Post on 30-May-2018
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more choices, great places
more choices, great placesLivablLivableeCenters
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A concentrated mix ofuses and a traditional
street grid system, suchas downtown areas.
H i g h - D e n s i t yHigh-DensityA r e a sAreas
A New Growth Strategy
By 2035, the eight-county Houston-
Galveston region is expected to grow
by an additional 3.5 million people.Accommodating this growth will
overburden the regions transportation
network unless we identify ways to
reduce vehicle trips.
H-GACs 2035 Regional Transportation
Plan lays out a new strategy to address
this growth - Livable Centers. These
places are safe, convenient, and attractiveareas where people can live, work, and
play with less reliance on their cars.
This guide is a resource to help local
governments understand and implement
the essential components of Livable
Centers.
Areas of concentratedemployment and othermajor trip generators.
Regional CentersRegional CentersA high-density blend of useswithin walking distance of,and with good access to, a
transit facility.
Transit-OrientedTransit-OrientedDevelopmentDevelopment
Compact and Mixed Use.
Designed to be Walkable.
Connected and Accessible.
K ey F ea tur es :Key Features:
Credits: Westchase District (cover, pg. 3 artistrendering), Uptown Houston District (pg. 2
skyline), Rice University (pg. 3 bicycle rider)
InIntrtroduc
d
uc
ttionWhat is a
Livable Center?
Elements of Livable Centers may be found, or be appropriate, in the following areas:
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Ben
efit
s
Unique destinations, such asuniversities or sporting facilities,that place special demands upon
the transportation system.
A combination of housing, retail,office, and civic destinationswithin walking distance of acommunity gathering place.
Town CentersTown CentersCorridors that increase
multi-modal accessibility andconnectivity to major centers
or transit facilities.
S m a r t S tr e e t sSmart Streetspe cial Trip G eneratorsSpecial Trip Generators
Community
Livable Centers are comfortable,appealing places for people to interact.They feature open spaces, such asparks, plazas, and marketplaces thataccommodate public gatherings andfoster a sense of community.
Mobility
Livable Centers make walking,bicycling, and transit more convenientby concentrating many destinations.Fewer local trips help to reduce
congestion on major thoroughfares.
Environment
Livable Centers help preserve the
environment by requiring less landfor surface parking than scatteredstrip development. This reduces theamount of impervious surface in theregions watersheds. By reducingthe need to make vehicle trips LivableCenters also help to improve airquality.
Economic Development
Livable Centers create a unique,
identifiable destination, bolstering
civic pride and acting as a catalyst for
investment and development. Public
investments can help to leverage
private investment.
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Livable Centers should:
Encourage mixed but complementaryuses (e.g. retail and office on bottomfloors, residential on upper floors).
Promote physical integration ofdevelopment, either vertically (i.e.
uses are layered on top of oneanother) or horizontally (i.e. mixof uses in close proximity to oneanother).
Achieve appropriate levels of density,depending on the size and contextof the Livable Center. Checkout H-GACs website to use the
interactive density tool.www.h-gac.com/livablecenters
Allow people to move between
destinations without having to usevehicles.
Provide multi-modal transportationoptions, including walking, biking, and
mass transit.
Provide adequate parking inconvenient locations without creatingan oversupply.
Promote activity at different times ofthe day and week, creating balancedtransit ridership and allowing for
shared parking.
Livable Centers concentrate housing, employment, shopping, and entertainment in areaswith good pedestrian networks that are easily served by transit. Clustering many differentland uses in a compact area gives people the opportunity to accomplish various activitieswithout using a car.
Livable Centers also function as one-stop destinations for drivers. Careful design andplanning of parking structures or lots can minimize their impact on the visual and pedestrianenvironments while maximizing their convenience and accessibility. Parking policy optionsinclude utilizing:
On-street parkingthat counts towardparking requirements.
Maximum rather than minimum parking requirements.
Parking structures with street-level retail and services.
Shared parking, especially in mixed-usedevelopments.
1.2.
3.
4.Gudn
Gu
idelines
Com pact & M ixed UseCompact & Mixed UseChecklist for Policies & Standards
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Gudnlinees
Checklist for Policies & Standards
Livable Centers should:
Promote appropriate street widths(24-36 feet) that help to slow downtraffic and encourage pedestrian
activity.
Meet minimum sidewalk standards,
allowing for streetscape amenitiessuch as benches, shade trees, and/orpedestrian lighting that illuminates the
sidewalk versus the street.
