Planning 2011-12-15 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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Southcenter Plan Book 1: Community Intent Create a memorable built environment. The buildings, blocks and streets of an area are interdependent and contribute to an overall pattern of unique and related places. Each one contains in part the ingredients of all the others. Buildings of a particular quality can define the block that contains them and the street that surrounds them. Design is the matrix that helps either to create or destroy the quality and character of a place. Buildings are the smallest increment of growth. A variety of architectural types, and their relationship to each other, largely determines the character of a place as they define the streets and open spaces they face. Make great public spaces. Urban areas can be much more than a place to eat, work and spend. Part of what makes a place more valuable and beloved are the public spaces. Well designed public spaces enhance community identity and foster civic pride. Public spaces are the visual punctuations along the greater public realm of streets that give identity to the various districts in the area. This will contribute to a unique character, and distinguish it from other regional centers and commercial areas. Live near transit and where you work, shop play. Adding more residential density in an urban center is a way to support goods and services and a means to enhance a sense of community. The opportunity to live above stores and businesses and in close proximity to transit access points encourages residents, shoppers and employees to drive their cars less and increases their ability to take advantage of the proximity of uses, services, transportation options, parks and public places provided in such an environment. This increases an area's appeal while providing for a 24/7 rhythm of uses. Get the mix of uses right. A compact mix of transit supportive land uses such as offices and housing within walking distance of transit will help generate ridership, reduce the need for parking, and help reduce the number of automobile trips. Get the retail right. Retailers are encouraged to facilitate pedestrian storefront shopping. A successful pedestrian oriented retail core is typically located around a more urban pattern of streets accommodating cars and on- street parking. Off street parking is ideally located in a combination of shared and park -once lots and structures with buildings to the back of sidewalks. Get the parking right. The compactness, mixed use nature and walkability of an urban area entices customers to park just once and complete tasks on foot. This reduces the average trips and parking in a traditional setting by half over strip retail. The transformation of drivers into walkers is the immediate generator of pedestrian life: crowds of people that animate public life in the streets and generate the patrons of street friendly retail businesses. It is this scene that provides energy and attraction to sustain a thriving environment. W: \Long Range Projects \Southcenter Plan \Plan 2011 \Book 1 \FINAL Book 1_12.7.2011_PC.dou Page 2 12/7/2011 !•J