COMPLETEcorridors Study: Asheville, North Carolina by Leah Graham Stewart

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For more information about the COMPLETEcorridor Study please contact: Leah Graham Stewart, LEED AP Masters Candidate of Environmental Planning and Design University of Georgia PO Box 5813 Athens, GA 30604 803-427-3834

This project was made possible through collaboration with the City of Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planning and Development Department. This practicum project is part of the requirement to receive a Masters of Environmental Planning and Design from the University of Georgia. Major Professor: John (Jack) Crowley, III Committee: Lara Mathes Jon Calabria Brad Griffin

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project overview The Bigger Picture The Asheville Scene What are COMPLETEcorridors? Initial Study Areas What is Sustainability? Why Study Corridors? Asheville’s Corridors

background Existing Plans and Policies Existing Indexes and Studies

establish boundaries Establish Boundaries Frequent Measures Corridor: Merrimon Avenue Corridor: Haywood Road Corridor: Tunnel Road

the index

1 1 3 3 4 6 6 8

13 13 15

19 19 20 21 24 27

The Index Categories of Connections Gray, Green, Blue and Neighborhood Infrastructure The Icon

the index:

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LOCATION, location, LOCATION

THEgray, ELEMENTone: Utilities THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land THEgray, ELEMENTthree: High Priority Area THEgreen, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land:Wildlife and Biodiversity THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land:Agricultural Land THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Water Quality Impervious Surface and Water

the index: LANDuse Density THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density Mixed-Use THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services THEgray, ELEMENTeight: Access to Schools... THEgray, ELEMENTnine: Mixed-Use. THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space THEgreen, ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production

the index: MULTI-modal Transportation Options THEgray, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit: Bus Stops THEgray, ELEMENTeleven: Access to Transit: Daily Service Trips THEgray, ELEMENTtwelve: Access for Bicycles: Study Area. THEgray, ELEMENTthirteen: Access to Sidewalks: Study Area, Existing Linkage THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen: Access to Sidewalks: Along Corridor

33 33 34 37

39 41 42 45 46 48 50 52

56 58 60 64 66 68 70 73 74 76 78

81 83 86 89 90 92 94

the index: NEIGHBOORHOODpattern, DESIGN, & CHARACTER

THEgray, ELEMENTfifthteen: Intersections 100 THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Average 102 THEgray, ELEMENTseventeen: Access to On-Street Parking 104 THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking 105 Walkability 108 Defined Pedestrian Way 108 THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way 110 Design Speed 118 Road Diet 119 THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade. 120 Greening of the Streets 124 THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone: Established Boundaries 125 THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTtwo: Existence of Art 126 THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTthree: Existence of Gateways/ Wayfinding Signage 128 THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTfour: Past on Display 129

findings Conclusion Location, Location, Location The Road and Beyond The Neighborhood Character Multi- Modal Land Use

132 132 133 134 134 136

appendix A. Existing Plans and Policies Summary City Plan 1925 Smart Growth Land Use Policies 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan Asheville City Development Plan 2050 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan 2009 Downtown Master Plan 2009 Transit Master Plan 2009 Sustainability Management Plan Linking Land and Communities Study

143 144 144 145 146 147 147 148 149

B. Existing Indexes & Studies Summary Walk Score Walkshed LEED for Neighborhood Development Twin Cities CTLUS Initiative Portland’s 20 Minute Neighborhoods

151 153 155 156 157

references

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glossary

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The Bigger Picture As of 2008, more than half of the world’s population lived in towns and cities and this trend is expected to continue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Our Built and Natural Environments warned that “urban form directly affects habitat, ecosystems, endangered species, and water quality through land consumption.” 1 We must understand our impact to the existing natural systems and nurture a relationship between ourselves, the built environment, and the ecosystem that sustains us. This study examines these relationships by examining corridors that connect a city’s neighborhoods. “Between the building and the region, the scale of neighborhoods provides the most accessible and ubiquitous form of urbanization to generate opportunity for collective improvement. It is where people live; it is the environment most widely shared and most likely to be positively influenced by the decisions and actions of everyday people.” 2 Ecosystems are closed systems with fluxes that must be understood in the context of their surroundings. Actions taken on a single parcel of land can have a ripple effect on the end user of the space, the adjacent property owners, the neighbors, community and ultimately the region (Figure 1.1). There are numerous studies devoted to the issue of sustainable neighborhood design, but their focus lies mainly among ‘greenfields.’ However, with projected population growth and the limitation of finite land, these greenfieldfocused sustainable neighborhood design manuals are not adequate solutions. The reality and challenges faced today lie in retrofitting our existing neighborhoods and abandoned developments with existing infrastructure for increased sustainability. The question is how do we transform existing neighborhoods into more sustainable neighborhoods? This develops a system that helps plan for livable neighborhoods by devising streets and corridors that benefit the environment, economic and social fabric of the city by creating an index to measure the

sustainability of commercial corridors in Asheville, North Carolina. The index is intended to illustrate, articulate and guide capital improvements, inform development choices and potentially provide incentives that can encourage the evolution into COMPLETEcorridors for the corridors in the study as well as other corridors similar in character and context. More sustainable corridors that provide the goods and services for the neighborhoods connected by them could reciprocate into more sustainable neighborhoods. FIGURE1.1: Urban Morphology from Parcel to Neighborhood.

Data Source: Adapted from Kellett, Cynthia Girling and Ronald. Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community. Washington DC: Island Press, 2005. Print.

1 Kellett, Cynthia Girling and Ronald. Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community. Washington DC: Island Press, 2005. Print. 2 Ibid.

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The Asheville Scene Asheville, North Carolina is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains and is known for its natural beauty. The City of Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina and the county seat of Buncombe County. Asheville serves as the regional hub for business, health and human services, the arts, shopping, dining and other community amenities for citizens and visitors. The U.S. Census Bureau determined that Asheville’s population in 2010 was 83,318. Asheville is a part of the four-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population of which was estimated by the Census Bureau in 2010 to be 417,012. Several of the largest employers in the area focus on the tourist industry and many people locate to the area because of the renowned natural setting. The economic importance of the natural environment as well other factors such as health, safety and welfare for the City of Asheville and its visitors are a driving force behind the study. This study examines how to make an existing neighborhood more sustainable; provide a safe, convenient place to support everyday needs and access services. However, this will occur in a larger scale than a neighborhood for several reasons. First, neighborhood boundaries can be ambiguous; how a resident identifies his or her neighborhood boundaries can be different from an adjacent property owner’s interpretation, a real estate agent’s interpretation or even a planner’s. Second, if these corridors serving various purposes for varying users can become more sustainable, they may have a ripple effect on the neighborhoods, the city and the region; providing opportunities for change and choices for a more sustainable natural and built environment. Finally, neighborhoods have unique nuances; perhaps so unique and specialized that translating changes from one neighborhood to the next might be difficult. This is not to say that corridors qualify for a one-size-fits-all solution.

This study will examine three major corridors in Asheville, North Carolina. These corridors serve as commercial hubs, thoroughfares, boundaries, and

transportation spines that several neighborhoods in Asheville. Corridors, streets, highways, and parkways connect and serve all types of land uses, constantly shaping the built and natural environment. The design and redesign of this built environment can have a large impact on community form and sustainability. This study is not just about roads, it’s about the context that surrounds them; the corridors’ urban form, alternative transportation options, access to everyday necessities, densities, etc. The goal is to better integrate transportation and land use, minimizing the amount of travel required and encouraging higher levels of self-containment and livability. The primary methodology is the constructed sustainability index and its measure that quantify the livability and connectivity of the selected corridors. The index is intended to document, illustrate, articulate and guide capital improvements, inform development choices and potentially provide incentives that can encourage the evolution of the corridors within the study into COMPLETEcorridors as well as other corridors similar in character and context, so that the community of Asheville receives the ‘greenest’ ‘bang for the buck’ and a more sustainable Asheville for future generations. The study examines existing conditions along three corridors. Based on what is discovered, recommendations will be prepared which may include changes in public policies and development regulations, which are designed to improve, enhance, alter and/or conserve the future quality of these corridors.

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What are COMPLETEcorridors? In this paper the concepts of COMPLETEcorridors is derived from the organization Complete Streets. “Complete Streets promotes the idea that roadways should be designed and operated to enable safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transport users of all ages and abilities are able to safely and comfortably move along and across a complete street.” 3 For this study the term of ‘complete’ is expanded to include the use of corridors; which is defined as a broad geographic areas served by various transportation systems. Examining the corridor’s ‘completeness’ will produce findings that allow for a comparative study about the corridors, but also provide information about the neighborhoods that are connected by them. Complete is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “having all necessary parts, elements or steps.”4 In other words

COMPLETEcorridors that provide essential amenities and services would serve as a catalyst into more ‘complete’ neighborhoods. The ability to access these daily needs and services could influence the choices made at the parcels level which then in turn creates a chain-reaction at the neighborhood level, the city level, the regional level and beyond. Secondly it looks beyond the roads; it also focuses on the context that surrounds them; the corridors’ urban form, alternative transportation options, access to everyday necessities, densities, etc. COMPLETEcorridors integrate transportation and land use, minimizing the amount of travel required and encouraging higher levels of self-containment. Figure 1.2 illustrates the spatial relationship of the commercial business district, corridors and neighborhoods. 3

Complete Streets. Web. Accessed 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.completestreets.org/ Webster’s Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complete, Accessed 15, Dec. 2010.) 4

FIGURE1.2: COMPLETEcorridors Anatomy. Data Source: Created by Author, L. Graham Stewart.

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p r o j e c t Initial Study Areas

Merrimon Avenue, Haywood Road and Tunnel Road radiate from downtown Asheville. These three corridors share a common characteristic, their linkage to Interstate 240 (I-240), which forms a half-circle around the north of the city’s downtown district. In the 2009 Sustainability Management Plan it was recommended that the City “adopt a policy that embraced the Complete Streets philosophy, as roadways that are truly multimodal greatly reduce the consumption of energy and output of emissions. In addition to being an environmentally sustainable choice, Complete Streets roads set the groundwork for urban design patterns that create or reinforce more traditional neighborhoods. Merrimon, Haywood, and Tunnel corridors were identified as logical places to consider. Each has central thoroughfares lined with commercial activity.”5 However, many segments are inaccessible to pedestrians and bicycles. The corridors, or portions of the corridors, are state roads, and are controlled and maintained by North Carolina Department of Transportation. Merrimon Avenue, Haywood Road and Tunnel Road were included in the study based on preliminary practicum meetings with the City of Asheville’s Planning Department on January 15, 2011. Map 1.1 identifies the initial study areas. Merrimon Avenue is shown in magenta, Haywood Road is shown in cyan and Tunnel Road is shown in yellow. These colors will be used through the study to identify that specified corridor.

Asheville, City of. Sustainability Management Plan. (2009). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

o v e r v i e w Merrimon Avenue (North Asheville): The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with I-240, north to the intersection with Dover Road. The parcels that directly have street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored.

Haywood Road (West Asheville): The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with Patton Avenue, south and then east to its crossing of the French Broad River. The parcels that directly have street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored.

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Tunnel Road (East Asheville): The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with I-240 West, east to the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parcels that directly have street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored.

COMPLETEcorridors

M A P 1 . 1 : I n i t i a l

S t u d y

DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE

MAP1.1: Initial Study Areas. Data Source: City of Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GIS data. Created by Author, L. Graham Stewart.

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p r o j e c t What is Sustainability?

The term sustainability has been referenced in the lexicon of Architecture, Ecology, Landscape Architecture, Planning, and design fields for many years. In recent times, it has become a buzz word in contemporary American culture. Its definitions, uses and applications are as varied as the number of people who use it. However, for this study we will use the City of Asheville’s definition found in the 2009 Sustainability Management Plan, which states that being sustainable means: Making decisions that balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.6 It is important to point out that while new construction, redevelopment and other reinvestment in established areas inevitably affects the stability of property values and may raise questions about affordability and gentriﬁcation, the focus of this study will be limited to the “physical environment,” highlighting design, regulatory, land use and environmental issues and opportunities. In addition in this study the term sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable community will be one in the same.

Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

o v e r v i e w Why Study Corridors?

The New York City Department of Transportation’s The New York City Street Design Manual describes the role that streets have played in the America’s urban landscape: Urban streets have always fulfilled multiple functions. Early in the twentieth century, they served not only as transportation routes but as the front yards and public squares of cities. Horse–drawn carriages, people on foot or horseback, and, later, bicycles and streetcars shared the streets with pushcart vendors, outdoor markets, children playing, and neighbors socializing. As vibrant as it was, this diverse set of uses and users of the street created a variety of problems for safety, sanitation, and mobility. Reformers of the day effected changes in street design and zoning, stormwater management, sanitary sewers, and traffic controls to improve safety and sanitation and to promote mobility and economic growth. Over time, street design focused primarily on motor vehicle movement, and the emerging discipline of traffic engineering worked to safely integrate cars and trucks into pre–existing urban forms. While there were clear benefits to accommodating automobile movement through the city, the negative effects became increasingly evident over the last forty years. The focus on autos resulted in unsustainable land development patterns, fewer transportation choices, increased noise, pollution, and greenhouse gases, as well as a decline in social, civic, physical, and economic activity on streets. Engineering, planning and urban design best practices over the last ten years have emphasized a more balanced idea of street design, giving equal weight to transportation, community, and environmental goals. Practitioners (and the public) have learned that investment in high–quality street infrastructure can yield benefits well beyond simple mobility:

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PHOTO1.1: Pack Square, Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Center in 1890. Data Source: Pack Memorial Library.

public health, improved physical environment, and (particularly relevant in lean fiscal times) economic benefits in the potential for increased residential and commercial property values and retail activity. 7

PHOTO1.2: Pack Square, Ashevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Center in 1930. Data Source: Pack Memorial Library.

7 Transportation, The New York City Department of. The New York City Street Design Manual, 2009. Print.

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Asheville’s Corridors Transportation plays the largest role in shaping the built environment. Transportation played a large role in the establishment, preservation, ebb and flow of the City of Asheville’s urban form. Asheville’s urban form is a cross between three archetypes known as a dispersed city, nodal city and corridor city.8 The dispersed city is characterized by outward expansion at relatively low densities, random infill and remaining dominated by a central city as the key economic node. In the nodal city and corridor city archetype can be characterized in Asheville by its primary nuclei; the Downtown District (CBD-Commercial Business District) with an increased population, housing densities and employment in secondary nodes across the city. Growth occurs along the corridors while they also serve as links to these secondary nodes (i.e. neighborhood centers or neighborhoods). In all of these archetypes the linkage and treatment of the land use along these corridors are extremely important. Figure 1.3 illustrates various archetypes of a city that are applicable to the urban form of Asheville, North Carolina. FIGURE1.3: Archetypes of a City.

