Developers and planners working on plans for Midtown are coming up against the city's own car-friendly regulations as they envision a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly urban village in the center of Houston.
"The vision promised on the Midtown Web site â€" 'a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in the heart of Houston' â€" has been achieved in parts of Midtown, but some developers remain skeptical of these concepts. And city development rules forbid certain features of walkable urban design.
For example, the requirement for building setbacks of 25 feet outside of downtown gives pedestrians little to see except parking lots."
"The existing rules are frustrating to Ian Rosenberg, a planner and developer who is turning a vacant, 80-year-old Midtown building into a European wine bar and cafe.
Rosenberg said city officials told him he would have to provide more off-street parking than he could create even if he tore down the building, which once housed a dry cleaner. Placing an awning over a sidewalk to provide shade for pedestrians would require a variance, he said."
FULL STORY: Existing development rules clouding vision of pedestrian-friendly Midtown
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
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City of Grandview
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Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions