Transit Oriented Development in North Temple
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Master Thesis Blekinge Institute of Technology Frida Kjäll & Sara Lindh 2010-12-02 Transit Oriented Development in North Temple -Towards a Sustainable and Walkable Community 1 2 Preface How to read this thesis This work was carried out at the Department of Spatial Planning, Blekinge PART I: Description of thesis, Salt Lake City and the Project Area. Institute of Technology, Karlskrona, Sweden and in Salt Lake City, Utah, US, under the supervision of Mr. Frank B. Gray and Mrs. Anette PART II: Research of TOD, social aspects such as housing in US and public Andersson. participation. All maps and photos are used with permission. Illustrations, photos and PART III: Containing analysis for the case of study. maps without reference are the authors own. PART IV: Our common vision and two individual parts meet in a planning We would like to thank Frank for guiding us and helping us as mentor and proposal for the area around North Temple Boulevard. friend. We would also like to thank Patricia Comarell, Wilf Summerkorn, Mary De La Mare-Schaefer and Nick Norris with planning team for Karlskrona, december 2009 providing us with material and guiding us, you welcomed us with open arms, showed us around and made us feel like part of the team. A special Sara Lindh & Frida Kjäll thank to Andrea Curtis for planning our arrival and accommodation and always being kind to us. Finally we would like to thank our tutor and supervisor Annette for teaching and supporting us. 3 Summary considered. We have been attending two public meetings/workshops where we have been making contacts with people living, working and From June to August we had the opportunity to stay in Salt Lake City in owning properties in the area. Utah, US where the case of our study is taking place. During this time we were working on our thesis with office at the Planning Division in Salt A step towards achieving a social sustainable community is changing the Lake City. From September to December we have worked with character of the community from being auto-oriented towards being completing our thesis in Karlskrona, Sweden. more walkable. The area currently has a bad reputation that needs to improve; an enhanced environment increases the feeling of security since The aim with our thesis is how to densify and ennoble an area west of signs of neglect often are associated with crime. Economic arguments can downtown Salt Lake City and how to strengthen the area as a social be used to anchor the benefits followed by a social sustainable transit sustainable and transit oriented community. The project area range over oriented development. The ownership structure primarily consists of 600 hectares and is located along North Temple Street. Today the area private landowners. In order to motivate landowners, building has a bad reputation within the city. proprietors and developers using economical incitement can be a In 1998, Salt Lake City worked with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and successful method. Also the area needs to be developed in stages to Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to study the feasibility of minimize the risk of abandoned half-completed building projects and to providing Light Rail Transit on North Temple Street between Downtown contribute to a flexible land use. Additionally North Temple should be a and the Salt Lake City International Airport. The new light rail line will be compliment to downtown and not a standing in its competition since a 6-mile (approximately 10 Swedish kilometers) light rail serving an downtown Salt Lake City is undergoing a big change to revitalize the core alignment between the city Airport and the City centre. Six new stations of the city. are planned along the alignment The thesis results in a plan proposal for developing the area around North The area around North Temple has great potential and a new light rail Temple, achieving a social sustainable and transit oriented community. line will create a basis for adapting Transit Oriented Development. A TOD community is walkable and pedestrian friendly. In a walkable community the streets are connected, the environment is attractive and contains a great number of destinations. In order to achieve a social sustainable community input from the public has been a foundation for our proposal. The public posses a great knowledge in their local environment that needs to be brought out and 4 Table of Contents The North Temple Boulevard Project 21 Brief Introduction 21 Visions for the North Temple Boulevard 21 PART I – INTRODUCTION History of Northwest District 22 The alignment of North Temple Street 23 Background 10 Study Area 23 Purpose 13 Land Use 24 Main and Secondary Questions 13 Historic Preservation 24 Delimitation 14 Other Plans 