Data Source: Adapted from http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/urban-air/pubs/chapter5.pdf. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Introduction of transportation infrastructure can have negative effects on urban form as well as positive, or both. There is no doubt that the construction of HWY 26 and HWY 40 helped to relieve the growing congestion in the downtown area in 1968, but could have contributed to downtown Asheville seven decades of economic struggle. “Asheville is nestled in the valley of Western North Carolina between the French Broad River and the Swannanoa River. This unique location, topography and natural aesthetics have contributed to its attractions to natives and visitors alike. Asheville’s development patterns since 1950 and its hilly topography make interstates and state roads the main travel routes for local traffic.” 9 Reconstructing our notions that form and cities are difficult to modify is key component to positive change. But strategic urban policies and infrastructure investments can lead, in a finite time, to a re-shaping of cities to a more positive and sustainable form. 8 Archetypes of a city adapted from “Urban Air Pollution in Australia.” Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) - Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.<http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/ airquality/publications/urban-air/pubs/chapter5.pdf>. 9 Asheville, City of. Asheville City Development Plan 2025 Comprehensive Plan. (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/business/development_ services/planning_zoning/default.aspx?id=1144>.

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Existing Plans and Policies Asheville has numerous plans and policies that articulate the vision, needs and desires of the community for Asheville’s future growth. They include the progressive planning document City Plan 1925 by John Nolen, as well as more contemporary plans like the Smart Growth Land Use Policies; City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan 2005 Update; Asheville City Development Plan 2025; Asheville Downtown Master Plan; 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan; 2009 Sustainability Management Plan; 2009 Transit Master Plan and the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities. These documents were researched and serve as a guide to this study. It was also important to understand the whole Community of Asheville, which meant researching past efforts, plans, reports, issues, opportunities and goals. Community input was a key component during the development of these plans. In most instances designers, planners, researchers, consultants sometimes have a “reputation of being ‘an expert outsider’ taking their position of power of translating their observations of place, people and culture with no mechanism for the observed to participate in the findings.” 10

times when it is necessary to see the land and how we’ve changed it before its true character is lost. It is understood that a degree of environmental blindness may be necessary in order to be at ease and function. Cultural products such as the map or the built environment encourage us to see reality in terms of simplified wholes. Naturally, the urban geographer or planner is in a better position to do so than are local residences who must struggle with the day-today incoherence to survive; nevertheless, they too must rationalize-that is, see some kind of underlying reason or pattern- if they are to retain a foothold on sanity.

It is important for the designer, planner, researcher to truly grasp the notion that local native residents “in effect create a place. They do this by celebrating it in the original sense of the term: they frequent it; they become familiar with a place by participating in its natural and human events.” 11 Common Ground, a community-based planning organization in the United Kingdom, always reminds the community that is participating in a project that they must never forget that they are the expert of their place.12 Kevin Lynch’s study of mental maps reiterates the importance of the native perspective; he “suggested that such images could be combined into a composite portrait of a city, useful to urban designers.” 13

The presence of both the Stranger and the Native in the design, research and planning process is thought to be critical to the development, creation, redevelopment, reinforcement and/or understanding of the built and natural environment. 15 16

In contrast “William Grass said that ‘we soon cease to see what we are accustomed to seeing,’ and yet there are

If approached correctly the stranger can see the separateness and connections to a place. But the connections of people to place can only be discovered from the native’s point of view. Therefore the native’s role is just as important in the development, creation, redevelopment, or reinforcement of sense of place as the strangers. This process for the stranger learning the native’s collective image of a place can transform the undifferentiated space into place as we get to know it better and endow it with values.” 14

Franklin, Wayne and Steiner, Michael, ed. Mapping American Culture. University of Iowa, 1992. 11 Ibid. 12 Hayden, Dolores. The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. MIT Press, 1995. 13 Franklin, Wayne and Steiner, Michael, ed. Mapping American Culture. University of Iowa, 1992. 14 Ibid. 15 Hufford, Mary. One Space, Many Places: Folklife and Land Use in New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve. American Folklife Center: Library of Congress, 1986. Print. 16 Franklin, Wayne and Steiner, Michael, ed. Mapping American Culture University of Iowa, 1992.

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A summary of the above plans as they pertain to this study can be found in the appendixes. Data from the following, studies will also be utilized in the study: 2005 update to The City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan; 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan; 2009 Transit Master Plan; 2009 Sustainability Management Plan and the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities. Their methodology and findings were found to be relevant, realistic and applicable to this study.

Since the adoption of these plans, their implementation has begun. But there is always more to be done. This study uses the common thread that runs through the plans, polices and studies to vindicate and reinvent the elements of the built and natural environment examined in Asheville’s urban corridors.

The synthesis of all these studies is that Asheville has a clear vision of its needs and desires for the community’s future growth; a delicate balance of preserving its natural resources, while growing responsibly with the ultimate goal of preserving the area’s unique culture and enhancing quality of life for all who live, work, play and visit the area. The existing plans were examined and have been condensed into the following key principles that will guide the study’s examination of Asheville’s corridors, their evaluations and the creation of the COMPLETEcorridors’ index.

The conflux of these ideas is the following: • Incorporate sustainability into the City decision making process. • Support entrepreneurship, especially local small businesses and home occupations; • Increase property investment, particularly along our commercial corridors; • Increase accommodation of population growth within the City, particularly along commercial corridors, in compatible neighborhood infill, and in urban villages; • Support and encourage mixed-use land use pattern; • Increase safe multi-modal transportation opportunities; • Preserve the unique character of Asheville; • Encourage development that occurs in a pattern that is sensitive to the natural environment.

“Asheville’s topography and existing development pattern complicates the establishment of an effective and efficient transportation network. The road pattern tends to follow valleys and ridgelines and circumvent neighborhoods rather than follow a more grid-like pattern. Additionally, there are a limited number of development nodes of sufficient density to provide efficient public transportation. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to disperse traffic through an interconnected roadway network or successfully use public transportation as a primary transportation mode. On a more positive note, there are a number of neighborhoods within reasonable walking and biking distance of Downtown Asheville, a circumstance that provides alternative modes of transportation for many residents.”

- Asheville’s City Smart Growth Policy

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Existing Indexes and Studies The study’s index for COMPLETEcorridors is based on existing methodologies for sustainability, walkablity, access to transit and land uses, etc. (including Walk Score, Walk shed, LEEDS ND, Twin Cities CTLUS Initiative, Portland’s 20 Minute Neighborhoods). The index created and used in the study is a combination of the existing methods but refined to be applicable to the corridors within the study as well as corridors through the City of Asheville, North Carolina. The index is intended to illustrate, articulate and guide capital improvements, inform development choices and potentially provide incentives that can encourage the evolution into COMPLETEcorridors for the corridors in the study as well as other corridors similar in character and context, so that the community of Asheville receives the ‘greenest’ bang for the buck making it a more sustainable Asheville and region for future generations. Communities across the country have been searching and developing ways to rate and analyze the policies and regulations that determine their development patterns. Various organizations and a number of municipalities have developed indexes that help communities assess their policies and proposed development projects. A summary of the above existing indexes and studies as they pertain to this study can be found in the appendix.

The consistent elements of the evaluated studies: • Environmental Protection • Economic Development • Housing Choice • Mixed Use • Connectivity • External Connections • Proximity • Location • Streetscapes • Civic Space • Architectural Aesthetics • Priority Funding Areas • Density and Compactness • Transportation • Walkable and Transit Friendly • Community Character and Design

It is interesting to see the similarity in the needs and desires for Asheville’s future growth and the elements used to measure smart growth, sustainability and walkablility. These elements will be used to construct the COMPLETEcorridors’ index, evaluating how Merrimon Avenue, Haywood Road and Tunnel Road measure up.

There are reoccurring elements and measures consistently used to rate and evaluate development growth regardless of the scale of the evaluee, whether it is a municipality, development properties or components such as bicycles or pedestrians. The existing indexes were examined and have been condensed into the following key principles that will guide the creation of the COMPLETEcorridors’ index, its elements and measures that will be used to examine Asheville’s urban corridors for completeness.

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Establish Boundaries The initial study areas were created by radiating 1 mile out from the centerline of the corridors, parcels within the 1 mile buffer were considered to be in the study area. But once closer examination of the corridors began a reduction in the number of parcels due to barriers and lack of connectivity was warranted. Barriers like jurisdiction lines and the French Broad River. Lack of connectivity for pedestrians to cross highways and underpasses were just some of the considerations. Photos 3.1-3.3 are examples of barriers and connections across them.

PHOTO3.2: Example of a Connection (pedestrian bridge) over a Barrier (I-240) at Merrimon Avenue Study Area.

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PHOTO3.1: Example of Barrier and Connection, I-240 at Haywood Road Study Area. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO3.3: Example of a Connection and Barriers. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

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Frequent Measures

b o u n d a r i e s FIGURE3.1: Distance Decay Function.

Data Source: Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address. Web. Accessed 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml>.

Walkscore is an online walkablility rating system which states that “transportation planning guidelines commonly cite .25 miles as a goal for distance between transit stops (Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing 1992, Transit Supportive Development (No date given)), while Destinations 2030 and Turner, Shunk and Hottenstein (1998) give evidence that 1.5 miles is a reasonable upper bound. Distances in these ranges are common in the literature (Lee and Moudon 2006, Cerrin et al. 2006, Kockelman 1996, Iacono et al. 2010). Walkscore also provides an illustration of the distance decay function (Figure 3.1); which helps communicate the use of these ‘walk-measures.’ The x-axis is the distance from the address of interest or origin, and the y-axis is the percentage of a full score that an amenity will receive from the online rating system.” 17 Figure 3.1 illustrates the following measures that will be used to establish the boundaries as measurements throughout the study: The Five Minute Walk: The ¼ mile (1,320 feet) is also known as the Five Minute Walk and is a standard measure in the planning and transportation profession. The Five Minute Walk is the average distance that a pedestrian is willing to walk before opting to drive. The Ten Minute Walk: Research also shows that people will walk 1/2 mile (2,640), also known as the Ten Minute Walk to more specialized shops or civic uses. The Twenty Minute Walk: 20-minute walk equates to approximately 1 mile walking at a fast pace; however, the average person could walk between ¼ to ½ a mile under safe, conducive walking conditions, (e.g. sidewalks and short blocks).

Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address. Web. Accessed 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml>

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

b o u n d a r i e s

Merrimon Avenue: The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with I-240 north to the intersection with the Dover Road. The parcels that have direct street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored. Parcels outside of City of Asheville limits, located across highways with no pedestrian crossing were excluded as well as parcels within the 1 mile buffer were located across I -240 that were not within a ½ mile radius of a pedestrian crossing were also excluded. The measure of ½ mile was used with the idea that Downtown Asheville may have a larger appeal than other pedestrian crossing elsewhere; in those cases ¼ mile increments were used. Map 3.1 represents the initial study area while Map 3.2 illustrates the actual study area once barriers and connections were taken into consideration.

FIGURE3.2: Merrimon Corridor Statistics.

MAP3.1: Merrimon Avenue Initial Study Areas.

MAP3.2: Merrimon Avenue Actual Study Areas.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Data Source: COA GIS data.

Total Length: 12, 527’

2.374 miles

Total Acreage of Actual Study Area: 4, 638 acres Speed Limit: 35 MPH

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

C B A

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

Merrimon Avenue corridor was then divided into three study areas based on their contextual similarities, their unique character and consultation with the City of Asheville Planning Department. Contextual similarities such as setbacks, barriers and character of the built environment were derived from a windshield survey by the author, as well as exploration of the area on foot and by using aerial photographs. Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A portion of the corridor stretches from the I-240 bypass to the intersection of WT Weaver A Boulevard and Murdock Avenue. This Study Area is bound by Town Mountain Road to the east, I-26 to the west, approximately two blocks past Pack Square to the south and WT Weaver Boulevard and Murdock Avenue to the north (Figure 3.3). Once a windshield survey and site visits were completed by the author, the initial descriptions of the corridors’ study area was that this section of the corridor encompasses a large portion of the downtown; it also includes one of the oldest neighborhoods in Asheville, Historic Montford. This study area is the most urban of all the study areas.

FIGURE3.3: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

b o u n d a r i e s PHOTOS 3.4 & 3.5: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE3.4: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

Average Lot Size (along corridor):

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 0.94ac

Average Length of Frontage (along corridor):

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 106’

Modal Year Building Built (along corridor): Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 1920

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B portion of the corridor stretches from B intersection of WT Weaver Boulevard and Murdock Avenue to Colonial Place. The study area is bound by Town Mountain Road to the east, as well as the city limits, and I-26 to the west (Figure 3.5).This section of the corridor includes the University of North Carolina’s Asheville Campus and the greenway also traverses the corridor here. Many portions of the corridor have large homes that were converted into businesses, which now lie vacant. By converting residences to businesses increased front yard parking and curb cuts proliferated. One portion of the area along the corridor has twostory buildings that flank one side of the street; the remaining buildings serve as bookends to the once full block of buildings. Parking spaces between the building and the street were visible in this portion of the corridor.

COMPLETEcorridors M e s t a b l i s h

FIGURE3.5: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

b o u n d a r i e s

C B A

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: The Merrimon Avenue Study Area C C portion of the corridor stretches from Colonial Place to Dover Street. The study area is bound by Town Mountain Road to the east, Elkmont Road and I-25 to the west, and Brookwood Road the north (Figure 3.7) and is the most suburban portion of the Merrimon Avenue corridor. Strip commercial development and large parking lots flank the corridor. Banks with drive-thru services are prevalent; the public library is visible. The Beaver Lake neighborhood is just to the north of study area. A school, churches and retaining walls line the street’s edge.

FIGURE3.7: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTOS 3.6 & 3.7: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE3.6: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B&C Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

Average Lot Size (along corridor):

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 0.73ac Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 1.12ac

PHOTOS 3.8 & 3.9: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Average Length of Frontage (along corridor): Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 112’ Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 163’

Modal Year Building Built (along corridor): Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 1949 Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 1969

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

b o u n d a r i e s

Haywood Road: The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with Patton Avenue, south and then east to the French Broad River. The parcels that directly have street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored. Parcels outside of City of Asheville limits, located across highways, streams or rivers with no pedestrian crossing were excluded. Parcels within the 1 mile buffer, located across Patton Ave and the French Broad River that were not within a 1/4 mile radius of a pedestrian crossing were also excluded. Map 3.3 represents the initial study area while Map 3.4 illustrates the actual study area once barriers and connections were taken into consideration.

