Site Design
S6
Support and contribute to a
vibrant public realm
INTENT
The public realm should be considered at the site planning level. Some projects will be fully private, but experienced from people passing by. Residential development will have a relationship to passers-by and visitors as well as the residents. Retail buildings and civic buildings have important relationships to the public realm, where dedicated space may be warranted. For all of these project types, the visual and physical relationship to the public realm begins at the site planning level for the most appropriate and beneficial interaction with the community.
Guidelines
a. Arrange site elements to define a clear ‘public front’ facing toward the primary street.
b. Minimize vehicular presence in the public realm, with driveways and garages de-emphasized in terms of location, width and design.
c. Consider the hierarchy of uses in site design, with important uses or features emphasized.
d. Incorporate natural systems into public spaces in the site where possible and appropriate.
e. Give prominence to pedestrian entrances over vehicle access.
f. Reinforce defined and active street edges and design public facing frontages to interact directly with the public realm as appropriate.
