The Parkside District
What’s here?
The Parkside District is located in Downtown
Birmingham, Ala. just south of the railroad tracks that run east-west through the city and east of Highway 280, which connects Birmingham to many other southern cities. The District is anchored by the award-winning Railroad Park, Regions Baseball Field, UAB and Childrenʼs Hospital.
Who’s here?
Future Land Use Plan
age
22
sex
race
Locus Map
Female: 54% Male: 46% Parks and Recreation Light Industrial
Mixed-Use Medium
Institutional
Open Space
income
Parcel Ownership
$$$$ *$18,000
average family size
* Private
Adjacent Ownership
UAB
average non-family size
Childrenʼs Hospital
City of Birmingham 2
Parcel Condition
1
home ownership
Owned: 11.1% Rented: 88.9%
education
Boundaries Design and use are beneficial to district Not contributing
Contributes in either design/condition or use
Employment Density High School or Less Masterʼs Degree
Bachelorʼs Degree or Less Doctorate or Professional Degree
occupation
Educational Services
Retail Trade
Healthcare and Social Assistance
Create a place where people and businesses want to locate. Provide a unique blend of uses and activities fun - active - vital - special - real - useful - indigenous - celebratory - sustainable
Promote sociability
diverse - stewardship - cooperative - neighborly - pride - friendly - interactive - welcoming
Big Ideas
Pedestrian Bridge
*
Urban Grocery Store
Since its opening in 2013, the Whole Foods in Detroit has seen remarkable success.
*
*
Alabama Power Company Infill Project The vacant property can be transformed into retail shops and studios for local artists, much like Marathon Village in Nashville.
*
UAB Greenway Mixed-Income Housing
District Hotel
These developments allow teachers, police officers, firefighters and other municipal workers to live in areas where they work.
An additional hotel in the district would provide over-night options for Childrenʼs Hospital patients and other visitors.
Phase One Retail Development Zone
Highest Density Office and Institutional Zone
New projects should infill around the parks to provide amenities.
Goal 1:
Implement community-scale and street-scale urban design and land use policies to promote physical activity and generate new interest in commercial properties. Promote a comfortable and clean image safe - clean - “green” - walkable - sitable - spiritual - charming - attractive - historic
Highlight the public benefits of walkability.
Turn one-way streets into two-way streets.
Circulation Network
3rd Ave. S.
* * * * * *
4th Ave. S. Two-way streets create a more comfortable pedestrian environment and have been shown to increase property values.
Case Study
King Street, Charleston, SC
Driveway
No existing sidewalk
* * * *
Parking Lot or Deck
1st Avenue South at Railroad Park
converted to one-way in 1954 negatively affected the streetʼs intended purpose reconverted in 1994 positively impacted area
prevents health issues such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and bone loss improves mood and mental performance builds a sense of independence and develops a life-long habit of walking in children seniors have greater mobility and independence residents have a greater level of pride and sense of ownership and place people interact with other neighbors forming a sense of connection and support
16th Street South at 2nd Avenue South Existing
Existing
3rd Alley South Existing
ARQ 7754
4.5ʼ
9.5ʼ
24ʼ
9ʼ
10.5ʼ
8.5ʼ
24ʼ
Empty Space
Parking Lane
Drive Lane
Center Turn Lane
Drive Lane
Parking Lane
Sidewalk (Railroad Park)
9ʼ
12ʼ
8ʼ
9ʼ
9ʼ
9ʼ
9ʼ
11ʼ
8ʼ
8ʼ
8ʼ
4ʼ
19ʼ
7ʼ
Sidewalk
Planting Strip
Parking Lane
Drive Lane
Drive Lane
Turn Lane
Drive Lane
Drive Lane
Parking Lane
Planting Strip
Sidewalk
Planting Strip
Driving Lane
Planting Strip
80ʼ
100ʼ
30ʼ
Proposed
Proposed
Proposed
12ʼ
5ʼ
8ʼ
11ʼ
9ʼ
11ʼ
8ʼ
5ʼ
11ʼ
Sidewalk
Bike Lane
Parking Lane
Drive Lane
Turn Lane or Median
Drive Lane
Parking Lane
Bike Lane
Sidewalk
80ʼ
15ʼ
5ʼ
8ʼ
11ʼ
9ʼ
11ʼ
12ʼ
5ʼ
9ʼ
15ʼ
5ʼ
10ʼ
10ʼ
5ʼ
Sidewalk
Bike Lane
Parking Lane
Drive Lane
Turn Lane or Median
Drive Lane
Transit Lane
Bike Lane
Transit Shelter
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
Drive Lane
Drive Lane
Sidewalk
100ʼ
30ʼ
Goal 2:
Goal 3:
Reduce crime and the perception of crime in the Parkside District.
