Fundamentals of Urban Design

Fundamentals of Urban Design:

A Primer for City Planning Commissions

April 7, 2020

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Contents Introduction ...... 3 Background ...... 3 Parking ...... 4 Large Parking Lots ...... 4 Connectivity ...... 5 ADA Compliance...... 5 Landscaping ...... 6 Rain Gardens ...... 6 Bulb-outs ...... 7 Multifamily Parking ...... 8 Streetscape ...... 9 Interface Between Traffic and Storefronts ...... 9 Street Cross Sections ...... 9 Sidewalks ...... 11 Commercial Building Development ...... 14 Fenestration (Windows) ...... 14 Existing building retrofits ...... 17 Multifamily Design ...... 19 Building Articulation...... 19 Multifamily Landscaping ...... 19 Mixed Use Design...... 21 Highland Station ...... 21 North Downtown Broadway Development ...... 23 Additional Urban Design Examples ...... 25 Stormwater Management ...... 25 Public Art ...... 27 Wayfinding ...... 27 Sculpture ...... 28 Wall Murals ...... 29 Development Ordinances in Other Cities ...... 33

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Introduction This paper addresses various aspects of effective development design, emphasizing the interface between public domain and private domains; including parking, pedestrian and bicycle transportation and sidewalks in commercial and multifamily development. Urban design fundamentals complement the planning and visioning work underway in Parker and Springfield via the Recovery and Resilience Partnership Program (R2P2) managed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 4. Additionally, these constructs also complement planning and design assistance the cities are receiving from the National Parks Service Recreational Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. The design constructs herein demonstrate universal design principles that may be applied to any city and exemplify solid designs for consideration as future development is evaluated. Various aspects and examples of good design practices, and design practices to avoid, are demonstrated herein with a number of photographs and graphics. This document is intended for use by a Planning Commission or Design Review Committee as a resource in reviewing commercial and multifamily development proposals. Links are included to reference ordinances adopted by other U.S. cities. It would be beneficial if an ordinance were developed and adopted by the cities. This reference serves as a tool to assist in developing design guidelines and ordinances as part of a long-term recovery plan. Background Hurricane Michael hit the Florida coast on October 10, 2018 as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 160 mph. As it swept across the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, it caused catastrophic damage to Panama City, Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base and severe impacts to the region. The city of Parker, across the Bay Bridge from Tyndall Air Force Base, and the city of Springfield, sustained significant impacts. Tyndall was heavily damaged and is rebuilding with $4.5 billion in federal funding for projects slated to complete by 2024. Parker and Springfield have traditionally provided housing for the base. Many commercial structures were damaged along U.S. Business 98, an important commercial transportation corridor through both cities. Housing in the greater Panama City area was in demand prior to the storm and many units were damaged or destroyed. A well-documented housing shortage remains including the cities of Springfield and Parker. Significant commercial and multifamily developments are likely as cities rebuild. Reconstruction and redevelopment of Parker and Springfield is expected to take many years. While this prospect may be disheartening, it presents an opportunity to rebuild with better design and with increased resiliency against future disaster damage. Good design may require a somewhat larger investment, but it offers more attractive and functional development that competes well in the overall market and adds to property values. Some design features, such as improved pedestrian connections and on-site nature-based stormwater management, reduce the

Fundamentals of Urban Design Interagency Recovery Coordination Community Recovery Assistance need for expensive infrastructure, such as road widening or stormwater conveyance. Such features result in lower operating costs. Good design for new construction of both multifamily and commercial developments can be beneficial. Retrofitting existing buildings to make them more attractive for reuse may also bring benefits. Good design considers public spaces, private spaces and their interfaces – typically public rights of way (ROW). Rights of way link areas together and can make up the largest public space in a city.

