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Introduction
Centers and Corridors is a newly adopted concept
that is a key driving force behind the City’s Comprehensive Plan. While
cities must plan to accommodate growth for the next 20-years, it is up
to the cities to determine how they will accommodate growth. The City of
Spokane adopted the mixed-use centers & corridors concept that stresses
the importance of mixed use development in targeted areas that bring
employment, shopping, and residential activities into shared locations.
The centers & corridors are typically designated in places of historic
business development that have fallen out of the limelight. The purpose
behind the Comprehensive Plan is to re-focus public investment in these
areas thereby spurring private investment through new development and
revitalization. The results – dynamic, vibrant, and healthy urban
centers.
The City of Spokane is comprised of 20 Centers &
Corridors and 27 Neighborhood Councils. Nearly all residents in every
neighborhood have access to one of these Center & Corridor Designations,
to the Downtown (a regional center), or to historic “mini-centers”.
Based on the potential to positively affect residents and businesses a
heavy emphasis was placed on implementation of Centers & Corridors
first, planning for neighborhood wide issues was placed on a back
burner.
Types of Centers
Neighborhood Center
Neighborhood centers
designated on the Land Use Plan map have a greater intensity of
development than the surrounding residential areas. Businesses primarily
cater to neighborhood residents, such as convenience businesses and
services. Drive-through facilities, including gas stations and similar
auto-oriented uses tend to provide services to people living outside the
surrounding neighborhood and should be allowed only along principal
arterials and be subject to size limitations and design guidelines. Uses
such as a day care center, a church, or a school may also be found in
the neighborhood center.
Businesses in the
neighborhood center are provided support by including housing over
ground floor retail and office uses. The most dense housing should be
focused in and around the neighborhood center. Density is high enough to
enable frequent transit service to a neighborhood center and to sustain
neighborhood businesses. Housing density should decrease as the distance
from the neighborhood center increases. Urban design guidelines of the
Comprehensive Plan or a neighborhood plan are used to guide
architectural and site design to promote compatible, mixed land uses,
and to promote land use compatibility with adjoining neighborhoods.
Buildings in the
neighborhood center are oriented to the street. This encourages walking
by providing easy pedestrian connections, by bringing activities and
visually interesting features closer to the street, and by providing
safety through watchful eyes and activity day and night.
Parking lots should not
dominate the frontage of these pedestrian-oriented streets, interrupt
pedestrian routes, or negatively impact surrounding neighborhoods.
Parking lots should be located behind or on the side of buildings as a
rule.
To promote social
interaction and provide a focal point for the center, a central
gathering place, such as a civic green, square, or park, should be
provided. To identify the center as the major activity area of the
neighborhood, it is important to encourage buildings in the core area of
the neighborhood center to be taller. Buildings up to three stories are
encouraged in this area.
Attention is given to
the design of the circulation system so pedestrian access between
residential areas and the neighborhood center is provided. To be
successful, centers need to be integrated with transit. Transit stops
should be conveniently located near commercial and higher density
residential uses, where transit service is most viable.
The size and
composition of neighborhood centers, including recreation areas, vary by
neighborhood, depending upon location, access, neighborhood character,
local desires, and market opportunities. Neighborhood centers should be
separated by at least one mile (street distance) or as necessary to
provide economic viability. As a general rule, the amount of commercial
space and percent devoted to office and retail should be proportional to
the number of housing units in the neighborhood. The size of individual
commercial business buildings should be limited to assure that the
business is truly neighborhood serving. The size of the neighborhood
center, including the higher density housing surrounding the center,
should be approximately 15 to 25 square blocks. The density of housing
should be about 32 units per acre in the core of the neighborhood center
and may be up to 22 units per acre at the perimeter.
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District Center
District centers are
designated on the land use plan map. They are similar to neighborhood
centers, but the density of housing is greater (up to 44 dwelling units
per acre in the core area of the center) and the size and scale of
schools, parks, and shopping facilities are larger because they serve a
larger portion of the city. As a general rule, the size of the district
center, including the higher density housing surrounding the center,
should be approximately 30 to 50 square blocks.
As with a neighborhood
center, buildings are oriented to the street and parking lots are
located behind or on the side of buildings whenever possible. A central
gathering place, such as a civic green, square, or park is provided. To
identify the district center as a major activity area, it is important
to encourage buildings in the core area of the district center to be
taller. Buildings up to five stories are encouraged in this area
The circulation system
is designed so pedestrian access between residential areas and the
district center is provided. Frequent transit service, walkways, and
bicycle paths link district centers and the downtown area.