The Haywood Road Study Area was divided into

MAP3.3: Haywood Road Initial Study Areas. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE3.8: Haywood Corridor Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

Total Length: 13,559â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

2.568 miles

Total Acreage of Actual Study Area: 2839 acres Speed Limit: 35 MPH

MAP3.4: Haywood Road Actual Study Areas. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

two study areas based on their contextual similarities, and unique character as well as consultation with the City of Asheville Planning Department. Contextual similarities such as setbacks and general character of the built form were derived from a windshield survey of the area. The author also explored of the area on foot and used aerial photographs to broaden understanding of the area. Haywood Road Study Area A: This portion of the corridor stretches from Patton Avenue to the I-240. The study area is bound by Patton Avenue to the west and north and I-240 to the east and south (Figure 3.9). This portion is vibrant with pedestrian use and bicyclists. Pockets of twostory buildings create a defined pedestrian realm; with little to zero setbacks, large display windows, and on-street parking create the most pedestrian friendly environment of all the corridors. Some mixed-use buildings appear to be empty. As the corridor approaches Patton Avenue, setbacks and parking increased between the building and the street. Few strip commercial centers are present; local small businesses dominate the streetscape.

FIGURE3.9: Haywood Road Study Area A.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area B: This portion of the corridor stretches from I-240 to the French Broad River. This Study Area is bound by I-240 to the west, the French Broad River to the south and east. The study are also includes parcels approximately two blocks past the river and the Westgate shopping center (Figure 3.11). This section of the corridor is also vibrant with pedestrian use and bicyclists. Pockets of two story buildings line the street, large display windows, and on-street parking engenders the most pedestrianfriendly environment of all the corridors. However some mixed use buildings appear to be empty. This corridor appears to have once been industrial in some areas. As the corridor approaches the River, sidewalks become less consistent and steep vacant residential lots line one portion of the road.

b o u n d a r i e s

A B

FIGURE3.10: Haywood Road Study Area B.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

A B

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

FIGURE3.11: Haywood Road Study Area A&B Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

b o u n d a r i e s PHOTO3.10-3.13: Haywood Road Study Area A. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Average Lot Size (along corridor):

Haywood Road Study Area A: 0.47ac Haywood Road Study Area B: 0.69ac

Average Length of Frontage (along corridor): Haywood Road Study Area A: 179’ Haywood Road Study Area B: 85’

Modal Year Buildings Built (along corridor): Haywood Road Study Area A: 1927 Haywood Road Study Area B: 1927

PHOTO3.14-3.17: Haywood Road Study Area B. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

b o u n d a r i e s

Tunnel Road: The project boundary includes an area on either side of the corridor from the intersection with I-240 West, east to the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parcels that have street frontage along the corridor are the main component of the study. However, in order to truly understand the context of the corridor, information about other parcels that may not directly front the parcel may be explored. Parcels outside of City of Asheville limits, located across highways with no pedestrian crossing were excluded. Map 3.5 represents the initial study area while Map 3.6 illustrates the actual study area once barriers and connections were taken into consideration.

MAP3.5: Tunnel Road Initial Study Areas.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE3.12: Tunnel Corridor Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

Total Length: 11,719â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

2.210 miles

Total Acreage of Actual Study Area: 2,490 acres Speed Limit: 45 MPH

MAP3.6: Tunnel Road Actual Study Areas.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

A B

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

The Tunnel Road corridor was then divided into two study areas based on their contextual similarities, their unique character as well as consultation with the City of Asheville Planning Department. Contextual similarities such as setbacks, character of the built form were derived from a windshield survey of the area, exploration of the area on foot and aerial photographs.

b o u n d a r i e s FIGURE3.13: Tunnel Road Study Area A.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area A: The Tunnel Road Study Area A portion of the corridor stretches from the I-240 bypass to the intersection of Beverly Road. This study area is bound by Beverly Road to the east, I-240 to the west, approximately one mile to the north of the corridor and State Road 81 and Swannanoa River to the south (Figure 3.13).

Tunnel Road Study Area B: The Tunnel Road Study Area B portion of the corridor stretches from Beverly Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway. This study area is bound by Beverly Road to the west, the Blue Ridge Parkway to the east and north and State Road 81 and Swannanoa River to the south (Figure 3.14).

Both Tunnel Road Study Areas A & B were the most difficult to examine physically because of the lack of pedestrian infrastructure and the high speed limit for vehicular traffic. Strip commercial centers, car dealerships and gas stations dominate the street edge. The high levels of auto-centric uses impede the street edge definition.

FIGURE3.14: Tunnel Road Study Area B.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors e s t a b l i s h

FIGURE3.15: Tunnel Road Study Area A&B Statistics. Data Source: COA GIS data.

b o u n d a r i e s

A B

PHOTO3.18-3.21: Tunnel Road Study Area A. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Average Lot Size (along corridor): Tunnel Road Study Area A: 0.98ac Tunnel Road Study Area B: 1.77ac

Average Length of Frontage (along corridor): Tunnel Road Study Area A: 163’ Tunnel Road Study Area B: 149’

Modal Year Buildings Built (along corridor): Tunnel Road Study Area A: 1967 Tunnel Road Study Area B: 1962

PHOTO3.22-3.25: Tunnel Road Study Area B. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors t

COMPLETEcorridors

Categories of Connections The index for COMPLETEcorridors will be derived from on existing methodologies for sustainability, walkablility, access to transit and land uses. These are taken from existing indexes and guided by previous plans and policies. The index created and used in the study will be an amalgamation of these existing methods but refined to be applicable to the corridors within the study and corridors similar in character. The COMPETEcorridors’ index focuses on connections: connections to utilities, developed land, land uses, buildings, sidewalks etc. It also considers limiting these connections in areas not suitable for higher density developments. Fostering these connections, while limiting connections in other areas could lead to a more sustainable city. The elements used are based on existing indexes, studies and Asheville’s desires found in previous and relevant plans. The elements are arranged into four categories of connections: Location, Location, Location Land Use Multi-Modal Neighborhood Pattern, Design & Character

The Multi-Modal category explores the corridors’ connections for transit, bicycles, and pedestrians for each corridor‘s study areas. The Neighborhood Pattern, Design & Character category analyses the corridors’ connections that manifest themselves in physical characteristic such as intersections, blocks, on-street parking, parking lot locations, direct paths, building setbacks, fenestration, height-to-street ratios, drive-thru, and shade for each corridor‘s study areas. Character was also examined through presence of established boundaries, existence of art, existence of gateways/ wayfinding and history. It should be noted that the built and natural environment are interdependent and so are the elements of the index. Their organization was determined based on research in other communities and other indexes, as well as observations made by the author. In order to make the information more accessible to readers and users of the study, the elements of the index have also been divided into four categories of infrastructure type.

The Location, Location, Location category analyses the study areas connections to utilities, developed land, and high priority area(s). Limited connections to environmentally sensitive land were also examined for each corridor and their study areas. Areas identified for sustaining wildlife and biodiversity, agriculture and water quality were considered as environmentally sensitive land. The Land Use category examines the corridors’ connections to employment, density, housing types, services, mix-use, schools, civic or passive-use space and community –based food production for each corridor’s study areas. 33

COMPLETEcorridors t

Gray, Green, Blue and Neighborhood Infrastructure Infrastructure is defined as the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization. Planners and other design professionals divide neighborhoods, cities and regions into two categories: the built and natural environment. This is done to critique, analysis and develops a broader and deeper understanding between the two entities.

48 34

Grey Infrastructure The built environment, also known as the Gray Infrastructure consists of buildings, roads, parking lots, sidewalks, bike paths and utilities.

Green Infrastructure Green Infrastructure includes parks, natural areas, trees, shrubs and grass.

Blue Infrastructure Blue Infrastructure consists of water bodies; among them rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands.

Neighborhood Infrastructure Neighborhood Infrastructure is considered to be the ‘personality’ of a place or its intangible qualities. Although these aspects of place that combine to give it character are difficult to quantify qualities are just as important as the Grey, the Green and the Blue. James Rojas, architect and planner said that designers “have missed the role of people in creating a ‘place’ because they are trained to look at people as users of space…People are both users and creators of place.”19 People make the place. The existence of neighborhood infrastructure will be mentioned but will not be quantified in this index. The index is divided into these four categorizes connections; those aspects that create the connections are the grey, the green, the blue and the neighborhood infrastructure (Table 4.1). Each type of infrastructure is then broken down further into the elements used to construct the COMPLETEcorridors index. This will help communicate how Merrimon Avenue, Haywood Road and Tunnel Road measure up.

Hayden, Dolores. The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. MIT Press, 1995.

COMPLETEcorridors t

TABEL4.1: COMPLETEcorridor Elements.

THEgray, ELEMENTone: Utilities THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land THEgray, ELEMENTthree:

THEgreen ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Wildlife and Biodiversity THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Agricultural Land THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Water Quality THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services THEgray, ELEMENTeight: Access to Schools

G 2 G 3 G Gr Gr

2 1

Bl 4 G 5 G 6 G 7 G 8 G 9 G Gr Gr

3 4

High Priority Area

THEgray, ELEMENTnine: Access to Mixed-Use

THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space THEgreen ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production

connections

MULTI-modal

COMPLETEcorridor Elements

NEIGHBORHOOD pattern, DESIGN & CHARACTER

LAND use

LOCATION, location, LOCATION

connections

Created By L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridor Elements 10

G 11 G 12 G 13 G 14 G 15 G 16 G 17 G 18 G 19a G 19b G 19c G 19d G 19e G Gr

N 2 N 3 N 4 N

THEgray, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit: Bus Stops THEgray, ELEMENTeleven: Access to Transit: Daily Service Trips THEgray, ELEMENTtwelve: Access for Bicycles: Study Area THEgray, ELEMENTthirteen: Access to Sidewalks: Study Area, Existing Linkage THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen: Access to Sidewalks: Along Corridor THEgray, ELEMENTfifthteen: Intersections THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Average THEgray, ELEMENTseventeen: Access to On-Street Parking THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (a) Direct Path THEgray,ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (b) Building Setbacks THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (c) Fenestration THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (d) Drive-thru THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (e) Height-to-Street Ratio THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone: Established Boundaries THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTtwo: Existence of Art THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTthree: Existence of Gateways/ Wayfinding Signage THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTfour: Past on Display

COMPLETEcorridors t

TABEL4.2: COMPLETEcorridor Elements By Infrastructure.

the grey

THEgray, ELEMENTone: Utilities THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land THEgray, ELEMENTthree:

High Priority Area

THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services THEgray, ELEMENTeight: Access to Schools

THEgray, ELEMENTnine: Access to Mixed-Use

THEgray, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit: Bus Stops THEgray, ELEMENTeleven: Access to Transit: Daily Service Trips THEgray, ELEMENTtwelve: Access for Bicycles: Study Area THEgray, ELEMENTthirteen: Access to Sidewalks: Existing Linkage THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen: Access to Sidewalks: Along Corridor THEgray, ELEMENTfifthteen: Intersections THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Average THEgray, ELEMENTseventeen: Access to On-Street Parking THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (a) Direct Path THEgray,ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (b) Building Setbacks THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (c) Fenestration THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (d) Drive-thru THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (e) Height-to-Street Ratio

infastructure type

COMPLETEcorridor Elements Gr

the green

G 2 G 3 G 4 G 5 G 6 G 7 G 8 G 9 G 10 G 11 G 12 G 13 G 14 G 15 G 16 G 17 G 18 G 19a G 19b G 19c G 19d G 19e G

Gr Gr Gr Gr

the blue

COMPLETEcorridor Elements

the neighborhood

infastructure type

Created By L. Graham Stewart.

1 2 3 4 5 1

Bl 1 N 2 N 3 N 4 N

THEgreen ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Wildlife and Biodiversity THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Agricultural Land THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space THEgreen ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Water Quality THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone: Established Boundaries THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTtwo: Existence of Art THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTthree: Existence of Gateways/ Wayfinding Signage THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTfour: Past on Display

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Icon The index will illustrate, articulate and guide capital improvements, inform development choices and provide incentives that encourage the evolution to ‘complete’ neighborhoods. The index will utilize an icon to help simplify this complex process of measuring the corridors. The icon’s color represents the infrastructure type. The corridor name is signified by the largest letter on the icon; which corresponds to the first letter in the corridors’ name. The smaller letters located to the right represent that particular corridor’s study area. The number located in the right, top corner of the icon represents the element number.

FIGURE4.1: COMPLETEcorridor Icon. Created By L. Graham Stewart.

C B A

The index’s pages consist of type of infrastructure, the element number and name and the use of the element, the measure being used, the measurement, an explanation (if needed) and the findings for each corridor. Each corridor’s overall character is summarized at the end of the elements page(s) using the icon.

element number

study area

infastructure type

corridor 37

COMPLETEcorridors the index: LOCATION, location, LOCATION

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 1 H C B A

A B

THEgray, ELEMENTone: Utilities The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities/neighborhoods and public transit infrastructure, as well as to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances.20

The Findings: The majority of all the Corridor Study Areas have water and sewer lines with capacity for future growth. 23 24

The Measure: (a) Corridor is located in an area served by existing water and wastewater infrastructure (or) (b) Locate the project within a legally adopted, publicly owned, planned water and wastewater service area, and provide new water and wastewater infrastructure for the project. 21 The Measurement: Investing in the improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns is vital for a sustainable future. The City of Asheville’s Sustainability Management Plan articulates sustainable decisions as those that “balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet current needs of the city without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”22 This category, then, becomes a prerequisite for a particular urban corridor to be considered for development, redevelopment and/ or investment. If the answer is no, then another corridor should be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 21 Ibid. 22 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf> 23 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville. 24 Due to security concerns no illustration was created to depict the existing water and sewer utilities.

Yes

C B A

A B

M T 2 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land

The Findings:

FIGURE5.1: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created By L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities/neighborhoods and public transit infrastructure as well as to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances.25 The Measure: At least 75% of land area within 1/2 mile of corridor that is previously developed.26 The Explanation: To determine the percentage of land area that is previously developed in the corridor study areas the City of Asheville’s GIS Data was used. Specifically, the Buncombe County Property Class Codes were the features used to determine the activity on the land. It should be noted that the BC Class Code classifies parks under Community Services.

C B A

Yes

The Measurement: Investing in the improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns is vital for a sustainable future. The City of Asheville’s Sustainability Management Plan articulates sustainable decisions as those that “balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet current needs of the city without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”27 This category, then, becomes a prerequisite for a particular urban corridor to be considered for development, redevelopment and/ or investment. If the answer is no, then another corridor should be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

89%

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

92%

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

78%

COMPLETEcorridors t

FIGURE5.2: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created By L. Graham Stewart.

M T 2 H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.3: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created By L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area A:

75%

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

82%

Haywood Road Study Area B:

79%

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

88%

Yes

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 26 Ibid. 27 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

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Data Source: Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

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FIGURE5.4: A Portion from City of Asheville’s Sustainable Projects Map.