Remove vehicle parking as an elementthat separates pedestrians frombuildings by emphasizing rear parkingareas, parking garages, and curbparking.
Have primary streets with lanes forvehicle circulation, but also withdedicated spaces and clear paths fortransit vehicles, cyclists, and individualscrossing such streets on foot.
Minimize building setbacks, with
buildings placed near the streetand with main entrances facing the
sidewalk.
Limit blank walls at the pedestrian
level, through building design andarticulation standards, to maintain
activity along the street.
Provide public spaces that are visible,safe, comfortable, interesting, and
accessible to all.
Livable Centers provide safe, convenient, and engaging experiences forpedestrians. A quality pedestrian environment has appropriately orientedand scaled buildings, good separation of persons on foot from vehiclecirculation and parking, design elements that create a sense of identity,and places to interact with others such as plazas and parks.
Pedestrian ZoneMinimum 5 Feet
Clear and unobstructedfor pedestrianmovement.
Curb Zone5 to 10 Feet
Includes utilities, streettrees, furnishings,
lighting, and benches.
Building Zone0 to 5 Feet
Includes building amenitiessuch as outdoor dining,merchandise display, or
awnings.
Designed to be Walkable
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Road networks that are
connected and accessiblefor all users may contain thefollowing elements:
Bicycle Lanes
Provide a safe andcomfortable space for
bicyclists to ride, reducingconflict between vehicles
and bicyclists.
Street Trees
Provide shade, visualenhancement, and alsotend to reduce vehicle
speeds by creating asense of enclosure.
Mass Transit
Reduces the need forparking and directly
connects one LivableCenter with another.
Gudn
Gu
idel
ines
Livable Centers make it easy to reach multiple destinations within the Center and insurrounding developments by foot, bicycle, car, or transit. A well-designed streetand sidewalk network provides good connectivity and increases safety for all users.
Livable Centers should:
Make circulation of private
automobiles secondary to other
travel modes once within the
Center.
Establish pedestrian-friendly speedlimits, generally 20 m.p.h. or less.
Contain short blocks of 300-400
feet or mid-block street crossings
and pathways between buildings
on longer blocks.
Accommodate bicycle traffic withclearly delineated, barrier-free
bicycle lanes.
Minimize dead-end streets and
promote direct pedestrian access
with extensive sidewalks and trails.
Use access management
techniques (e.g. medians,
consolidated driveways) to
increase safety and make the
street more accessible for multiple
transportation modes.
Offer rear access for service trucks
in alleyways, removing blockages
from the street.
A traditional streetgrid providesmultiple, direct
routes, reducingcongestion andencouragingpedestrian access.
An indirect ordisjointed streetnetwork relies on
a few streets toaccommodate traffic,limiting pedestrianaccess and increasingresponse time for
emergency vehicles.
Poor ConnectivityGood Connectivity
Connected & AccessibleChecklist for Policies & Standards
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AcoS
Act
ionSte
ps
Implementation StrategiesUnderstanding the essential components
and benefits of Livable Centers is the
first step in making these special places
a reality. Additional measures will help
ensure their successful implementation.
Action Steps
Review existing plans and ordinances
(e.g. zoning and development
standards, street and parking criteria,subdivision regulations) to ensure
that the design elements of Livable
Centers are not discouraged or
prohibited by current requirements.
Establish design guidelines or
ordinances appropriate for Livable
Centers, including financial and
development incentives.
Coordinate infrastructure,
streetscape, and transit service
improvements by bringing all
stakeholders together such as
engineers, emergency personnel,
transportation and transit officials,
developers, and local officials and
residents.
Visit the H-GAC website for
additional information about
elements of Livable Centers and
H-GACs Livable Centers Program.
www.h-gac.com/livablecenters
Tax Increment
Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ)
Compact and
Mixed Use
Designed to be
Walkable
Connected and
Accessible
Physical StructuresCivic StructuresPublic Spaces / PlazasPublic and Private
Developments
Outdoor FurnitureSidewalksLightingLandscaping
Wayfi
nding Signage
Parking FacilitiesTransit AccommodationsStreet ImprovementsAccess Management
Improvements
Public / Private Partnerships
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Funding
Land Acquisition
380/381 EconomicDevelopment Agreements
Developer Incentives /Regulatory Relief
H-GAC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Funding
Management Districts
Public Improvement Districts
Transit Pilot Projects
Tools
Elements
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Centers
Contact Information:
www.h-gac.com/livablecenters
(713) 627-3200
Information:
om/livablecenters
627-3200