Employment Center
Employment centers have
the same mix of uses and general character features as neighborhood and
district centers but also have a strong employment component. The
employment component is expected to be largely non-service related jobs
incorporated into the center or on land immediately adjacent to the
center.
Employment centers vary
in size from 30 to 50 square blocks plus associated employment areas.
The residential density
in the core area of the employment center may be up to 44 dwelling units
per acre. Surrounding the center are medium density transition areas at
up to 22 dwelling units per acre.
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Corridors
Corridors are areas of
mixed land use that extend no more than two blocks in either direction
from the center of a transportation corridor.
Within a corridor,
there is a greater intensity of development in comparison to the
surrounding residential areas. Housing at a density up to 44 units per
acre and employment densities are adequate to support frequent transit
service. The density of housing transitions to a lower level (up to 22
units per acre) at the outer edge of the corridor. A variety of housing
styles, apartments, condominiums, rowhouses, and houses on smaller lots
are allowed. A full range of retail services, including grocery stores
serving several neighborhoods, theaters, restaurants, dry-cleaners,
hardware stores, and specialty shops are also allowed.
Low intensity,
auto-dependent uses (e.g., lumber yards, automobile dealers, and
nurseries) are prohibited.
Corridors provide
enhanced connections to other centers, corridors, and downtown Spokane.
To accomplish this, it is important to make available safe, attractive
transit stops and pedestrian and bicycle ways. The street environment
for pedestrians is much improved by placing buildings with multiple
stories close to the street with wide sidewalks and street trees,
attractive landscaping, benches, and frequent transit stops. Parking
lots should not dominate the frontage of these pedestrian-oriented
streets, interrupt pedestrian routes, or negatively impact surrounding
neighborhoods. Parking lots should be located behind or on the side of
buildings whenever possible.
Regional Center
Downtown Spokane is the
regional center, containing the highest density and intensity of land
use. It is the primary economic and cultural center of the region.
Emphasis is on providing more housing opportunities and neighborhood
services for downtown residents, in addition to enhancing economic,
cultural, and social opportunities for the city and region.
Pilots
In November 2001 the Plan Commission chose four
Pilot Center & Corridor planning processes to begin implementation of
the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, work also began in the creation of
a Neighborhood Planning Guidebook; the Guidebook would be a basic
neighborhood planning guide for neighborhoods to use when they chose to
engage in planning activities. The four pilots are West Broadway and
South Perry Neighborhood Centers, Holy Family Employment Center, and the
Hillyard Business Corridor.
Product:
Vision Statements and Strategy Plans were
acknowledged by the City Council.
Land Use and Zoning changes were adopted on June
9, 2003.
Marketing Brochure
Streetscapes have been designed and/or built.
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Letter of Intent Neighborhoods
Eleven Letters of Intent (LOI) were submitted to
the Planning Department in the summer of 2003. These planning processes
were backed by five neighborhood planning staff and were intended to
follow the pace of each planning process to its completion. Whether the
process took six months or two years, time, staff, and resources were
available for the duration. Pre-Planning meetings, Neighborhood
Planning Kick Offs, and Planning Direction determinations (as prescribed
in the Neighborhood Planning Guidebook) were completed by the fall of
2004. Budget cuts required all of these processes to be abandoned by
January 2005.
Product:
None
Assessment Reports
All planning processes that were to be cut short
by 2005 were offered the chance to complete a Neighborhood Planning
Assessment exercise and be given a Neighborhood Assessment Report as a
final product. The Assessment Process consisted of between 2 to 3
neighborhood meetings identifying any and all issues real or perceived
in the neighborhood. This information was categorized, analyzed, and
organized into a final product. The Assessment Report was a tool to be
used by the neighborhood to address issues not already identified in the
Comprehensive Plan and help the neighborhood determine the type of plan
or action needed to address the remaining neighborhood issues. Eight
neighborhoods chose this option.
Product:
Assessment Reports were completed in April 2005
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Full Center & Corridor Planning Processes
These planning processes were engaged in planning
activities that resulted in a Vision Statement, Strategy Plan, Land Use
Plan Map Amendments, and Zoning Map Amendments. These processes were
similar to the Pilot processes but were completed on a much shorter
timeline.
Product:
Vision Statement
Strategy Plan
Land Use Plan Map and Zoning Map Amendments
Abbreviated Center & Corridor Planning Processes
These planning processes had a very short
timeline, public participation process, and small planning benefit.
These processes were the results of limited resources (staff, elected
official support, etc)
Product:
Land Use
Plan Map and Zoning Map Amendments |