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PA O C ! Y ! IT VE AVAL ON DR E CROOKED LN H N LN BU !! W N D A LN HOLT DR S N

L RD MOUNT CARME

LIT

LILAC HL

A B

M T 3 H C B A

Sustainable Development Projects - Selected Transit Lines (with 1/8-mile buffer) N

TO YS

O KL

COMPLETEcorridors ODONAL D RD

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 3 H C B A

A B

THEgray, ELEMENTthree: High Priority Area The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT).28 The Measure &The Measurement: The corridor contains areas that are designated as highpriority redevelopment areas such as: EPA National Priorities List, Federal Empowerment Zone, Federal Enterprise Community, Federal Renewal Community, Department of Justice Weed and Seed Strategy Community, Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Qualified Low-Income Community (a subset of the New Markets Tax Credit Program), or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Qualified Census Tract (QCT) or Difficult Development Area (DDA) or other similar local designation such as locations eligible for Sustainable Development Projects.29 The Findings: All corridor study areas contain properties eligible for Sustainable Development Projects (Figure 5.4), making them eligible for incentives such as density bonuses, parking reduction, etc.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 29 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http:// www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

Yes

C B A

A B

M T 1 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgreen, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Wildlife and Biodiversity The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities/neighborhoods and public transit infrastructure as well as to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances as well as to conserve imperiled species and ecological communities.30 The Measure: The study area has been identified on the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Map as Low Value.31 The Measurement: According to the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ “Wildlife habitat is an indicator of intact, health ecosystems so preservation of these areas is paramount. These areas provide habitat and natural areas that support ecosystem functions that are necessary to the survival of all life. The cumulative result of these ecosystem functions are a complex web of food, water, shelter and interrelationships that plants, animals and humans depend on for survival.

Although this Land-of –Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ project is at a regional scale it looks at nature as a system. Like any system, a healthy ecosystem is dependent on the ability of its parts to collectively function as a whole. Our ecosystems in nature function very much the same way ‐ with many different systems ‐ wetlands, forests, streams, riparian areas ‐ all contributing to the larger landscape’s ability to function. When we serve these interconnected systems, or damage them ‐ other parts of landscape are

affected. A new road that bisects a forested area or a wetland that is removed or filled for another land use changes the very manner in which the broader natural system functions. Lands that once provided habitat for certain species or services for human populations become fragmented and lose their ability to do so. The degradation of natural systems occurs site by site and parcel by parcel, until the cumulative effects of the fragmentation, pollution, or infestation become so great that the entire ecosystem suffers. In order to keep our ecosystems healthy, we must work to maintain and/ or restore connections between the various natural communities of our region, preserving a network of forests, streams, grassy balds, wetlands, agricultural areas, and other open spaces. It serves as the ecological framework that supports our economic, social, physical, and psychological health and well‐being.” 32 The use of this regional assessment is not to usurp the importance of a micro assessment of each corridor but to reiterate the importance of examining both the micro and macro context of a study area. Investing in the improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns is vital for a sustainable future. This category, then, becomes a prerequisite for a particular urban corridor to be considered for development, redevelopment and/ or investment. If the answer is no, then another corridor should be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment. The Findings: A majority of all study areas are identified on the Landof-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Map as Low Value, with the exception of the southern portion of the Tunnel Road Study Areas A & B. Although not directly

COMPLETEcorridors t

located along the corridor these southern areas located in the Tunnel Road Study Area are identified as Medium Value and should therefore be studied at a more detailed level should any regulatory changes be brought into consideration that might impact these environmentally sensitive land areas.

M T 1 H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.5: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings forTHEgreen, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Wildlife and Biodiversity.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 31 Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional. <http:// www.linkinglands.org>. 32 Ibid.

FIGURE5.6: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Wildlife and Biodiversity.

Data Source:COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE5.7: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Wildlife and Biodiversity.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

C B A

A B

M T 2 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Agricultural Land TheIntent: To encourage development within and near existing communities/neighborhoods and public transit infrastructure as well as to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances as well as to conserve imperiled species and ecological communities.33 The Measure: The study area has been identified on the Land-ofSky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ Agricultural Assessment Map as low value.34 The Measurement: According to the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’

“Agricultural lands (farming and forestry) provide products and services such as food, fibers, pollination, habitat, clean water, cultural heritage and aesthetic benefits that contribute to the areas tourism industry so preservation of these areas is paramount. Although this Land-of –Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ project is at a regional scale it looks at nature as a system. Like any system, a healthy ecosystem is dependent on the ability for its parts to collectively function as a whole. Ecosystems in nature functions consists of wetlands, forests, streams, riparian areas- all contributing to the larger landscape’s ability to function. When we sever these interconnected systems, or damage or remove themother parts of landscape are affected. A new road that bisects a forested area or a wetland that is removed or filled for another land use change the very manner in which the broader natural system functions. Lands that

once provided habitat for certain species or services for human populations become fragmented and lose their ability to do so. The degradation of natural systems occurs site by site and parcel by parcel, until the cumulative effects of the fragmentation, pollution, or infestation become so great that the entire ecosystem suffers. In order to keep our ecosystems healthy, we must work to maintain and/or restore connections between the various natural communities of our region, preserving a network of forests, streams, grassy balds, wetlands, agricultural areas, and other open spaces. It serves as the ecological framework that supports our economic, social, physical, and psychological health and well-being.” 35 The use of this regional assessment is not to usurp the importance of a micro assessment of each corridor but merely to reiterate the importance of examining both the micro and macro context of a study area. Investment in the improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and town while preserving natural areas and farm land is vital for a sustainable future. The City of Asheville’s Sustainability Management Plan states that being sustainable means “making decisions that balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”36 and it is with that idea in mind that this category is considered to be a prerequisite for an urban corridor to be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment. If the answer is no, then another corridor should be considered. The Findings: The majority of all study areas are identified on the Landof-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’

COMPLETEcorridors t

Agricultural Assessment Map as Low Value. Although not directly located along the corridor these southern areas located in the Tunnel Road Study Area are identified as Medium to High Value and should therefore be studied at a more detailed level should any regulatory changes be brought into consideration that might impact these environmentally sensitive land areas.

M T 2 H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.8: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Agricultural Land.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 34 Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional. <http:// www.linkinglands.org>. 35 Ibid. 36 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http:// www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

FIGURE5.9: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Agricultural Land.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE5.10: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Agricultural Land.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

C B A

A B

M T 1 H C B A

A B

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THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Water Quality The Intent: To preserve water quality, natural hydrology, habitat, and biodiversity through conservation of wetlands and water bodies as well as protect life and property, promote open space and habitat conservation, and enhance water quality and natural hydrological systems.37 The Measure: The study area has been identified on the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ Water Quality Assessment Map as low value.38 The Measurement: According to the Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ “Water is the required for life therefore excellent water quality is important to maintaining a high quality of life, economic vitality, and for keeping streams, lakes and other aquatic systems healthy. Naturally occurring ecosystems have been filtering, cycling and ensuring the availability of clean water to people and animals since the beginning of time. Forest, meadows and wetlands all have mechanism that filter out potentially harmful particles, slow water movement across the landscape and return water to the air and beneath the ground where it can be recycled back into the water. Growing population means more demands on the region’s water resources and changes in land use that can stress the natural systems that significantly contribute to water quality. There is an innate connection between land and water, the recognition of this fact and protecting, managing our natural systems can ensure access to clean water and healthy streams today and for future generations. 50

Although this Land-of –Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ project is at a regional

scale it looks at nature as a system. Like any system, a healthy ecosystem is dependent on the ability for its parts to collectively function as a whole. Our ecosystems in nature function very much the same way ‐ with many different systems ‐ wetlands, forests, streams, riparian areas ‐ all contributing to the larger landscape’s ability to function. When we sever these interconnected systems, or damage or remove them ‐ other parts of landscape are affected. A new road that bisects a forested area or a wetland that is removed or filled for another land use change the very manner in which the broader natural system functions. Lands that once provided habitat for certain species or services for human populations become fragmented and lose their ability to do so. The degradation of natural systems occurs site by site and parcel by parcel, until the cumulative effects of the fragmentation, pollution, or infestation become so great that the entire ecosystem suffers. In order to keep our ecosystems healthy, we must work to maintain and/ or restore connections between the various natural communities of our region, preserving a network of forests, streams, grassy balds, wetlands, agricultural areas, and other open spaces. It serves as the ecological framework that supports our economic, social, physical, and psychological health and well‐being.” 39 The use of this regional assessment is not to usurp the importance of a micro assessment of each corridor but merely to reiterate the importance of examining both the micro and macro context of a study area. Investment in the improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and town while preserving natural areas and farm land is vital for a sustainable future. It is with that idea in mind that this category is considered to be a prerequisite for an urban corridor to be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment. If the answer is no, then another corridor should be considered.

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Findings: A majority of the study areas are identified on the Landof-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Land and Communities’ Water Quality Assessment Map as Low Value. Although not directly located along the corridor these southern areas located in the Tunnel Road Study Area are identified as Medium Value and should therefore be studied at a more detailed level should any regulatory changes be brought into consideration that might impact these environmentally sensitive land areas.

M T 1 H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.11: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings forTHEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Water Quality.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 38 Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional. <http:// www.linkinglands.org>. 39 Ibid.

FIGURE5.12: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Water Quality.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE5.13: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land; Water Quality.

Data Source: COA GIS data & GIS data from Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

C B A

A B

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Impervious Surface & Water: Girling and Kellett’s Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community states that: The term ’neighborhood’ is frequently used to describe the urban ’building blocks’ of complementary land uses, transportation networks, services and amenities. Grey Infrastructure (Impervious Surface) contributes to 20-30 percent of the land area of most neighborhoods. Such networks require a significant investment both in land area and in capital and operating tax dollars for most jurisdictions. Paved= water pollution. Impervious surface is land covered by roads, rooftops, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, patios and any other surface that prevents water penetration into the soil. When land is covered with these surfaces, rainwater cannot follow its natural drainage cycles. Instead, precipitation runs off rooftops, over paved surfaces, along street gutters, and eventually into the stormwater systems. Impervious surface generates far more runoff than natural areas because none of it is stored or infiltrates into the ground. Runoff generated from an undeveloped watershed can increase by about 500 percent once the area is developed. The street system typically represents more than half of residential area’s total impervious surface coverage and, thus contributes significantly to urban runoff. A direct correlation exists between urban runoff volumes and amounts of stormwater pollution. Pollutants, such as oil, grease, and metals coming from automobiles and phosphorus and nitrogen coming from fertilizer and natural decomposition accumulate on impervious surfaces between rainstorms. Rainfall then washed pollutants along the streets, into stormwater systems, and into natural waterways. Because most urban stormwater is untreated, high percentages of impervious surfaces yield high rates of stormwater- related pollutants.

Seattle’s land use code in 1993 defined this approach as ‘green street’, ‘a street right-of-way, that

through a variety of treatments, such as sidewalk widening, landscaping, traffic calming, and pedestrian oriented features is enhanced for pedestrian circulation and open space use. This usually occurs when significant new development occurs.’ A better designed street can lower impact on natural water resources, reduce the negative impacts on streams and associated habitats.40 It is important to maintain regulatory buffers to environmental sensitive areas such as rivers, streams, wetlands and flood plain because 25% of development of impervious surface is proven to precedent of the degradation of streams. The need to encourage development within and near existing communities/neighborhoods and the need to preserve water quality is just another example of the intricate relationship that is required for a sustainable future. Encouraging and providing incentives for use of pervious pavements, shared parking scenarios, reducing parking requirements which reduces the amount of paved parking coverage, encouraging redevelopment and low impact developments as well as ‘greening’ streets are just some ways to reduce runoff, protect and enhance water quality and natural hydrological systems. Figures 5.14-16 depict the existing impervious surface in each study area.

Kellett, Cynthia Girling and Ronald. Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community. Washington DC: Island Press, 2005. Print.

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M T H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.14: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A,B & Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Impervious Surface. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area C:

18%

Study Area B:

27%

Study Area A:

46%

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

FIGURE5.15: Haywood Road Study Area A & Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Impervious Surface. Data Source: COA GIS data.Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area A:

32%

Study Area B:

30%

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M T H C B A

A B

FIGURE5.16: Tunnel Road Study Area A & Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Impervious Surface. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area A:

22%

Study Area B:

20%

COMPLETEcorridors t h e

i n d e x :

L A N D u s e

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Density:

FIGURE6.1: Study Area’s Zoning & Density42 Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Planning and Urban Design Standards states that “residential density refers to the number of housing units per acre of land. The most common measure of residential density is dwelling units per acre (du/ac). Density for may also be measured by floor area ratio (FAR), commonly used for commercial structures.” Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which the building is located. The term density can trigger strong reactions from the public; therefore design plays an important role in successful public engagement. Aesthetics and human-scaled design features create a liveable development within higher densities. Population density and employment density are others ways of measuring density in an area.

CBD-Central Buisness District:

none

NCD- Neighborhood Corridor Districts: 24-32 du/ac2

“Newman and Kenworthy (1989, 1999) famously developed the relationship between higher density and lower energy consumption for major world cities. Their studies show that a number of principles can be derived, particularly around public transport nodes, that focua in increasing density: • Transport energy consumption and CO2 emissions are generally lower at higher densities. • Higher densities lead to greater scope for viable public transport services. • Density can be an important factor in reducing car use in terms of both mode share and distance travelled.” 41 According to the City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance a “dwelling unit means one or more rooms physically arranged so as to create an independent housekeeping establishment for occupancy by one family with separate toilets and facilities for cooking and sleeping. In no case shall a dwelling unit be rented or leased for intervals of less than one month.”

UP- Urban Place:

64 du/ac

UV- Urban Village:

none3

HB- Highway Business:

32 du/ac

RB- Regional Business:

32 du/ac

CBII- Community Business II:

16 du/ac

CBI- Community Business I:

16 du/ac

NB- Neighborhood Business:

12 du/ac

IND- Industrial:

n/a

CI- Commercial Industrial:

16 du/ac

INST- Institutional:

16 du/ac4

OB- Office Business:

12 du/ac

O2- Office2:

12 du/ac

OFFICE:

8 du/ac

RIVER:

16 du/ac

RESORT:

16 du/ac

HCU- HIstoric Conditional Use:

n/a

RM16- High Density Multi-Family:

1 du/2,500 sq ft5

RM8- Medium Density Multi-Family:

1 du/5,000 sq ft5

RM6- Low Density Multi-Family:

1 du/7,000 sq ft5

RS8- High Density Single Family:

8 du/ac

RS4- Medium Density Single Family:

4 du/ac

RS2- Low Density Single Family:

2 du/ac

42 41

”Planning for Sustainable Travel - Key Themes - Density.” Planning for Sustainable Travel - Home. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.plan4sustainabletravel.org/key_ themes/density/>.

Overlay, Historic districts and other factors were not considered. i Only if 7.8.24.f (14) Community Incentive Table is met. ii Maximum residential density shall not be limited, except by other standards such as building height, parking, landscaping and buffering, open space, and traffic impact analysis. iii This density standard shall not apply to dormitories constructed on the campus of an educational institution. iv Square foot of lot area.

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M T H C B A

A B

FIGURE6.2: Zoning Districts within the Study Areas. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Merrimon Avenue:

Haywood Road:

Tunnel Road:

FIGURE6.3: Zoning Districts Along the Corridors. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

M H

M M M B

H H A

M M M H

M M A

M M T

T A

M M M H T

M T 4 H C B A

A B

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THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure, as well as to reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.43 The Measure: Total number of jobs and residences per acre.44 The Explanation: One New Urbanism saying is that “there are two things that Americans dislike: density and sprawl.”45 Often, if an increase of density is discussed in the public realm, neighborhoods will oppose a development with intense fervor. The debate usually centers on preconceived notions of traffic congestion, expanses of parking and the aesthetics of the building rather than the actual increase in population. Perhaps the resistance comes from a lack of understanding of the benefits higher densities can bring such as walkablility; a broad mix of uses, less dependency on the automobile, and more. According to Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature by Douglas Farr, “the average density of most new developments in the United States is two dwelling units per acre, which is too low to support walk to destinations (1/4 mile radius).” Density is a key component in the shaping of the built environment and is typically expressed as a number of dwelling units per acre. In Asheville there are historic settlement areas characterized by high-density development. These places were built before five miles became a ten-minute car trip, so they had to be compact.

Studies based on Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy’s book, Cities and Automobile Dependence: An International Sourcebook, persons per acre include residence and jobs, and is a gross measure over all land area. There is a threshold

at 35-persons/hectare (~14.2 persons/acre) below which driving increases markedly.46 Most indexes’ low range for persons-per-acre starts at 14. However Asheville’s highest ratio of people per acre within the study area was eight so measurement ranges were adjusted accordingly. Data was gathered from the 2009 Longitudinal EmployerHousehold Dynamics (LEHD) dataset and Census data. When considering future transit investment, it is important to reinforce existing employment locations and connect them to high-density residential neighborhoods. The Measurement: High: > 8 persons/ acre Moderate: 4-8 persons/ acre Low: > 4 persons/ acre FIGURE6.4: Inflow/Outflow Job Counts in 2009.

Data Source: Based on information from http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 44 Development, Center of Transit-Oriented. “Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places.” (2009). Print. 45 Farr, Doug. Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007. Print. 46 Development, Center of Transit-Oriented. “Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places.” (2009). Print. 47 http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/.

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M T 4 H C B A

A B

Data Source: Based on information from http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Findings :

Total Number of Jobs and Residents per Acre

The Findings: FIGURE6.5: Merrimon Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence.

Moderate

Low

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

5 persons/ acre 5 persons/ acre 2 persons/ acre

4 A

4 B

M T 4 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Total Number of Jobs and Residents per Acre

FIGURE6.6: Haywood Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence.

H H 62

4 B

Low Low

Data Source: Based on information from http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Findings48: Haywood Road Study Area A:

4 persons/ acre

Haywood Road Study Area B:

4 persons/ acre

http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/.

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 4 H C B A

A B

Data Source: Based on information from http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Total Number of Jobs and Residents per Acre

FIGURE6.7: Tunnel Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence.

Low

The Findings : 49

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

2 persons/ acre

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

3 persons/ acre

http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/.

Low

T T

4 B

M T 5 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances.50 The Measure: Percentage of diverse housing types. The Explanation: Housing diversity means multiple housing types (single family, detached townhomes, apartments, etc.) within a community. Housing diversity promotes housing choices for the entire community; it enables neighborhoods to provide for changing demographics, lifestyles and life stages.

However, due to a lack of information on the number of dwelling units in each category, the diversity of housing types could not be generated using this method. It is necessary to include this method because of the important role a cogent set of standards plays in sustainability. Although this standard measure was not utilized in this study the diversity of housing types were generated for each study area. Merrimon Study Area A had the greatest mix of housing types; with the densest character of all the corridors and study areas. Merrimon Study Area C was the least diverse of the all the corridors’ study areas. FIGURE6.8: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area C StudyMerrimon Area C:

Residen

The LEED Neighborhood Development uses the measures proposed related to housing diversity in communities. A specific measure of housing diversity has been Housing Diversity and Accessibility which is based on an extensive list of housing categories set forth in the LEED ND policies. They include:

Residen Leaseh

Residen

Mobile

Multipl <10ac

Apartm

Study Area B Study Merrimon Area B:

Reside

• Housing categories are listed (detached residential, duplex, multi-family, live/work unit, ADU, etc.) and differentiated by size. • An index score for a development is used where points are earned based on the number of different housing categories included in the development.

Reside Lease

Reside

Mobil

Multip <10ac

Apartm

Merrimon Study Area A

Score = 1-Σ (n/N) n = the total number of dwellings in a single category, and N = the total number of dwellings in all categories. 64

Study Area A:

Resid

Resid Lease

Resid

Mobi

Multi <10a

Apart

COMPLETEcorridors t

FIGURE6.9: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart. Haywood A: Study Area A Study Area

Residential

HaywoodB: Study Area B Study Area

Residential <10ac with a Leasehold Residential Condo Mobile Home Multiple Residences <10ac Apartments

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Study Area B Study Area B:

Residential

Residential Residential <10ac with a Leasehold

Residential <10ac with a Leasehold

Residential Condo

Mobile Home

Multiple Residences <10ac

Apartments

Residential

Residential Condo

Apartments

Mobile Home Multiple Residences <10ac

High

Low

Moderate

Mobile Home Multiple Residences <10ac

Residential Condo

A B

Residential <10ac with a Leasehold

M T 5 H

The Measurement & The Findings51: The following are the corridor’s study areas diverse housing types from highest to lowest: Merrimon Study Area A Tunnel Study Area A Haywood Study Area A Haywood Study Area B Tunnel Study Area B Merrimon Study Area B Merrimon Study Area C

Moderate

High

Apartments 50

A B

FIGURE6.10: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types.

Tunnel Study Area A Study Area A:

Residential

C B A

Moderate

5 A

5 B

M T 6 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density The Intent: To encourage development in existing areas to conserve land and protect farmland and wildlife habitat as well as promote livability, walkability, and transportation efficiency, including reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and to improve public health encouraging daily physical activity associated with alternative modes of transportation and compact development.52

gross floor area of a building = FAR total area of the lot FIGURE6.12: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area C:

The Measure: Floor to Area Ratio. The Explanation: Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which the building is located. Higher densities make it possible for people to walk, bicycle, or use the bus. One important way to increase development densities is to increase the allowable floor area ratio (FAR). Figure 6.10 illustrates three different buildings with the same floor area ratio (FAR 1.0).

Study Area B:

FIGURE6.11: Floor Area Ratio.

Data Source: “New York City Handbook, Appendix D.” 6. Dec. 2010.<http://www.tenant. net/Other_Laws/zoning/zonap-d.html>.

Study Area A:

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 6 H C B A

A B

FIGURE6.13: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area B:

Study Area A:

FIGURE6.14: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area B:

Study Area A:

The Measurement: The information utilized to generate the FAR for parcels along the corridors were from the City of Asheville GIS data and Buncombe County’s Tax Assessors’ website: http://www.buncombetax.org. It should be noted that not all properties gross floor area of the building were listed; therefore their FAR was unable to be calculated. Those properties and those with an FAR of 0 are outlined in red. Many indexes start their ranges for FAR at as 0.75. High: > 1.0 FAR Moderate: 0.5-1.0 FAR Low: < 0.5 FAR

The Findings53: The following are the corridor’s study areas with the largest amount of parcels with a 1.0 or higher FAR from highest to lowest: Haywood Study Area B Haywood Study Area A Merrimon Study Area B Merrimon Study Area C Merrimon Study Area A Tunnel Study Area B Tunnel Study Area A

High

Low

High

Low

6 A

6 B

M T H C B A

A B

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Mixed-Use: “A mix of uses is often integral to the vitality of a neighborhood; the mix can include not only residential and commercial but also a variety of retail, services, community facilities, and other ‘diverse uses,’ whether available within the neighborhood or adjacent. Urban theorist Ray Oldenburg classifies diverse uses as ‘Third Places’—small neighborhood grocers, coffee shops, pubs, or post offices that allow residents and workers to mingle and have social interactions. A mix of active and diverse retail uses on a walkable street can create a place that is alive day and night, and not closed down at 6 p.m.”54 According to The Arroyo Group , a land planning firm “mixed-use development is development that integrates compatible residential, commercial, office, institutional or other uses within the same structure, or in separate buildings on the project site as a single, unified development.” The uses can be integrated horizontally or vertically, depending on the zone and location, however, a typical mixed-use project often consists of ground ﬂoor retail with either housing or office space above. Some mixed-use projects are not limited to uses within one building and may include entire neighborhoods where different uses are mixed together in close proximity. Many planners see mixed-use projects that have a housing component as an important factor in reviving urban and industrial areas. Mixed-use is merely one possible component in development that can help achieve objectives such as increasing density, reducing the number of vehicles, creating localized employment, gentriﬁcation of urban neighborhoods, and providing dynamic living environments. Mixed-used development was the most prominent style of development during the much of the early evolution of cities and towns in America. Because people walked for daily transportation, it was most convenient to locate the uses in proximity. 68

In many instances people work from their own homes. This is particularly true in urbanized areas, where the bottom floor is devoted to some sort of commercial use, and living space is upstairs. Mixed-used development fell out of favor during the Industrial Age in favor of more efficient manufacturing in dedicated structures. Many of these buildings produced substantial industrial pollution, detrimental to those who lived nearby and was instrumental in creating zoning that separated land uses. To protect both public health and residential property values, early zoning focused on separating different uses and buffering them from each other to minimize nuisances. This separation, however, was extended to commercial uses as well, setting the stage for the suburban style of life that is common in America today. This type of single-use zoning was widely adopted by municipal zoning codes. Completely separate zoning created isolated “islands” of each type of development. In many cases, the automobile became a requirement for transportation between residential neighborhoods and the separate commercial and office strips. In the late 20th century, it became apparent to many urban planners and other professionals that mixed-use development had many benefits and should be promoted again. As American cities deindustrialized, the need to separate residences from dangerous factories became less important. Many professionals and citizens alike now argue that a mixture of uses is vital and necessary for a healthy urban area. This understanding of the inter-connectedness of the urban experience supports both the physical, philosophical and psychological health of a community. Different communities choose mixed-use development for different reasons. Some proponents see it as an excellent way to incorporate a mix of housing types on a small scale while enhancing traditional town character. Others see it primarily as a vehicle for revitalizing struggling areas and spurring economic development. Still others use it to create or enhance downtowns or village centers, particularly when located near transit. Whatever the

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reason for choosing mixed-use development, it has many potential beneﬁts.

FIGURE6.15: Uses Along the Corridors.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

A B

• Promotes pedestrian & bicycle travel. • Reduces auto dependency, roadway congestion, and air pollution by collocating multiple destinations. • Increases the area available for residential development and provides more housing opportunities and choices. • Provides more “eyes on the street” thereby increasing public safety in the area. • Enhances an area’s unique identity and development potential (e.g., village centers, locations near transit). • Promotes a sense of community by fostering social equity through a spectrum of housing and jobs.”

According to the Arroyo Group “mixed-use developments do the following: • Fosters pedestrian-oriented activity nodes by providing a mix of uses in compact, walkable areas. • Spurs revitalization of deteriorating urban areas by integrating residential uses and public institutions into the commercial fabric to create an active street scene. • Increase the viability of local shops and facilities and offers convenience to residents. • Allows for greater variety of land uses and structures, including adaptive reuse of existing structures and ﬂexibility in site planning. • Promotes efficient use of land and infrastructure, particularly parking and transit.

M T H C B A

The program Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) and the Buncombe County Property Class Code feature of parcels along each corridor were used to generate Figure 6.14 which illustrates the uses along the corridor. The size of the word directly correlates to the number of times that the word appears in a list. 54

Group, The Arroyo. Santa Fe Depot Speciﬁc Plan Update. Web. Accessed 19 Mar. 2011. <http://www.arroyogroup.com/santafedepot/OR-FactSheet-MixedUse.pdf>.

Merrimon Avenue Study Areas:

Haywood Road Study Areas:

Tunnel Road Study Areas:

M T 7 H C B A

A B

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THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services The Intent: To reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) as well as to reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling. To encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances.55 The Measure: Ratio of neighborhood shops, services, and facilities along that the corridor is within Âź- mile walk distance of at least five diverse uses.56 The Explanation: The properties along the corridors were first categorized using the Buncombe County Property Class Code; observations were placed into the categories below. The CB Property Class Code is used to numerically designate activities on a property. Properties such as residential uses, industrial and auto-centric uses were not considered in the calculations. Once categorized, existing infrastructure such as sidewalks and crosswalks were considered to analyze the walkablility from one use area to another. It should be noted that direct pedestrian access through the site (i.e. parking lot) was not considered in this calculations. Food Retail

Supermarket Other food store with produce

Community-Serving Retail

Clothing store or department store selling clothes Convenience store Farmers market Hardware store Pharmacy Other retail

Services

Bank Gym, health club, exercise studio Hair care Laundry, dry cleaner Restaurant, cafĂŠ, diner (excluding establishments with only drive-throughs)

Civic and Community Facilities

Adult or senior care (licensed) Child care (licensed) Community or recreation center Cultural arts facility (museum, performing arts) Educational facility (including Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;12 school, university, adult education center, vocational school, community college) Family entertainment venue (theater, sports) Government office that serves public on-site Place of worship Medical clinic or office that treats patients Police or fire station Post office Public library Public park Social services center

The qualifying uses must include at least one food retail establishment and at least one service from each of two other categories, with the following limitations: a. A single establishment may not be counted in two categories (e.g., a place of worship may be counted only once even if it also contains a daycare facility, and a retail store may be counted only once even if it sells products in several categories). b. Establishments in a mixed-use building may each count if they are distinctly operated enterprises with separate exterior entrances, but no more than half of the minimum number of diverse uses can be situated in a single building or under a common roof.

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M T 7 H C B A

A B

FIGURE6.16: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services; Node1. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

c. Only two establishments in a single category may be counted (e.g., if five restaurants are within the required distance, only two may be counted).

