In 2009, the city took another step toward walkability, adopting the Transit Corridor Ordinance to stimulate more built density and walkability along public transit corridors. Developers who reuse a historic building, thus maintaining the character of a historic neighborhood, can also qualify for a 40 percent reduction in parking requirements. For example, if developers provide more bicycle parking than is required, they can then build up to 10 percent fewer parking spaces.Īnd the shared parking ordinance allows parking spaces to be shared by different uses at different times of day, in theory encouraging mixed-used development, a hallmark of walkable neighborhoods. The code does include several small incentives for developers to create more walkable spaces. Generally, these requirements have created what many would argue is a suburban landscape with large building setbacks and an excess of parking, ideal for strip mall and big box development, but not the urban placemaking of a vibrant city. Without official use zoning, two major elements in the city's code have shaped the urban environment of Houston since the 1980s – setback requirements based on city-designated street type and use ( Chapter 42) and parking requirements based on use ( Chapter 26). At the same time, private developers are integrating walkability into the built landscape with the few tools already at their disposal. Reacting to this desire for an urban lifestyle, the City of Houston is working to further incentivize walkability within the city code. Manhattan and San Francisco are walkable, but so is a thriving small town Main Street, activated by lively street fronts and safe sidewalks, easily accessible from residential neighborhoods. Walkability is an increasingly sought-after characteristic as people choose where to live and work, regardless of density. ![]() 1 of3 A pedestrian walks along Yale Street in the Heights.Ĭody Duty/Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of3 Plan Downtown calls for the development of a five-mile Green Loop, which would lead to more pedestrian-friendly spaces.Ĭourtesy of the Houston Downtown Management District Show More Show Less 3 of3Ī rendering of East Village, which is trying to create more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly spaces in East Downtown.Ī city like Houston – sprawling, less dense, and largely suburban – can feel urban when it provides an urban lifestyle, primarily through what is often termed "walkability." While difficult to put into a single definition, walkability generally means safe and pleasant pedestrian access to a range of uses and amenities either by foot or transit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |