including parking. A small percentage of the total number of jobs will include live/work units. Other jobs will be in mixed-use and/or stand alone buildings. Home occupations are recommended either in residential houses or on residential lots above a detached garage.

Example:Four neighborhoods @160 acres @ 8 DU/ acre = 5,120 unitsOne sub-center @ 265 acres @ 6 DU/ acre = 1,590 unitsTotal = 6,710 units

Total square footage for jobs: 6,710 units x 1 job/household X 300 sq. ft. = 2,013,000 sq. ft.

A minimum standard of retail and service/job facilities must be provided. The recommended square footage does not including parking uses, which must be provided at a maximum of 3 per 1,000 square feet of retail/commercial uses.

Civic space should also be included as a component of a sub-center. Civic space must be provided at a minimum of 300 square feet per unit, calculated from the square footage of land area onto which the civic buildings are located rather than in the square footage of buildings. To serve as landmarks, these uses must be situated at important visual locations in the plan of the sub-center and must have significant architectural presence.

Civic uses appropriate in a sub-center can include community meeting rooms, a post office sub-station, day cares, religious institutions (church, synagogue, etc.), library branches, fire and police stations, middle schools, etc.

Internal parks found in a city sub-center should accommodate the active and passive recreational need of sub-center residents. A minimum of 250 square feet of park space per residential unit is required. This is allocated both to the central public space of the sub-center as well as smaller residential parks located within a short walking distance from surrounding housing units. As with other development types, school sites must not consume the entire allocation of park space within a sub-center. School space should be distributed in the sub-center within a realm of park types.

On the following pages are a selection of zoning recommendations. The illustrations are key components of the recommendations. ANA recommends that all zoning regulations rely heavily on illustrations rather than words alone to convey the desired outcome.



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TO ACHIEVE THIS DENSITY GRADIENTTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIREDDensity gradually decreases with distance from mixed-use street. Major shopping experience should be concentrated in 1,000 to 1,200 foot increments.

Urban Areas – ZoningThis last section covers some zoning concepts that correspond with the VPS responses. (Zoning regulations should include illustrations)

Zoning Recommendations for Urban Places

Elements of a Typical Commercial/ Mixed-Use “Main Street”

Buildings front onto primary or secondary streets

Parking lots are located in the rear or on sides

Crosswalks at every major intersection

Street trees lined along both sides of the street

Commercial center is focused on a “green”area

Maximum walking experience is 1,000 to 1,200 feet

MIXED-USE STREET(COMMERCIAL, OFFICE, RESIDENTIAL)

RESIDENTIAL STREET(MULTI FAMILY HOUSING)

RESIDENTIAL STREET(SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING - SMALL)

RESIDENTIAL STREET(SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING – LARGE)

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• Mixed-use development is encouraged and shall be organized as follows:Ground Floor: commercial or office Upper floors: residential or office

TO ACHIEVE THIS MIXED-USE STREETTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:

• Maximum height limit of 4 stories or 48 feet, whichever is less..

Exception: Public buildings may exceed 48 feet, but not 4 stories

• Front yard not permitted. .

Exception: Single-use residential structures

• On-street parking (diagonal or parallel) shall be required.

Urban Areas – Zoning


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TO ACHIEVE THIS MIXED-USE STREETTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:

• Off-street parking and loading provided only in the rear yard.

• Side yard not permitted.

Exception 1: Single-use residential structures

Exception 2: Where a non-residential structure abuts a residential property

• Streetscape along mixed-use, commercial and residential streets consisting of street trees, street lamps, textured sidewalks, and crosswalks.



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Mixed-use Parking Deck required for any parking deck built along a mixed-use street. It shall be organized as follows:

Ground Floor: commercialUpper Floors: parking

TO ACHIEVE THIS MIXED-USE PARKING DECKTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:

COMMERCIAL



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• On-street loading provided only for public transportation. A parallel roadway may be built to allow buses to load and unload passengers safely without slowing traffic on the principal roadway.

TO ACHIEVE THIS BUSWAYTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:

• Passenger terminals (local) permitted

• Passenger terminals (intercity and local)permitted



U32

On-street bike paths provided on all streets and roads, with the exception ofexpressways, freeways and parkways.

TO ACHIEVE THIS ON-STREET BIKE PATHTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:



U33

Alleys located at the rear of all lots. The above is rear lane to access parking behind buildings.

TO ACHIEVE THIS ALLEYTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:



U34

• Maximum height limit of 4 stories or 48 feet, whichever is less(Exception: public buildings may exceed 48 feet, but not 4 stories)

TO ACHIEVE THIS RESIDENTIAL STREET(MULTI FAMILY HOUSING)

THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:

• Front yard 2-6 feet (for single-use residential structures)

• Side yard for attached individual units: 0 feet between units and 2-3 feet at edge of block• Side yard for blocks of attached individual units (usually 4-6 in a row): 4-6 feet



• On-street parking required• Off-street parking provided only in the rear yard

U35

Off-street parking also provided underneath buildings where possible.

TO ACHIEVE THIS RESIDENTIAL STREET(MULTI FAMILY HOUSING)




U36

• Front yard 6-12 feet • Side yard 4-6 feet between units and 8-12 feet at edge of block(for narrow lots 24 – 36 feet wide)

• Front yard 12-20 feet• Side yard 6-15 feet between units and at edge of block(for medium width lot 36 – 64 feet wide)

• Front yard 20-30 feet• Side yard 15-25 feet between units and at edge of block(for wide lots 64 – 100+ feet wide)

TO ACHIEVE THIS RESIDENTIAL STREET(SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING)




• Off-street parking provided only in the rear yard

U37

New parks may be developed from old blocks of vacant or deteriorated parcels in neighborhoods

TO ACHIEVE THIS NEW PARKTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:



U38

Screening located on all sides of any lot containing 5 or more spaces, consisting of a masonry wall or solid fence (4-6 feet), trees (6” minimum caliper at planting) spaced at equal intervals of not more than 20 feet, with grass and/or landscaping on outside edge. The wall or fence set back shall be the same as the front yard of the district.

TO ACHIEVE THIS SCREENED PARKING LOTTHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:



U39

Residential lanes located at the rear of all lots, servicing private garages (for single-use residential structures).

TO ACHIEVE THIS RESIDENTIAL LANETHE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED:



Urban Areas: Policy, Planning and Zoning Recommendations

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Transcript of Urban Areas: Policy, Planning and Zoning Recommendations