The Measurement: High: >15 Moderate: 7-15 Low: < 557 The Findings58: Merrimon Avenue had three nodes that meet this criterion. Node One (Figure 6.15) is located in Study Area A. This node centers on the Green Life grocery store. There are 11 diverse uses within ¼ mile walk of each other. Nodes Two and Three (Figure 6.16) are located in Study Area C. These nodes center on the Fresh Market grocery store and the Ingles grocery stores, respectively. Node Two has 16 diverse uses within ¼ mile of each other. Node Three has 15 diverse uses within ¼ mile of each other.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

FIGURE6.17: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services; Node2&3. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

11 0

High

Low

High

7 A

7 B

M T 7 H C B A

A B

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The Findings59: Haywood Road had two nodes (Figure 6.17) that meet this criterion. Each node had 10 diverse uses within Âź mile walk of each other. The two nodes were both located in Study Area A and centered on the Ingles grocery store and a small grocery store/ deli. Haywood Road Study Area A:

Haywood Road Study Area B:

The Findings60: Tunnel Road had no portions along the corridor that meet this criteria, the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks, lack of diverse uses as well as only one Food Retail (Supermarket and Other food Store with produce) played a role in this determination.

H H T T 72

7 B

Moderate Low

Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

Low Low 59

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville. Ibid.

0 0

FIGURE6.18: Haywood Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services; Node1&2. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

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THEgray, ELEMENTeight: Access to Schools

M T 8 H C B A

A B

PHOTO6.1: School on Merrimon Avenue. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: To promote community interaction and engagement by integrating schools into the neighborhood as well as to support students’ health by encouraging walking and bicycling to school.61 The Measure: Amount of ‘needed linkage’ in linear feet as identified in the 2005 Update to the City of Ashville Pedestrian Plan within 1/2-mile walk distance of an existing or planned elementary or middle school or within a 1-mile walk distance of an existing or planned high school. The Explanation: The numbers of schools in each study area were determined. Then the average amount of ‘needed linkage’ along the corridor within ½ mile of walk distance of an existing or planned elementary or middle school or within a 1-mile walk distance of an existing or planned high school was divided by the number of schools in each study area; the lower the ‘needed linkage’ the higher the sustainability of that Study Area for this element. No schools are located in Merrimon Avenue Study Area B. The Measurement & The Findings : The amount of ‘needed linkage’ per the above explanation are listed from lowest to highest, the lower the ‘needed linkage’ the higher the “completeness” of that study area for this element.

High

n/a

High

Low

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: n/a Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 880 LF Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 3486 LF Tunnel Road Study Area A: 7742 LF Haywood Road Study Area B: 8733 LF Tunnel Road Study Area B: 11023 LF Haywood Road Study Area A: 17466 LF

Moderate

Low

8 A

8 B

M T 9 H C B A

A B

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THEgray, ELEMENTnine: Access to Mixed-Use The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances.63 The Measure: The number of Mixed-Use developments The Explanation: The American Planning Association (APA) defines Horizontal Mixed-Use as single-use buildings on distinct parcels in a range of land uses in one planned development project. This approach avoids the financing and code complexities of vertical layers while achieving the goal of place making that is made possible by bringing together complementary uses into one place. APA defines Vertical Mixed-Use as different uses in the same building. The lower floors generally have more public uses, with private uses on the upper level. They can have any number of revenueproducing and mutually supportive uses in the same building. The typical vertical mixed-use building includes residential space on an upper floor and a commercial use on the lower floor. “Developing more than one use in a project, regardless of the location, can create a synergy between users of that project: The ability to walk to a restaurant at lunchtime rather than driving to the mall; being able to walk to a health club before or after work; taking care of several errands once you’ve parked your car; and in some instances, living near work and minimizing commuting time and hassles.”64 Mixed use is merely one possible component in development that can help achieve a COMPLETEcorridor. 74

Observations, the City of Asheville’s GIS data, and five

categories of: Residential, Food Retail, CommunityServicing Retail, Services and Civic Community Facilities (established by LEED ND) were used to establish the existence of mixed-use. Limitations are as follows: a. A single establishment may not be counted as mixed use (e.g., a place of worship may be counted only once even if it also contains a daycare facility, and a retail store may be counted only once even if it sells products in several categories). b. Establishments in a mixed-use building may each count if they are distinctly operated enterprises with separate exterior entrance. c. Only one establishments in a single category may be counted (e.g., if five restaurants are within the building, only one may be counted). Strip commercial building, row retail, etc would not be considered if they only have the use of retail.

The Measurement & The Findings65: Merrimon Study Area A has one horizontal mixed-use development; this area is identified as Node1 in THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services. Residential (Photo 6.3; d), Food Retail (Photo 6.4), Services and Civic Community Facilities (Photo 6.3; a,b,c) uses occurring on one parcel of land. This example of horizontal mixed-use is a great example of redevelopment such as the preservation of existing structures which contribute to the street edge (promotes walkablity) as well as the developments unique character. This example also serves as an example of need for pedestrian direct connections and pathways; specifically the lack of direct pedestrian access to Green Life which requires a pedestrian to traverse a large parking lot. Tunnel Study Area B’s instances of horizontal mixeduse also suffer from lack of direct pedestrian access. Haywood Study Area A was comprised four vertical mixeduse developments. This area is identified as Node One in THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services. Residential,

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Food Retail, Services and Civic Community Facilities uses occur in these buildings. Haywood Study Areas A & B and Merrimon Study Area B currently have the structures with opportunities for mixed-use but their potential is not being realized.

M T 9 H C B A

A B

PHOTO6.2: Vertical Mixed-Use. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The following corridors are study areas’ mixed-use developments results. Only parcels with frontage along the corridors were examined. They include: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: PHOTO6.3: Horizontal Mixed-Use. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

0, 0, 1, 2, 1, 1, 0,

0 4 2 1 1 0 0

0,0

Low

Moderate

High

PHOTO6.4: Horizontal Mixed-Use. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Moderate

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 64 Jacobsen, Will Fleissig and Vickie. In Collaboration with the Congress for New Urbanism and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Smart Scorecard for Development Projects.” (2002). <http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/scorecards/Scorecard_expfleissigjacobsen.pdf>. 65 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville, windshield surveys and site visits.

Low

Moderate

9 A

9 B

M T 3 H C B A

A B

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THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space The Intent: To improve physical and mental health and social capital by providing a variety of open spaces close to work and home that facilitate social networking, civic engagement, physical activity, and time spent outdoors.66 The Measure: Percentage of study area within ¼ mile of a civic or passiveuse space, such as a square, park, paseo, or plaza.67 The Measurement: The following are the corridor’s study areas percentage within ¼ mile of a civic or passive-use space, such as a square, park, paseo, or plaza from highest to lowest. High: >75% Moderate: 50-74% Low: < 49% It should be noted that proximity of a 5 min. walk to civic or passive-use spaces does not always translate into walkablility. Tunnel Road Study Area A and B has the greatest percentage of civic or passive space per study area and the some of the lowest percentage of existing sidewalk infrastructure. Tunnel Road Study Area A had the highest percentage of ‘needed linkage’ while Tunnel Road Study Area B has the lowest percentage of ‘needed linkage’ per the 2005 Update to the City of Ashville Pedestrian Plan. The lack of crosswalks across collector road (i.e. Swannanoa River Road) emphasizes this point.

The Findings 68: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 7% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 80% of study area is within a 5 min. walk. Tunnel Road Study Area B: 24% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 74% of study area is within a 5 min. walk. Tunnel Road Study Area A: 10% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 54% of study area is within a 5 min. walk. Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 1% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 54% of study area is within a 5 min. walk. Haywood Road Study Area B: 5% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 47% of study area is within a 5 min. walk. Haywood Road Study Area A: 1 % of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 41% of Study Area is within a 5 min. walk. Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 0.01% of study area consists of civic or passive-use space; 5% of study area is within a 5 min. walk.

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M T 3 H C B A

A B

FIGURE6.19 Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Merrimon Avenue:

80%

.5%

54%

.01%

Haywood Road:

47%

41%

1% Tunnel Road:

54%

74%

High

Moderate

Low

Moderate

Moderate 10%

24%

3 A

3 B

M T 4 H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgreen, ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production The Intent: To promote community-based food production, improve nutrition through increased access to fresh produce, support preservation of small farms producing a wide variety of crops, reduce the negative environmental effects of large-scale industrialized agriculture, and support local economic development that increases the economic value and production of farmlands and community gardens.69 The Measure: Existence of community/ neighborhood gardens within ¼ mile of study area and the existence of farmer’s markets within a ½ mile of study area.

The Measurement & The Findings70: The following study areas within ¼ mile of community/ neighborhood gardens and within a ½ mile of farmers market. Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Community Gardens

Pearson Garden Demeter’s Garden Claxton Elementary School Garden Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Garden

Farmers Market

North Asheville Tailgate Market City of Asheville Farmer’s Market

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Community Gardens Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church

Haywood Road Study Area A: Community Gardens

Burton Street Community Peace Garden Vance Elementary School Garden

Farmers Market

West Asheville Tailgate Market

Haywood Road Study Area B: Community Gardens

Hall Fletcher Elementary School Garden Joyner Garden

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 70 Information and location of gardens and farmer’s market made by observations and www.bountifulcitiesproject.com and www.localharvest.org. CSA (food must be grown within 150 miles) drop off location within Study Areas could also be a measure but there was inadequate information available to access and location.

COMPLETEcorridors t

FIGURE6.20: Merrimon Avenue’s Finding for THEgreen, ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production.

Data Source: COA GIS data, www.bountifulcitiesproject.com and www.localharvest.org. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

M T 4 H C B A

A B

FIGURE6.21: Haywood Road’s Finding for THEgreen, ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production.

Data Source: COA GIS data, www.bountifulcitiesproject.com and www.localharvest.org. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

4 A

4 B

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i n d e x :

M U L T I - m o d a l

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T H C B A

A B

Transportation Options: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where there are good transportation options and workers choose to take alternatives to the car, fewer parking spaces are needed, and less public space overall is devoted to the car. This becomes a positive feedback loop, in which public space is used by pedestrians walking to work, transit, lunch, and/or home, and more resources and FIGURE7.1: Commutes to Work.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey. Created By: L.Graham Stewart.

worked at home

other means

space can then be allocated to improving the pedestrian realm.â&#x20AC;?71 Figure 7.1 illustrates the commute to work for the following areas: Tunnel Road, Haywood Road, Merrimon Avenue, City of Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina and United State of America. 71

Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places, 2009.

Tunnel Road

Worked at home

Haywood Road

Taxicab, motorcycle, or other m

bicycle

Merrimon Avenue

Bicycle

walked

Asheville Walked

Buncombe County

Public transportation (excludin

public transit

Carpooled

North Carolina

carpool Drove alone United States

drove alone 0

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T H C B A

A B

FIGURE7.2: Population Density, Employment Clusters and Existing Transit Routes. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created By: L.Graham Stewart.

FIGURE7.3: Commute to Work, Census Blocks Along Corridors. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created By: L.Graham Stewart. Worked at Home

Tunnel Road Corridor

Other Means Bicycle Walked

Haywood Road Corridor Merrimon Avenue Corridor

Public Transportation Carpooled Drove Alone

M T 10 H C B A

10 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit, Bus Stops

The Findings: FIGURE7.4: Merrimon Avenue’s Finding for THEgrey, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit, Bus Stops. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

THEintent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure. To reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.72 THEmeasure: Percentage of Study Area within a ¼ mile walks of a bus stop.73 THEexplanation: Using Census Tract information, the Population Density for each tract is shown in greyscale, the densest area shown in black to the least dense area shown in white. A ¼ mile buffer was generated from each bus stop to illustrate the percentage of each Study Area with a 5-minute walk of transit. THEmeasurement: High: More than 75% Moderate: 74%- 50% Low: <50%

High

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

High

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 72

Moderate

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

94% 79% 65%

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 10 H C B A

10 A B

A B

The Findings: FIGURE7.5: Haywood Road’s Finding for THEgrey, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit, Bus Stops. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

75% 60%

The Findings: FIGURE7.6: Tunnel Road’s Finding for THEgrey, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit, Bus Stops. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

73% 45%

High Moderate Low Moderate

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Bus Stop Amenities74:

PHOTO7.1: Bus Stop Amenities.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Below are the percentages of bus stops with amenities for each study area, amenities range from shelters to benches. Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

16% 23% 8% 15% 20% 17% 1%

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

PHOTO7.2: Bus Stop Amenities. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO7.3: Bus Stop Amenities. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

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THEgray, ELEMENTeleven: Access to Transit, Daily Transit Service Trips

The Findings 76: All Study Areas has Daily Services Trips of 48.

The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as to reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT).75

Merrimon Avenue All Study Areas:

The Measure: Daily transit service trips. The Explanation: Asheville currently has 24 routes with 60 minute service on each; with the exception of the pulse operation twice per hour at downtown transit center. The transit operates at 6am to 6pm; 24 trips a day. However the 2009 Transit Master Plan identifies transit routes that will begin to have 30 minute service; 48 transit trips a day. Figure 7.7 shows the transit routes in color and the study areas in grey.

Haywood Road All Study Areas: Tunnel Road All Study Areas:

M T 11 H C B A

11 A B

A B

48 48 48

FIGURE7.7: Transit Routes & Study Areas.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Measurement: High: >47 trips per day Moderate: >23 trips per day Low: <23 trips per day

Yes Yes 75

Yes

C B A

H T

A B

11 A B

M T 12 H C B A

12 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as to reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.77

High High Moderate Moderate Moderate Low Low

The Measurement & The Findings78: The amount of existing bicycle facilities is as follows, from highest to lowest:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

The Explanation & The Findngs: Using the data generated from the NCDOT website (http:// www.ncdot.org/it/gis/DataDistribution/DOTData/default. html) to calculate the existing bicycle infrastructure in each study area. The larger the amount of existing bicycle facilities the higher sustainability of that study area for this element. The larger the amount of existing bicycle facilities the higher the “completeness” of that study area for this element. It should be noted that the types of facilities were not identified, i.e. signs, lanes, etc.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

The study used the data generated from the City of Asheville’s 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan to illustrate the percentage of bike improvements needed in each corridor’s study area. The information for each study area is also follows from the highest need to the lowest:

Haywood Road Study Area B:

The Measure: Amount of existing bicycle facilities.

Needed Bicycle Facilities79:

THEgray, ELEMENTtwelve: Access for Bicycles

98712 LF 70831 LF 42870 LF 40155 LF 35594 LF 25081 LF 17423 LF

Haywood Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 77

32% 32% 32% 23% 21% 20% 17%

PHOTO7.4: Bicycle Lane. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors t

Bicycle Amenities80:

M T H C B A

A B

PHOTO7.5: Bicycle Rack. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The number of bicycle racks in each study area is as follows: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A,B,C: Haywood Road Study Area A,B: Tunnel Road Study Area A,B:

57, 2, 0 5, 1 4, 0

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville.