24 Planning Process and Public Participation 25 Methodology and Time of Completion 14 Assessment of Sources 15 Salt Lake City 16 PART II – RESEARCH History 16 TOD – Transit Oriented Development 28 Climate and Surroundings 17 Advantages of TOD 28 Population 18 Trends in the USA Supporting TOD 29 Downtown 18 Six Performance Criteria for TOD 29 Planning system in Salt Lake City 20 Features to Consider in TOD Projects 29 Challenges and Solutions Achieving TOD 31 City Council 20 Walkable Communities 33 Planning Commission 20 Traffic Calming Measures 36 Planning Division 20 Parking for Bikes 36 Community Master Plans and Zoning Maps 20 Light Rail Transit 37 Salt Lake City Planning Division Strategic Plan 21 5 Case study – Light rail in Portland 39 Preserve, change, ennoble over time 60 Housing 41 Map 4: Preserve Change, Ennoble over Time 62 Sustainability and economy 41 Paths, Destinations & barriers 63 Utah Housing Market Forecast 42 Map 5: Paths, Destinations and Barriers 66 Types of Traditional Housing in Salt Lake 43 Bus routes 67 Social Sustainability 44 Map 6: Bus Routes & Stops 67 Walkability for the Individual 44 Existing traffic conditions 68 Feeling of security 45 Map 7: Major Roads 68 Homelessness & lack of Affordable Housing 46 Population 69 The Homeless Situation in Salt Lake City 48 Map 8: Distribution of Population 69 Conclusions from Public Participation 49 Green and blue structure 70 Public meeting 1 49 Map 9: Green and Blue Structure 70 Public meeting 2 52 Input from the public meeting 71 Planning in Sweden and US–comparative study 52 Map 10: Summary of Public Input 72 PART III – ANALYSIS PART IV – PROPOSAL Map 1: Inventory 56 Vision 74 Land use 57 Map 11: Epochs of Development 75 Map 2: Service 58 Map 12: Proposed Land Use 76 Map 3: Existing Land Use 59 6 Map 13: Proposed Main Bike Routes 77 Conclusion 127 Map 14: Illustration Map – Plan Proposal 78 References 129 The Boulevard 80 Plan Proposal – North side of North Temple 81 Plan Proposal - Overall Description 82 Place-Specific Proposals 85 Station 1 – 800 West Station 86 Station 2 – Fairpark Station 90 Station 3 – Cornell Station 94 Station 4 & 5 – Winifred & 2200 West Station 98 Summary 100 Plan Proposal – South side of North Temple 101 General Principals 102 Summary 105 General Design Guidelines for the Station 106 Place Specific Proposals 107 1: The Urban Area 108 2: The Recreation Area 114 3: The Business Area 118 4: The Airport Area 122 Completion 125 Assessment of Impacts 126 7 8 PART I - INTRODUCTION 9 responsibility for planning issues in the city (SLC Planning Commission Background 2008). Salt Lake City is the capital of the state of Utah, U.S. The city was founded North Temple is the name of the street north of the temple square, in 1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers. The pioneers came to the valley stretching in east-west direction. The west side of the city was less looking for an area where they could practice their religion freely. In 1851 desirable for settlements than the east because of its location in the Salt Lake City was given town privileges. The city has a population of lowest area within the city, and before the drainage systems, it was often 178 000 inhabitants as of 2005 (NE 2009). covered with water. Even today, the west is considered to be a troubled part of town and have in general got a negative reputation and bad, close to criminal image, within the city. Also the character overall gives a disintegrated impression with vacant lots and run down or abandoned properties, even though there are a large amount of well kept residential in the area. In 1998, Salt Lake City worked with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to study the feasibility of providing Light Rail Transit on North Temple between Downtown and the Salt Lake City International Airport. The same year an Environmental Impact Statement was completed. The analysis included the designation of four station locations along the rail line, not counting the terminal stations. By the end of 2009 the Planning Division is expected to have Utah, location is the US Salt Lake City, location is the US accomplished a draft of a land use plan to go throw the Planning (Google Maps) (Google Maps) Commission and City Council reviews and adoption. Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2009 and be completed by 2012 or 2013 (SLC The Planning Division is one of several divisions in the Department of Planning Division 2009) Community and Economic Development (CED) in Salt Lake City. The division consists of a Planning Director, an Assistant Planning Director, North Temple/Airport light rail line, also called the Airport TRAX Line, will two planning managers and three planning teams that covers different be a 6-mile (approximately 10 Swedish kilometers) light rail serving an geographical areas in Salt Lake City.