Livable Centers

8/14/2019 Livable Centers

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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.

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3.

4.Gudn

Gu

idelines

Com pact & M ixed UseCompact & Mixed UseChecklist for Policies & Standards


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Gudnlinees

Checklist for Policies & Standards


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.


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

Livable Centers

Documents

Transcript of Livable Centers