Parking Zoning codes often require a certain number of parking spaces per development, which vary based upon the development type. A large grocery store, for instance, may be required to provide more parking spaces than an office building. Many commercial design codes limit the amount of parking adjacent to the street to 50 percent or less of the street frontage. To promote a more pedestrian friendly environment and reduce impacts to through traffic, parking is typically preferred on the side or rear of a building with clearly defined access and egress points. For multifamily developments, most zoning codes require a fixed minimum number of spaces for each unit in the proposed development. This number varies by the number of bedrooms in the proposed units and the amount of visitor parking required. Zoning codes also frequently require a certain proportion of “large vehicle” spaces vs. “small vehicle” spaces to better accommodate a variety of vehicle sizes. The distinction is made by the required size of the spaces (most often width). Apartment dwellings feature covered parking spaces or garage spaces, often for an additional tenant fee. More apartment complexes are being developed as gated communities which require some parking outside the gates for visitor overflow and access to leasing offices. Some important design features for parking in multifamily developments are provided below. Large Parking Lots Avoid creating parking deserts, such as the one featured in this photo. This design is often found in older shopping malls or “big box” stores. This parking design is hazardous for pedestrians and drivers due to the lack of clearly defined pedestrian access and connections. Controls are lacking to prevent random movements by drivers. The design also lacks trees and other vegetation, which can be included to help with stormwater management and also provide shade.

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Connectivity Parking lots need clearly defined and safe pedestrian access. They should ideally provide separate, or at least well-marked, pedestrian walkways.

ABOVE: A poorly designed parking lot.

ADA Compliance Accessible spaces should be well marked. The parking area shown below includes Americans with Disasbilities Act (ADA)-compliant spaces adjacent to the building and a well-marked pathway that leads to other portions of the parking lot.

A lot with ADA-compliant spaces and a pedestrian

walkway between each row of parking.

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Landscaping Landscaping can effectively be used to define parking spaces, provide opportunities for shade, and to mitigate and retain stormwater runoff.

A well-landscaped lot with a pedestrian walkway.

Rain Gardens A recently constructed bioswale used to retain and filter stormwater coming from the commercial parking lot. These designs are also known as “rain gardens.” Parking and building access are also well-connected to the public sidewalk, as an example of providing connectivity through thoughtful design.

Bioswale.

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Bulb-outs In certain areas where the street can accommodate on-street parking, commercial development, particularly retail, is enhanced. The following photo demonstrates on-street parking on a state highway, that is delineated by pedestrian bulb-outs, also known as curb extensions. Bulb-outs extend the sidewalk or curb line into the parking lane, which reduces the effective street width along a commercial building face. In this example and the photo below, the parking zone is set apart from the main sidewalk with landscaping. Some jurisdictions will reduce parking lot requirements if on-street parking is available. A partial median island would help provide a safe mid-crossing refuge for pedestrians where traffic signals are not available. Trees provide shade and visual interest to a On-street parking on a state highway landscaping plan. Care should be taken to select delineated by pedestrian bulb-outs. tree species that do not cause root damage to sidewalks as the tree grows.

A parking zone set apart from the main sidewalk with landscaping.

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At right, is another example of a well- landscaped commercial parking lot. However, the design did not incorporate pedestrian thoroughfares or building access in the parking lot.

A lot with landscaping, but without well-marked pedestrian access. Multifamily Parking Many newer apartments offer covered parking and for an extra charge, garage parking. The multifamily units pictured below demonstrate the use of covered parking with a clearly marked pedestrian way. The pedestrian path leads behind the buildings to a common area and walking trail near a lake. Many jurisdictions are evaluating their existing codes to determine if fewer spaces than required, would work. Factors to consider include access to bus stops and/or bike lanes and walking routes. Many people do not own cars and instead use carpooling, or car share services such as Lyft and Uber if their destinations are too far to walk or bike. A reduction in parking spaces would be cost-saving to the project, free up space for other uses and would reduce impervious area, thus lowering the amount of stormwater that must be managed.

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Streetscape As noted in the introduction, public right-of-way is typically the largest public space in a city. Until the automobile-oriented post WW2 era, pedestrian-scale buildings were built up to the sidewalk and had front doors with many windows to attract shoppers. As the development patterns changed, large parking lots in front of structures became the norm and buildings were oriented to parking lots rather than as traditional storefronts along streets. That trend is changing. Commercial developers have realized that shoppers prefer the traditional pedestrian-oriented development patterns over the development styles practiced in the 1950s and 1960s. Developers have even coined the phrase “neo-traditional.” One need only look at new upscale malls, known as “lifestyle centers,” to see that this trend is in demand.

