Promoting Pedestrian-Friendly Design in Downtown Redevelopment

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Creator
  • Hervey, Philip
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of City and Regional Planning
Abstract
  • This article examines how cities regulate downtown urban design and the effect of these approaches in shaping the built environment. The lack of urban design controls for building placement, elevation and other features can open the door for new development to be designed to accommodate the automobile at the expense of pedestrians. Downtown Greensboro, NC, a city that allows wide latitude in downtown design, has witnessed the development of downtown projects that diverge significantly from a pedestrian-oriented typology, resulting in downtown blocks that seem more appropriate for the suburbs than a dense, "walkable" downtown. The article looks at several cities to demonstrate how design standards and guidelines have raised the bar for downtown development - affecting the design of not only buildings but also streetscape improvements and public spaces. The article surveys downtown design standards in Denver, Austin, Durham, and Chapel Hill, and compares recent downtown projects in Greensboro with the goals of these standards. The author finds that development regulations in downtown Greensboro are too open-ended to ensure the built environment of the future puts "pedestrians first." New public buildings have not enhanced the pedestrian experience in downtown Greensboro to date.
Date of publication
DOI
Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Journal title
  • Carolina Planning Journal
Journal volume
  • 28
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 3
Page end
  • 20
Language
  • English
Digital collection
  • Carolina Planning Journal

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