Development Guide

UH applies to densely built urban areas, including regional attractors with major employment concentrations, high density residential living, and related commercial and service uses. UH areas have the highest mixture and intensity of land uses and development activity outside of the Downtown core.

The development intensity of UH supports various types of mass transit, from bus to rail, and is an ideal setting for large and small office buildings due to close proximity to other businesses and transportation networks.

Density Range

DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

1.0  Site Design, Building Form, and Location

  1.1  Site Design

• Avoid developing within 100 year floodplains or floodways.
• Maintain historical lot and block sizes where possible and appropriate.
• Provide parking in structured garages, decks, or parking lots set to the side or rear of a property.
• Incorporate commercial uses at street level to maintain an active, pedestrian friendly streetscape.
• Utilize Best Management Practices (BMP) for stormwater.
• Design buildings to include facades, storefront windows, and attractive signage and lighting to create pedestrian-scale visual interest.

  1.2  Location

• Locate higher intensity developments adjacent to major public amenities (parks, waterways, etc.).

1.3  Building Form

• Avoid unbroken stretches of blank walls.

2.0  Automobile and Pedestrian Connectivity

  2.1  Automobile Connectivity

• Maintain and enhance the connectivity of the street network.
• Avoid dead-end streets.
• Protect and reconnect the traditional street grid.
• Keep alleys open and functional.
• Limit curb cuts on arterial streets and concentrate access at shared entrance points.

  2.2  Pedestrian Connectivity

• Provide sidewalk connections between all uses.
• Preserve and expand the pedestrian and bicycle networks.
• For large-scale, block sized developments, provide public connectivity via alley or internal sidewalks and streets.
• Discourage widening of neighborhood streets and increasing curb radii.