Interface Between Traffic and Storefronts Emphasis is given in this section to pedestrian-development scale, wider sidewalks, storefronts with many windows (aka “fenestration”) and other pedestrian-scale improvements. Street cross- sections are identified that demonstrate how streets can function well as traffic movers, but also serve multi-modal traffic at the same time; such as mass transit and bicycles. As a result, pedestrian crossers become safer. Finally, “green” nature-based infrastructure is addressed with examples of how it can be incorporated into existing developments or parking areas. Street Cross Sections Below is an example of a three-lane cross section that provides parking on one side, bicycle lanes and broad sidewalks that extend to the building fronts. This design is a good example of a pedestrian-oriented commercial area that emphasizes local traffic, rather than through traffic on a busier street.

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Illustrated below is an example that shows a 57 ft. right of way, with two through lanes of traffic and a center turn lane. The turn lane could include a median, or barriers to limit and define cross traffic turn locations. Shown here is a 5 ft. sidewalk with a 2 ft. buffer area on the left, and a 5 ft. buffer area with a 10 ft. parkway on the right side that is intended for bicycles and pedestrians. This design provides through traffic in each lane, unimpeded by left turns.

Illustration: North Main St. Three-lane Cross Section

The cross section below was prepared by the Apalachee Regional Planning Commission for Chattahoochee’s Main Street.

This cross section is under review by the Florida Department of Transportation.

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The cross section is two lanes, with a left turn lane at the main intersection. Street parking is available on each side and curb bump-outs extend the sidewalk into the street. These create parking zones and allow safer pedestrian crossing. At right, is a street cross-section with mixed-use development along a three-lane street. The street contains a continuous left turn lane, on-street parking on both sides and right lane turn pockets. This street is considered a minor artery that moves significant traffic. It is also a pedestrian friendly area with bump-outs at the intersections.

Note the pedestrian scale lighting in addition to the typical streetlights and sidewalk landscaping. Bicycle lanes would be a desired improvement here.

Sidewalks In a pedestrian-oriented Street cross-section with mixed-use development. commercial area, sidewalks serve multiple purposes. They move pedestrian traffic, provide a location for seating and casual conversations, provide a landscaped buffer from traffic and can provide auxiliary seating for restaurants.

Sidewalks can be made from different materials, but concrete is common. Brick or concrete pavers are more attractive but are considerably more expensive to construct and require more on- going maintenance.

A less expensive alternative is scored, patterned or colored concrete. While these concrete options are slightly more expensive than standard construction, they provide visual interest. Other enhancements include street furniture such as road signs, and benches that provide a pleasant pedestrian experience but add to the overall expense. Bicycle racks are typically also a component of a good streetscape design.

The following photo is an example of a “lifestyle center” in Destin, Florida. It is privately developed and owned, but it is an example of new development mimicking traditional development. Note the use of landscaping and bulb-outs to lower the crossing distance, the on- street parking, pedestrian-scale lighting, pavers, awnings, and wide sidewalks.

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Lifestyle center in Destin, Fla.

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Following are several examples of a more modest, recently constructed development. This development demonstrates that good design does not have to be expensive. Note the sidewalk seating for two restaurants and their landscaping. Awnings provide some weather protection. Also note that while there is a fenced in seating area for “The Human Bean” coffee shop, there is a clear path maintained along the building front and adjacent to the curb. This sidewalk meets ADA requirements for a clear path and is particularly important for visually impaired people. Finally, there is a significant landscaped area that provides a buffer from a busy street as well as accommodation of a drive through window.

Sidewalks are wide and pedestrian friendly.

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Commercial Building Development This section includes some key components of new construction design for commercial developments with examples of existing buildings featuring simple improvements that enhance good basic design. Perhaps the two most important components of basic commercial design are fenestration (windows) and no setback or a small setback from the sidewalk. These two components are critical for improving pedestrian access and generating interest. Fenestration (Windows) Design guidelines or standards typically require a minimum of 50 percent of the first floor of a commercial building to be windows in new construction. Another requirement concerns the setback from the sidewalk. The photo below shows each of these and the door to the sidewalk. This particular development includes a parking lot to the rear of the building which provides access to the business. These examples illustrate pedestrian-friendly design.

