Downtown Mobile keeping it easy DOWNTOWN MOBILE ALLIANCE DUANY PLATER-ZYBERK & COMPANY 2013 CHARETTE TEAM OCT 23-29, 2012 Randy Atlas Kim Harden Laura Poncelet Eusebio Azcue Carol Hunter Fred Rendfrey June Ball Mike Huston Elizabeth Sanders Scott Ball Matt Lambert Kennedy Smith Scott Douglass Tom Low Peter Swift Andres Duany Daniel Morales Dylan Wassell We thank the many residents, merchants, elected officials and municipal administration who participated, especially the mayors Samuel L. Jones and Mike Dow. 2 COMMENTARY CODE Letter to Those Concerned Code Explained A Selective Narrative Transect Zone Descriptions Management: Initiatives The Local Transect Design: Civic Space A Permitting Process Design: Transportation B Regulating Plan: Zoning Management: Commerce C Regulating Plan: Street Hierarchy Management: Parking D Regulating Plan: Management Areas Management: Noise Abatement 64-3I.1 Authority & Intent Management: Public Lighting 64-3I.2 Establishment of Sub-Districts Management: Public Safety 64-3I.3 Instructions 64-3I.4 Lot Standards 64-3I.5 Building Use Restrictions ILLUSTRATIONS 64-3I.6 Building Placement Standards 64-3I.7 Building Height Standards 1A 2012 Existing Conditions 64-3I.8 Frontage Standards 1B 2020 Proposed Conditions 64-3I.9 Use of the Public Right-of-way 2 Special Projects 64-3I.11 Signage Standards 2A New Marketplace 64-3I.12 Building Materials & Configuration 2B Canal Street 64-3I.13 Parking Standards 2C Civic Center Conversion 64-3I.14 Noise Restrictions 2D Fort Conde Neighborhood Buildout 64-3I.15 Nonconformities 2E Highline Parkway 64-3I.16 Regulating Plan Amendments 2F St. Francis Street Liner Building Table 1 Building Configuration 2G Mardi Gras Square Table 2 Shopfront Elevation Elements 2H De Tonti Neighborhood Infill Table 3 Signage 3A Pedestrian Frontage Quality Table 4 Frontage Types 3B Pedestrian Frontage Quality Table 5 Permitted Uses 4 Parking Lots Table 6 Civic Uses 5 On-Street Parking Sample Project Self Certification Form 6 Structured Parking 7 Trash Pickup Areas 8 Flooding Potential 9 Commercial Buildings APPENDIX 10 Civic Buildings 11 Civic Spaces “On Cities” from Suburban Nation 12 Pedestrian Improvements 13 Traffic Improvements 14 Transportation Improvements 1 15 Transportation Improvements 2 16 Corridors & Districts 3 4 LETTER TO THOSE CONCERNED With this introduction, I take the opportunity to make remarks Then there is the Downtown Alliance staff, who are remarkably of a kind that would not normally appear in the body of a competent. They have already implemented so many professional planning report. Nevertheless, they bear upon the intelligent strategies that at times I wondered whether there endeavor to revitalize your downtown. was anything that we had to offer in terms of advice. Elizabeth Sanders and Carol Hunter are masters of the difficult art of In my three decades as an urban planner I have not come urban revitalization, having both the technical and personal across a place more promising than Mobile. Most of the virtues skills to pull it off. They should be supported in every way should be known to you but perhaps they have not for a long possible, not least because this plan is quite dependent on while been listed together. First there is physical place itself: their daily efforts for its success. the qualities of the street grid, its intimate scale and general character. It is excellent; there is no better word. Sometimes The Urban Development Department seems to be well led by when we are tasked to restore a place to its former glory, I think Laura Clarke, of long experience and excellent interpersonal to myself, “What former glory? The urbanism was not any good skill. In terms of plan review and permitting, the processing policies in the first place.” Mobile has a great urbanism to build upon. appear to be sound. All the officials that participate in the permitting process should understand the urgency of need to fully revitalize Then, what is equally important—the people. In the political the downtown, and should understand themselves as partners realm--without which it is difficult to accomplish urbanism— in the risks and efforts associated with this goal. Mobile’s built Mobile has two mayors, the present, Sam Jones, and the prior, environment requires a light, discerning and sophisticated hand Mike Dow, who are mutually supportive and in agreement (“keeping it easy”) as the City brings the downtown fully back into regarding the importance of downtown. They, together with service. A building that is occupied and maintained is safer than one William Carroll, the long-term local Councilperson, committed that is empty and neglected, and the administration of the building during the charrette to push this downtown strategy forward. code should do everything possible to facilitate bringing currently vacant buildings and property back into use. Zoning and building This commitment is in spite of the usual political