Plan for a variety of housing types, including affordable and workforce housing.
Total Crime Index Birmingham ranks among the top five cities for forcible rape and property crimes.
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Parkside and the six block groups surrounding it have an average crime index of 400.
Senior Styles
Rape Index
Family Portrait
Metropolis
Scholars and Patriots
* Parkside
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*
Making it Work provide incentives for mixed-income housing including low-interest financing tools, cash subsidies and grants, free or low-cost land, density bonuses, tax abatement programs, rehabilitation assistance, fast-tracking of plan review and permits, and reduced or waived fees
New Development This parcel is privately owned and only contributes to the district due to the use. The total area of the parcel is 120,000 square feet, making it similar in size to the existing University House development.
Solo Acts
* * * *
Case Study Columbia Parc, New Orleans
0 - 140
141 - 280
281 - 420
0 - 175
421 - 600
526 - 700
More than 600
Partner with the City Action Partnership
* *
non-profit organization enabled by state legislation and city ordinance
* * *
crime has plummeted 64 percent in Downtown since CAP was created
351 - 525
More than 700
* * * Benefits of Mixed-Income Housing
provide multiple floor plan options in order to attract a diverse tenant group set aside at least 35 percent of units for low-income and workforce housing
Case Study Testing the Broken Window Theory in the Netherlands
provides street security patrol, vehicle escorts, directions, graffiti removal, supplemental cleanup, stranded motorist assistance, panhandling facts
CAP serves the Parkside District only during baseball games and only until midnight additional coverage is recommended to properly serve the area
Goal 4:
176 - 350
*
police encouraged residents to draw up a list of things they wanted to see improved
*
were most important issues: street cleaning, dog mess, reducing traffic speeds
*
crime rate dropped dramatically over a two-year period including: drug crime (30%), burglary (22%), vandalism (33%), traffic offenses (19%), theft (11%), violence (8%)
green space for building should resident and line the street public use access to parking through alleyway no set parking requirements
provide tax incentives for the developer
and Columbia Residential
* while Columbia Parc is a larger-scale, * master-planned community, the vision can crime has plummeted in the area
be applied to the Parkside District
$
A+
* the Housing Authority of New Orleans * partnered with Bayou District Foundation
more than 700 mixed-income housing units
Economics
Diversity
Effective mixed-income housing contributes to the long-term sustainability of affordable housing.
Mixed-income housing generates interactions between people who would not normally interact.
Education The performance and life opportunities of low-income students improves significantly when surrounded by middle class classmates.
Link the Parkside District to other parts of the city through transit options. Maximize access and linkages to the area
continuity - proximity - connected - reachable - walkable - convenient - accessible
Accessibility
Transportation Routes
To Memphis, Nashville
Set up a downtown bike share program
To Nashville, Louisville
I-65
* *
US 280
*
To Mobile, Montgomery
To Columbus, Atlanta
DART Transit Existing Route
UAB Transit (not public) Proposed Addition
* Trail System
*
Existing Stop
Proposed Stop
How do Parkside residents get to work?
53%
7%
0%
0%
Drove Alone
Carpooled
Public Transportation
Bicycle
Existing Route
*
Existing Stop
Proposed Addition
*
Proposed Stop
The Central Spine of the Jones Valley Trail, part of the Red Rock Ridge system, provides connectivity to more than 30 schools and incorporates greenways and street-based trails for BirminghamĘźs urban residents. Jones Valley Trail
* *
*
provides indirect marketing and branding service for the District highly visible stations broadcast a continual message to casual observers that the area is a place for recreation and entertainment highly flexible in terms of implementation and management practices
Establish an Identity for Parkside
new, exciting districts provide residents with a reason to check out whatĘźs going on in the center of their community helps to turn around the perception and reality of downtowns that are not vibrant
Case Study
Power and Light District, Kansas City
* * * *
dining, entertainment and shopping district nine-block area sponsored by companies like Coors Light, Hilton and Miller Lite hosts a variety of events from family days to concerts