Newer building that was constructed to meet city design guidelines in Salem, Oregon.

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Assuring the business entrance is oriented to the sidewalk is a key component in pedestrian- friendly design. At left (below) is a new building located at an intersection. In this case the windows are mostly on the primary street, and the entrance is on the corner, serving pedestrians on both streets. The street face on the left would be improved if additional windows were included. The building on the above left has two businesses in addition to the Little Caesar’s. Parking is located at the rear (top right). Note there is a door to the parking lot as well as a direct pedestrian connection to the main street sidewalk and bike racks to serve customers and employees.

At the above left is an example of a large office building, one city block long. There are windows at street level, but the building offers little visual interest with almost no articulation and variation in windows. At right, is another long building with virtually no windows and little articulation. This design creates a “dead block” in the street development pattern.

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The building below spans an entire block on a busy street. However, this building shows good articulation. It includes varied building materials, a roofline that is not continuous and has many windows. In addition, it includes a large public outdoor space on a corner (maintained by the property owner, not the public). Parking is located to the rear of the building. The design features pedestrian scale lighting on the sidewalk.

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Existing building retrofits Good design does not have to be expensive or complicated. In many cases, existing buildings can be retrofitted or upgraded to become desirable pedestrian-oriented storefronts. Below, at left, is a building in the St. Andrews area of Panama City, Fla. This building is historic and has an interesting roofline and patterns in the wall surface above the awning. The addition of awnings and brick accents have enhanced visual interest in the building and provided pedestrian weather protection. At right, a block face, also in St. Andrews, includes three very simple buildings, but they have storefront windows, added awnings and a varying roofline, adding visual interest.

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The building below, in Salem, Ore., is another older and simple single-story building. The original building had extensive windows and historic features near the roofline. The awning and creative signage add visual interest.

The following two photos are of a historic building, also in Salem. It’s interesting design features include the roofline, second story windows, extensive street level windows and the awning, which all add visual interest. The building is well-landscaped, and has sidewalk seating and benches.

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Multifamily Design Many key features of good multifamily residential design have been addressed in previous sections. Below are examples that feature building articulation, landscaping and a small recreation area for tenants. Building Articulation Multifamily dwellings, in conjunction with commercial development, should avoid designs with long sections of the same building features. Articulated rooflines and building fronts create much more interest. The apartment complex at right adds visual interest with building articulation augmented by external stairways and balconies. There is also landscaping added to the central building setback.

Multifamily Landscaping At left is a nicely landscaped feature (including a fountain) in a central setting, viewable by multiple tenants.

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Recreation facilities were added to the design below. This small multi use recreation area is fit into in the apartment building. It includes a basketball half court and a children’s playground. Other equipment could easily be added.

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Mixed Use Design Following are two examples of mixed use developments in Salem. They are each “horizontal mixed use” developments, meaning they were developed as a single project, but the uses are separate on the same site. The second example also includes “vertical mixed use” which includes both commercial and multifamily uses in the same building. Aerial photos were taken from Google Maps and were used earlier in this presentation. Highland Station The development site below is about seven total acres. It is a redevelopment of an old strip mall. It includes a substantial office building, a senior center and townhomes. Shared parking is located at the center of the site.

The white roofed building is a senior center. The parking lot that supports it has clear walkways separated from traffic lanes, good ADA features and landscaping. The upper left of the development is attached townhomes, with garages – some with direct street access. The building on the right side is an office building. As noted, these are mixed uses on the same site, but not in the same building.

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Additional photos of Highland Station are below.

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North Downtown Broadway Development The following mixed use development includes a movie theater, street level commercial/retail spaces, three levels of apartments above the commercial/retail spaces, and townhomes across the parking lot from the commercial area. On-street parking augments the parking on the site. The entire site is approximately 3.3 acres and is developed more densely than the Highland Station development. The property is well- landscaped, and pedestrian areas are connected and well-marked.