PHOTO7.6: Lack of Bicycle Racks. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO7.7: Bicycle Lane Signage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

M T 13 H C B A

13 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTthirteen:

PHOTO7.8: Existing Linkage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Access to Sidewalks, Study Area The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as to reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.81 The Measure: Percentage of study area with sidewalk.

The Explanation: Data from the 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan was used to generate the existing sidewalks and the ‘needed linkage.’ The ideal situation is a sidewalk to be found on each side of the street. Sidewalks width and design should respond to their context, wider sidewalks (7-8’) in more urban areas minimum of 5’ in other areas.

High Low Moderate Moderate High Low

The Measurement & The Findings82: For this element, the higher the percentage for facilities, the higher the “completeness” of that study area. The amount of existing sidewalks facilities from highest to lowest are as follows: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B: 81

Low

48% 20% 16% 14% 8% 5% 1%

PHOTO7.9: Existing Linkage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors t

Needed Linkage: The study used the data generated from the City 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan to illustrate the percentage of ‘needed linkage’ in each corridor’s study area. The information for each study area is also follows from the highest need to the lowest: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

M T H C B A

A B

PHOTO7.10: Needed Linkage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

17% 10% 6% 5% 3% 3% 3%

The Photo 7.8-7.11 illustrates some of the existing and needed sidewalks along the corridors. Photo 7.8 is located on Tunnel Road. It is a stark example of a well-defined pedestrian way. The photograph also represents a verge or furnishing zone. A Furnishing Zone is defined by the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities: An ITE Proposed Recommended Practice as “a multi–purpose area of the roadside. It serves as a buffer between the pedestrian travel way and the vehicular area of the thoroughfare within the curbs, and it provides space for roadside appurtenances such as street trees, planting strips, street furniture, utility poles, sidewalk cafés, sign poles, signal and electrical cabinets, phone booths, fire hydrants, bicycle racks, and bus stop shelters.” Photo 7.9 illustrates the absence of a furnishing zone. Clearly, Tunnel Road has the least amount of existing sidewalks. A large amount of the right-of-way along Tunnel Road has desire lines (Photo 7.10), which are a path developed by erosion caused by animal or human footfall. The path usually represents the shortest or most easily navigated route between an origin and destination. The width and amount of erosion of the line represents the amount of demand. Photo 7.11 depicts stairs that lead to nowhere; an excellent example of failed pedestrian circulation.

PHOTO7.11: Needed Linkage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

M T 14 H C B A

14 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen: Access to Sidewalks, Along Corridor

The Explanation: Using the data generated from the 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan to illustrate the existing sidewalks along the corridor. The Measurement: High: More than 75% Moderate: 74%- 50% Low: <50% The Findings84:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 14

88% 68% 84%

High Moderate 83

High

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Measure: Percentage of study area along the corridor with sidewalk.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

FIGURE7.8: Merrimon Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen:Access to Sidewalks, Along Corridor.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

Study Area A:

Study Area B:

PHOTO7.9: Existing Linkage. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Study Area C:

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Findings85:

FIGURE7.9: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen:Access to Sidewalks, Along Corridor. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

M T 14 H C B A

14 A B

A B

Study Area A:

68% 31% Study Area B:

The Findings86:

FIGURE7.10: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen:Access to Sidewalks, Along Corridor. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

Study Area A:

6% 32% Study Area B:

Moderate Low Low

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville. Ibid.

Low

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Crosswalks87:

PHOTO7.12: Existing Crosswalk. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

A crosswalk every 800’ is ideal; however, the average distance of crosswalks per study area are as follows:

1/900 ‘

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

1/917 ‘ 1/1000 ‘ 1/930’ 1/2970’

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

1/4933’

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

1/3393’

PHOTO7.13: Lack of Crosswalks. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville.

COMPLETEcorridors t

PHOTO7.14: Existing Crosswalk.

PHOTO7.15: Existing Crosswalk.

PHOTO7.16: Existing Crosswalk.

PHOTO7.17: Existing Crosswalk.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

M T H C B A

A B

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors the index: NEIGHBOORHOODpattern, DESIGN, & CHARACTER

M T 15 H C B A

15 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTfifteen: Intersections The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure. To encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing cities, suburbs, and towns while limiting the expansion of the development footprint in the region to appropriate circumstances. To reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.88

The Findings91: FIGURE8.1: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfifteen: Intersections.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Measure: Average intersections/ square mile as measured with a 1/2-mile distance of the corridor’s centerline.89 The Explanation: Intersection density is commonly used in walkability research (Saelens et al. 2003, Ewing and Cervero 2010, Lee and Moudon 2006, Leslie et al. 2005, Berrigan et al. 2010)90. When a neighborhood has a robust network of internal streets and good connections to surrounding communities, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers can commute more efficiently and safely. Multiple intersections and short blocks also give pedestrians a more interesting built environment. LEEDS ND awards the lowest points for 200 intersections per square mile. The highest points was 400 intersections per square mile. Twin Cities CTLUS Initiative’s low range is from 150, and there high range is 300 intersections per square mile. 15

High Low Low

The Measurement: Average intersections/ square mile High: <200 Moderate: 200- 150 Low: >150

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

225 129 54

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 15 H C B A

15 A B

A B

The Findings92: FIGURE8.2: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfifteen: Intersections. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

251 129

The Findings93: FIGURE8.3:Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTfifteen: Intersections. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

77 61

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 89 Ibid. 90 Walk Score, Find a Walkable Place to Live”. <http://www.walkscore.com/how-itworks.shtml>. 91 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville. 92 Ibid. 93 Ibid.

High Low Low Low

M T 16 H C B A

16 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Lengths

The Findings96: FIGURE8.4: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Lengths.

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: To reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.94 The Measure: Average block lengths with in the study areas.95 The Explanation: Block lengths are commonly used measures in walkablility research (Saelens et al. 2003, Ewing and Cervero 2010, Lee and Moudon 2006, Leslie et al. 2005, Berrigan et al. 2010) (Get Your Walk Score - A Walkablility Score For Any Address.10 Dec. 2010.) When a neighborhood has a robust network of internal streets and good connections to surrounding communities, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers can move more efficiently and more safely. Multiple intersections and short blocks also give pedestrians a more interesting environment. The Measurement: Average block lengths with in the study area: High: <5 acres / block Moderate: <5-8 acres / block Low: > 8 acres/ block 6

High 94

Low Low

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

5ac 10ac 15ac

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 16 H C B A

16 A B

A B

The Findings97: FIGURE8.5: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Lengths. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

5ac 5ac

The Findings98: FIGURE8.6: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Lengths. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

18 ac 22 ac High High Low Low

M T 17 H C B A

17 A B

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THEgray, ELEMENTseventeen: Access to On-street Parking The Intent: To design parking to increase the pedestrian orientation and minimize the adverse environmental effects of parking facilities as well as to reduce public health risks by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.99 The Measure: Existence of on-street parking.

The Explanation: In this instance, on-street parking serves two purposes. It provides convenient access to building entrances and buffers pedestrians on the sidewalks from vehicular traffic. LEED ND requires that on-street parking is provided on a minimum of 70% of both sides of all new and existing streets in order for a project to receive points. Haywood Avenue is the only corridor that has on-street parking. The study recognizes that on-street parking is not appropriate along all corridors but other traffic calming measures could be utilized.

No No Yes Yes No 99

The Findings100: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Tunnel Road Study Area B:

PHOTO8.1: On-Street Parking. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

No No No Yes Yes No No

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 18 H C B A

18 A B

A B

THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking The Intent: To design parking to increase the pedestrian orientation and minimize the adverse environmental effects of parking facilities as well as to reduce public health risks by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.101 The Measure: Percentage of parking lot located between the building and the street, along the corridor. The Explanation: “Businesses often want parking to be as readily visible and easily accessible as possible so that potential patrons arriving by car will know that they will be able park nearby quickly and easily. Building parking in front of buildings where it is most visible from the street, however, seriously detracts from the pedestrian environment and makes the area less comfortable to spend time in. When buildings front directly on the street, they create a lively and inviting environment where people can feel comfortable walking from store to store, rather than getting back in the car to drive a block or two to their next destination. To balance these concerns, one strategy is to require that new buildings when appropriate to locate their parking behind the building, away from the street, but ensure that there is adequate signage directing drivers to available parking. In more auto-oriented areas, a few ‘teaser’ spaces can be provided along the side of the building on the driveway that takes drivers to the lot in back”.102 In lieu of redevelopment, on-street parking (when appropriate), shared parking facilities, direct access from the building to the street, tree islands, use of pervious pavement, amenities for walkers, bicyclist and transit users are also ways to combat the large swaths of pavement.

The Measurement & The Findings103: The percentage of parcels along the corridors with parking between the building and the street (residential parcels not included in calculation) are listed below from lowest to highest. The lower the percentage of parking lots located between the building and the street, the higher the “completeness” of that study area for this element. Haywood Road Study Area B: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A:

24% 29% 46% 48% 51% 54% 91%

101 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 102 “Locate Parking Strategically-Metropolitan Area Planning Council.” Metropolitan Area Planning Council | Promoting Smart Growth and Regional Collaboration. N.p., n.d. Web. Accessed 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mapc.org/resources/parking-toolkit/ strategies-topic/locate-strategically>. 103 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

105

M T 18 H C B A

A B

18 A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

FIGURE8.7: Merrimon Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

106

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 18 H C B A

18 A B

A B

FIGURE8.8: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE8.9: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Moderate Moderate Moderate High High Low Moderate

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Walkability Walkablility is a measure of how easy it is to walk around in an area easily and safely. Walking and walkablility provide a variety of benefits, including basic mobility, consumer cost savings, cost savings (reduced external costs), efficient land use, community livability, improved fitness and public health, and economic development. According to a study conducted by the Carolina Transportation Program University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Transportation Program: Walkable Environments and Walking Activity, the common elements in walkable neighborhoods are:

108

• Pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks typically at least five feet wide, trails, crosswalks, and other infrastructure and street treatments. • Accessibility and convenience (proximity of multiple destinations). • Mixed land uses. • Connectivity, such as short block lengths, grid pattern with many intersections and few cul-de-sac, efficient connections to many destinations including schools, parks, services, etc. • Parks, plazas and open space and ample supply of welldesigned parks and greenways within a short walk of majority of residences. • Aesthetics, including pleasant atmosphere, attractive architecture, landscaping and trees on majority of the streetscape, well-lit public areas, outdoor seating in residential and commercial areas. • Traffic calming and street safety including streets designed to limit speeds (curb extensions, street narrowing, tree canopies, mini-circles, on-street parking), 15-20 mph speed limit around schools, 15-25 mph speed limit on most residential streets, 30-35 mph speed limit on collectors. • Transit access such as transit stops within ½-mile of origins, ample routes and stops, activities that are walkable to transit. • Street orientation such as efficient street orientation, shallow setbacks. • Residential density at least six or seven dwelling units/ acre and higher density for multi-family homes to promote

efficiency use of urban land. • Neighborhood schools, including elementary schools within ½ mile of most households with children, middle schools within 1 mile, pedestrian access points, traffic calming features and low posted speeds. • Americans with Disabilities compliance including new walkways, trails, and sidewalks ADA-compliant, two curb ramps/corner, one curb ramp on each side of marked midblock crossing.104

This study will examine some of these criteria along each corridor.

Defined Pedestrain Way A defined pedestrian way is important for pedestrian safety. For the purposes of this study, the quality of this pedestrian way is defined by the clarity of this pedestrian route and its visual and/or physical separation or distinction from vehicular paths. • A well-defined pedestrian way will be separated from vehicular traffic, drives and parking areas. Where they intersect, pavement markings, textural change or coloration will alert drivers to the pedestrian path. • A somewhat-defined pedestrian way will have some separation or clear distinction but not consistently across the property. • An undefined or poorly defined pedestrian way will lack clear distinctions and separation between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Along all corridors there was a capacious amount of parcels with poorly defined pedestrian ways. Frequent and wide curb cuts and parking across parcels created a hazardous environment for pedestrians. This was most prevalent along Merrimon Avenue and Tunnel Road. 104

Elizabeth Shay, Steven C. Spoon, Asad J. Khattak. Walkable Environments and Walking Activity University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Transportation Program, 2003. Print.

COMPLETEcorridors t

PHOTO8.2: Defined Pedestrian way.

PHOTO8.3: Somewhat-Defined Pedestrian way.

PHOTO8.4: Un-Defined Pedestrian way.

PHOTO8.5: Obstruction of Pedestrian way.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

M T H C B A

A B

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

109

M T 19 H C B A

A B

19 A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

THETHEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way The Intent: To encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure as well as to reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). To reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.105 The Measure: (a) Direct Access: Percentage of principal functional entry on the front façade faces a public space, such as a street, square, park, paseo, or plaza, but not a parking lot, and is connected to sidewalks or equivalent provisions for walking. (b) Building Setback: Percentage of parcels along corridor within 25’ of property line. (c) Fenestration: Percentage of parcels along the corridor within 25’ of property line, with at least 60% of fenestration. (d) Drive-thru: Percentage of drive-thru facilities along corridor. (e) Height-to-Street ratio of 1:3 (i.e., a minimum of foot of building height for every 3 feet of street width).

105

110

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print.

COMPLETEcorridors t

PHOTO8.6: Direct Access.

A B

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

High

The Measurement & The Findings : (a) Direct Access: The optimal situation would be for all uses along the corridor to have a delineated path from the sidewalk to facility entrances to reduce pedestrian exposure to automobile traffic. 106

Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

19a

M T 19a H C B A

PHOTO8.7: Direct Access.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

19a

43% 38% 27% 27% 19% 2% 1%

Moderate Moderate High Moderate Low 106

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville.

Low

19a

COMPLETEcorridors i

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A: 200

FIGURE8.10: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen(b): Building Setbacks. 180

Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Merrimon Avenue

160 140 120 100 80

eunevA nomirreM

02 0

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

Haywood Road Study Area B:

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

Haywood Road Study Area A:

Haywood Road Study Area B:

48% 38% 36% 14% 13% 7% 2%

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

Haywood Road Study Area A:

The Findings108:

001

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

44’, 20’ 51’, 40’ 84’, 80’ 31’, 0’ 22’, 0’ 55’, 40’ 74’, 30’

021

Building Setbacks: The average and modal of each study areas’ buildings setback are as follows107:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

041

High: >40% Moderate: 15-39% Low: <15%

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

eun ev A nomi r r eM

The Measurement: (b) Building Setback: When building details such as shallow setbacks are present, pedestrians are more comfortable using the sidewalk facilities; neighborhoods are safer because there are more people out in the community; and commercial areas thrive. The importance of this measure in walkablility is demonstrated in LEED ND which say that new developments or redevelopments have at least 80% of the total linear feet of street-facing building façades. Also the project is no more than 25 feet from the property line and at least 50% of the total linear feet of street-facing building façades are no more than 18 feet from the property line in order to be considered walkable. However the ability for these corridors to meet such measures currently is unlikely; therefore, the measure has been adjusted to Asheville’s context. Figure 8.10 illustrates the building setbacks along the corridors.