difficulty: as is the codes enforced mindlessly make it too difficult to get things built usual, the downtown has fewer voters than any of the surrounding in an economic environment where the potential profits are too residential areas--many of which could use the available funding slim. Failure to repair, to rehabilitate and to infill the downtown will just as much. These elected officials understand that the downtown perpetuate this economic weakness. An administration that does of Mobile belongs to all the neighborhoods and that its success not partner in the risks in order to overcome inertia is not protecting is identified with the city as a whole. It is therefore deserving of the greater public welfare. care beyond that of the other neighborhoods, as it brands and contributes to all of them. A downtown has a huge multiplier effect Then there are the merchants—who are the most important on the reputation of a city. catalysts. Some of the restaurateurs in particular are terrific. 5 Others could use some nudging advice and yet others require a The aging baby boomers face three great challenges: loss shove—all under the guidance of the Downtown Alliance. of mobility as driving becomes too difficult; social isolation as children leave the home and spouses pass away; and the Most hopeful are the many young people that we met in the bars difficulty and expense of obtaining support in a low-density and music venues, but as is typical did not show up to participate suburbia ostensibly designed around the needs associated with in the charrette meetings. We have not given up on them. The raising children. For addressing these challenges, the walkable equally young people of our charrette team are challenged to and convivial downtown of Mobile provides an effective antidote. make the connection. It is they—the twenty to thirty-year olds As their single-family suburban houses become unmanageable who will be forty and fifty when this plan works in all of the ways and isolating for aging empty nesters, the downtown is an that we project. Urbanism is a long-term endeavor and we must alternative to expensive and segregated retirement communities. work with the young, as the outcome will be theirs to thrive with. The social opportunities and neighborhood supports can be found close by, and can be accessed safely by walking long If some of the recommendations seem oddly ambitious, or after driving becomes too difficult or dangerous. The walkable perhaps not ambitious enough, it is because we are projecting environment of downtown Mobile is so gentle in scale that it is a future that will not be like the present. The 21st century is perfect for aging in place—especially if the traffic is calmed as already fraught with crises that may be permanent. And it is recommended in this report. precisely because of them that the downtown is important. For the mixed-use, walkable urbanism is the principal instrument to Downtown is also particularly attractive to the young who, mitigate the effects of these crises. They are: climate change; it is already known, are much less interested in cars than the huge population of aging baby boomers, which needs the prior generations. When the downtown of Mobile is walkable neighborhoods like no other; the disappearance of working as planned it will prove to be an exceptional asset cheap energy; and the general relative impoverishment of the for the recruitment of young talent. The urban experience United States and, indeed, the West. Each of these requires is attracting many young, well-educated people to Austin, further explanation. Miami, New Orleans, Portland, Seattle, and indeed any city that has a decent downtown. To be competitive in the future If climate change is to occur, it will not manifest itself just in the it will not be enough to have the jobs, it will also require a rising tides from which FEMA standards are intended to protect thriving downtown to attract the talented workforce that us. It can be mitigated primarily by lowering the carbon impact attracts the corporations that create the jobs. most of which emanates from our driving. Mobile’s future walkable, bicycle-able, transit-ready downtown can minimize per capita As far as the energy crisis, it must be emphasized that we will atmospheric pollution—as well as help in recruiting new businesses. not run out of energy. There will be solar, wind, tidal, biofuels, Corporations and their employees will look for locations with good and gas available — but energy will never again be inexpensive. downtowns—and Mobile must be a contender. Unfortunately, the suburban sprawl was built on the premise 6 of cheap fuel. So a return to the walkable downtowns and our charrette—and which brought out a most impressive array of neighborhoods will become inevitable, for all but the very wealthy. cultured people, who were then able to walk to art galleries and enjoy the restaurants and after-show urban experience.