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Additional Urban Design Examples Following are some examples of photos that show different aspects of street and building design; from bioswales to downspouts to wayfinding signage to very colorful buildings and public art, with an emphasis on murals. Stormwater Management The following three photos show two small bioswales in Salem, Oregon. What is notable about the first is that the bioswale was constructed in a fashion that allows it to also function as a street “bump out”, for improved pedestrian access at the intersection. The second is long and narrow and occupies a very small portion of the street width. Each bioswale was constructed on existing streets.

Bioswales serve to help clean the stormwater running off the street and sidewalks.

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Below are examples of stormwater detention in two Salem communities. Each also functions as accessible community space. At left is a park that has been in existence for many years, and was designed as a detention basin. Note the oak trees in the higher ground, whereas the “channel” is simply kept in grass. It is a well used neighborhood park. At right is an open greenspace that is used by neighborhood residents.

This example of stormwater management is a photo of Savannah, Ga., featuring very old buildings (probably 150-200 years old). These buildings, while having the charm of good design, also feature downspouts from the roof to the sidewalk. Though not readily visible in the photo, there is a small and shallow channel in the sidewalk that directs stormwater to the street. A modern building with that design might feature a bioswale to reduce and help treat the stormwater, and would need to meet ADA requirements for surface and grade.

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Public Art This section demonstrates public art in several forms. Shown here are examples of wayfinding signage, public sculpture and wall murals. Wayfinding The following two pictures exemplify pedestrian-oriented signage that directs pedestrians and bicyclists to different locations. At left is signage in the St. Andrews neighborhood of Panama City and right is signage in a park setting in Salem. These signs provide direction and visual interest, serving as a type of public art.

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Sculpture This photo is of a “sculpture garden” located adjacent to the Salem Convention Center.

Left: Signage of a cow with a playful cat in Salem. Right: A bright green bull at a tourist site.

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These street sculptures are in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Wall Murals The following wall murals depict celebrities from Silverton, Ore.; Doug Brown, a world champion cowboy and Roy Petit, a U.S. astronaut.

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Murals of historic Silverton:

This mural, below left, from Quincy, Florida, depicts three nationally famous African-American doctors from Quincy. The second mural is painted on the back of an historic vaudeville theater in Salem and features famous vaudevillian actors.

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The series of photos below represent a very different type of murals. The first two are taken in Manati, Puerto Rico. These murals were painted on a low income and very dense housing development. They can be viewed as a panorama from the left side of the first picture to the right side of the second picture. These murals represent a good example of how public art can improve a very low income area and help foster a sense of community.

Manati, Puerto Rico

The photos below were taken in San Juan, Puerto Rico, seven months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the island, ten days apart. The buildings were nearly destroyed from the hurricane but are clearly blighted. The photos below were taken on a Sunday morning. It is possible to see the street artists painting the building were greatly enjoying themselves. Though not everyone may appreciate the nature of the art, the artists were clearly talented and the buildings were visually improved from their blighted condition.

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The art seemed to be a short-term response to horrible circumstances that, in turn, demonstrate the long-term resilience of human nature.

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Development Ordinances in Other Cities Ordinances and design guidelines should be clear and easy to read. Graphics and/or photographs greatly facilitate understanding of the requirements.

Ordinances from cities around the U.S. are listed below. Many other examples may be found online.

Lindon, Utah http://www.lindoncity.org/form-and-applications.htm [Lindon, Utah Design Ordinance].

Charlotte County https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/services/buildingconstruction/Documents/Commercial- Design-Standards-Worksheet.pdf [This is a checklist of things to look for in a development and is applicable to the ordinance – for example only].

Antioch, Calif. https://www.antiochca.gov/community-development-department/planning-division/citywide- design-guidelines [Antioch, California design guidelines].

Kennewick https://www.go2kennewick.com/DocumentCenter/View/183/Commercial-Design- Standards?bidId= [Kennewick, Washington commercial design standards]. https://www.go2kennewick.com/DocumentCenter/View/184/Multi---Family-Residential-Design- Standards?bidId= [Kennewick, Washington multifamily design standards]. Salem https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/8119/Salem_Development_Desig n_Handbook.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [Salem, Oregon design guidelines].