A B

Merrimon Avenue

19b

M T 19b H C B A

Merrimon Avenue

19b

107

100

150

200

250

300

350

052

002

051

001

112

Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville. Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 108

COMPLETEcorridors t

19b

M T 19b H C B A

A B

FIGURE8.11: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen(b): Building Setbacks. Haywood Road Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart. 300 250 200 150

Haywood Road

100 50 0 0

100

120

140

160

100

120

140

160

Haywood Road

20 40 Haywood Road

60 80 100 120

Haywood Road

High

FIGURE8.12: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen(b): Building Tunnel RoadSetbacks. Data Source: COA GIS data. Created by L. Graham Stewart. 400 350

Low

300 250 200

Tunnel Road

150

Low

100

Moderate

50 0 0

Tunnel Road

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Moderate Tunnel Road

Low Low

Tunnel Road

19b

19c

M T 19c H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Measurement & The Findings: (c) Fenestration: When building details such as windows and doorways are present, pedestrians are more comfortable using the sidewalk facilities, neighborhoods are safer because there are more people out in the community, and commercial areas thrive. All ground-level retail, service, and trade uses that face a public space have clear glass on at least 60% of their façades between three and eight feet above grade.109 PHOTO8.8: Fenestration Example from Haywood Road

19c

Moderate

PHOTO8.9: Fenestration Percentage of 0%. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO8.11: Fenestration Percentage Example of20-59%.

Moderate Moderate

PHOTO8.10: Fenestration Percentage Example of 1-19%.

Study Area A.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

19c

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The following are the number of parcels along the corridor’s study areas with 60% or more fenestration on buildings are within 25’ of property lines. From highest to lowest, they are: Haywood Road Study Area A:

High

Haywood Road Study Area B:

High

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C:

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B:

25 10 8 6 4 1 0

Low

Tunnel Road Study Area A:

Low

109 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print.

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

PHOTO8.12: Fenestration Percentage Example of 60-100%. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Measurement & The Findings110: (d) Drive-thru: Reducing pedestrian exposure to automobile movement can increase the quality of the pedestrian way. Some municipalities limit these uses in specific area and/ or require pedestrian safety measures when there is a possibility for conflict. The following is the percentage of drive-thru establishments along the corridorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study areas. The lower the percentage of drive-thru along the corridor, the higher the sustainability of that study area for this element. Listed from highest to lowest percentages, they are: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

15% 11% 9% 2% 1% 1% 0%

19d

PHOTO8.13: Drive-thru.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO8.14: Drive-thru.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Moderate Moderate

High High Low Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

A B

Moderate

110

19d

M T 19d H C B A

High

19d

19e

M T 19e H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

The Measurement: (e) Height-to-Street ratio: The height-to-street-width ratio of 1:3 that is, a minimum of one foot of building height for every three feet of street width, is the optimum measure for promoting street frontage that creates of sense of closure and promotes walkablility.

• Each study areas’ modal building setback was then used to create the typical height-to-street-width ratio section of the corridor’s study area.

The Findings112:

Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A:

The following elements apply:

• Street frontage is measured in linear feet. • Building height is determined by using the Buncombe County’s Tax Assessors’ website (http://www. buncombetax.org) to determine the number of stories of each structure along the corridors. The average building height in each study area was determined by taking the average number of stories per study area, 12’ per building story. It should be noted that not all building information was listed, therefore other tools such as aerial photos and site visits were used.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Haywood Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A:

Tunnel Road Study Area B:

FIGURE8.13: Haywood and Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen(e): Height-to-Street ratio. Data Source: COA GIS data and observations. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

18’

8’ Sidewalk

7’ On-Street Parking

12’ Travel Lane

12’ Turning Lane

12’ Travel Lane

0’ Setback

7’ On-Street Parking

8’ Sidewalk

0’ Setback

12’

12’ Travel Lane

12’ Turning Lane

116

12’ Travel Lane

40’ Setback with Parking Lot

12’ Travel Lane

12’

40’ Setback with Parking Lot

COMPLETEcorridors t

19e

M T 19e H C B A

A B

FIGURE8.14: Merrimon Avenue’s Findings for THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen(e): Height-to-Street ratio. Data Source: COA GIS data and observations. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

24’

5’ Sidewalk

12’ Travel Lane

Merrimon Avenue Study Area A

12’ Travel Lane

20’ Setback with Direct Access

5’ Sidewalk

24’

20’ Setback with Direct Access

24’

5’ Sidewalk

12’ Travel Lane

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B

12’ Travel Lane

40’ Setback with Parking Lot

5’ Sidewalk

24’

Yes Yes

40’ Setback with Parking Lot

No Yes

111 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 112 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

5’ Sidewalk

12’ Travel Lane

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C

12’ Travel Lane

80’ Setback with Parking Lot

5’ Sidewalk

12’ 80’ Setback with Parking Lot 12’

Yes No No

19e

M T H C B A

A B

COMPLETEcorridors t

Design Speed

AASHTO: A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets defines design speed as a “selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway. The assumed design speed should be a logical one with respect to the topography, anticipated operating speed, the adjacent land use, and the functional classification of highway.” In the AASHTO Green Book also defines it as…”the maximum safe speed that can be maintained over a specified section of highway when conditions are so favorable that the design features of the highway govern. Design speed is influenced by the following: • The functional classification of the highway. • The character of the terrain. • The density and character of adjacent land uses. • The traffic volumes expected to use the highway. • The economic and environmental considerations. According to Context Sensitive Solutions.org, “an arterial highway warrants a higher design speed than a local road; a highway located in level terrain warrants a higher design speed than one in mountainous terrain; a highway in a rural area warrants a higher design speed than one in an urban area; and a high-volume highway warrants a higher design speed than one carrying low traffic volumes.

118

Designers need to weigh the benefits of a higher vehicle operating speed, against a higher design speed and the flexibility lost in design. It may be more important to retain the maximum possible flexibility, so that a contextsensitive roadway that is more in tune with the needs of a community is designed using a lower design speed. As used here, the term “context sensitive” refers primarily to the land use and environmental conditions adjacent to the highway. For example, for any particular highway other than a freeway or major arterial, as land use density increases the design speed would typically decrease. The design speed of an urban collector street passing through

a residential neighborhood should be appreciably lower than that for a rural highway with the same functional classification. This also recognizes the fact that bicycles and pedestrians would be more likely to use a route located in an urban area. Similarly, in areas that have significant historic interest or visual quality a lower design speed may be appropriate in recognition of lower average operating speeds and the need to avoid detracting from these historic or aesthetic resources. The Green Book agrees with this philosophy: Above-minimum design values should be used where feasible, but in view of the numerous constraints often encountered, practical values should be recognized and used. Along arterial streets, the controlling factor of design speed applies to a lesser degree than on rural highways or high-type urban facilities, such as freeways or expressways. On many of the arterial streets located in large urban areas, maximum vehicle operating speeds for several hours of the day may be limited to those at which the recurring peak period traffic volumes can be accommodated. Thus, speeds may be governed by the presence of other vehicles traveling en masse both in and across the through travel lanes and by traffic control devices, rather than by the physical characteristics of the street. During off-peak periods of low-to-moderate traffic demand, vehicle operating speeds are governed by such factors as speed limits, mid-block turns, intersection turns, the number of driveways and entrances, traffic signal spacing, and signal timing. As a result, when arterial street improvements are being planned, the selection of the appropriate design speed must be balanced against such factors as speed limits, physical and economic constraints, and the probable running speeds that can be attained during off-peak hours. Although most states have adopted a range of allowable design speeds appropriate for each of the various functional classifications for use in the design of new or reconstructed highway facilities, situations may arise where even the use of the lowest typically acceptable

COMPLETEcorridors t

value would result in unacceptably high construction or right-of-way costs or unacceptable impact on adjacent properties.”113 Observations made during the study suggests that Merrimon Avenue has the most disproportionate design speed, posted speed and travel speed of all the corridors that were examined. Haywood Road is an serves as a great example of a context-sensitive road design: the road responds to its context and the shallow building setback and on-street parking.

Road Diet

“A road diet is a treatment given to an urban roadway in which the number of lanes is reduced, and the freed space converted to parking, bike lanes, landscaping, walkways, or medians. Road Diets are implemented to provide additional pavement and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, reduce speeding, and to make room for parking. Road diets are anathema to traditional traffic engineering principles because they tend to reduce roadway capacity. However, in practice, road diets can cause vehicle speeds to readjust to a more optimal speed, increasing the throughput of vehicles per lane. For this reason, road diets sometimes reduce congestion, and generally always increase safety for all users of the roadway. Studies in Seattle found that road diets decreased the rate of crashes by 6%. The need for road diets comes from the fact that multilane urban roads are built to handle large volumes of traffic during the morning and evening rush hours. Generally, during the other 22 hours of the day, the road is larger than necessary. This abundance of spare pavement encourages speeding, and places bicyclists and pedestrians at far higher risk than a typical two-lane road.

M T H C B A

A B

When the public or local merchants lining the road perceive that serving rush hour through-traffic is not worth the negative impacts of the off-peak excess capacity, a road diet may make sense. Redesigning urban arterials to increase off-peak safety is emerging as a goal – known by some as “traffic taming.” The most frequent type of conversion is four lanes to three, with the middle lane serving as a two-way turn lane (TWTL). Alternatively, the middle ‘lane’ can be a raised median with breaks or left turn pockets for turns. Studies show that road diets involving streets serving up to 23,000 vehicles per day substantially improve safety without significantly reducing roadway capacity. Most road diet projects result in the same or greater traffic volumes, but at a slower speed. Dan Burden, of Walkable Communities, Inc., notes that virtually every urban community in the U.S. has four lane roads that are overbuilt -- in a manner that encourages speeding, documents a number of U.S. and Canadian road diet projects in Road Diets: Fixing the Big Roads. As Burden explains, the capacity of a three-lane road is almost equivalent to that of a four-lane road, because it operates more efficiently, and because left-turning vehicles are removed from the flow of traffic, reducing delay. A wellstudied conversion confirms these observations. Three-lane roads are inherently safer because the speed is set by the most prudent driver, because there is only a single lane of on-coming traffic to monitor when turning left, and because the two directions are separated by the TWTL or median.” Merrimon Avenue and Tunnel Road could use a ‘road diet’. 113 ”Design Speed: Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community.” Welcome to CSS | Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/design-speed-2/>| 114 “Road Diet.” Streetswiki. N.p., n.d. Web. Accessed 15 Feb. 2011. <http://streetswiki. wikispaces.com/Road+Diet>.

119

M T 5 H C B A

A B

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THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade The Intent: To encourage walking, bicycling, and transit use and discourage excessive motoring speeds. To reduce urban heat island effects, improve air quality, increase evapotranspiration, and reduce cooling loads in buildings.115 The Measure: The percentage of shade along the corridor.116 The Explanation: “Street trees have many benefits including: •

•

• •

120

Cars drive more slowly on streets with trees.In his book Great Streets, the urban planner Alan B. Jacobs notes that wide streets where the buildings are small and set back lose their definition, unless this effect is mitigated by lining the street with trees. Otherwise it feels like primarily like a transportation corridor, not a place where people live. Jacobs also cites research showing that for many people trees are the most important single characteristic of a ’good street’. Street trees cut traffic noise. Street trees reduce the amount of engine noise created because drivers go more slowly. But a line of large leafy trees can also absorb a great deal of noise. Even a line of smaller trees can be enough of a buffer to block traffic noise from reaching private yards and homes. Trees improve air quality. Trees consume carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. In general, the more trees we plant, the better air we breathe. Residents walk more on streets with trees. When cars drive more slowly, pedestrians feel safer. In addition, curbs and trees provide a physical and psychological buffer between sidewalk and car traffic that increases this feeling of safety. The busier the street, the more this safety buffer is needed. In general trees provide an environment in which it is more pleasant to walk

•

- something attractive and green to look at, shade in the summer, a canopy from rain in the winter. Another advantage is that people are prohibited from parking their cars on the sidewalk. How often have you tried to walk down a street where a car has pulled up onto the planting strip and sidewalk, forcing you onto the street? The whole neighborhood benefits when people get out of their houses to walk. Residents are more likely to meet up regularly with their neighbors, to keep an eye on each other’s property, to use their local parks and to patronize local businesses. Street trees increase property value. In his book City Comforts, urban planner and author David Sucher says, ‘Even streets of modest houses gain a grandeur and presence when treed. Old money need not be the only ones to have old trees.’ Streets with trees look more stable and prosperous. Families with children are more attracted to a neighborhood where they can picture themselves going for walks and letting kids play on the sidewalk. A neighborhood that looks cared for, with visible sidewalk activity, experiences less crime and especially fewer break-ins. Of course, it is important to select a tree species that will thrive with minimal maintenance and will not block sunlight and views. Sucher estimates that street trees can boost the value of each home on the street by at least $1000 to $5000. In their pamphlet Benefits of Trees, the International Society of Arboriculture estimates that the improvement in curb appeal due to street trees increases real estate values by 5-20%.”117

As noted earlier these corridors, or portions of them, are state roads, they are designed, controlled and maintained by North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). NCDOT follows American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. Although there is a movement for a more context sensitive roadway

COMPLETEcorridors t

design, standards many US roadway systems were built during a period that largely contrasts the current movement. Kenneth Stone’s statement from the Highway Safety Hearing of 1966 summarizes the mentality of traffic engineers who are building US roadways: “What we must do is to operate the 90% or more of our surface streets just as we do our freeways… [converting] the surface highway and street network to freeway road and roadside conditions.” Combating the status quo of street design philosophy is a constant battle. Many planners argue that wider lanes and shoulders may invite higher speeds but there is a perception that street trees decrease motorist safety. This has influenced regulations that do not allow for street trees. This perception, whether perceived or absolute, may have contributed to the inadequate street tree infrastructure along the corridor. But in urban areas street trees are not the hazard they are commonly believed to be, and may even be beneficial to safety. These corridors in this study also have existing utilities that may have determined the placement of street trees. Using the City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance to set the parameters of the ideal measure for trees to create or enhance an attractive streetscape pattern contributed to Asheville’s urban forest and a more comfortable pedestrian environment of one small maturing tree (less than 35 feet in height at maturity) for every 30 linear feet of property abutting a street when overhead utilities are present. The City also allows existing trees to be counted if they are within 20’ of the right-of-way. Therefore, existing trees within 20’ of the row along the corridor were considered, with the exception of trees located on residential vacant land. LEED ND recommends that trees or other structures provide shade over at least 40% of the length of sidewalks on streets within or contiguous to the project. This is

M T 5 H C B A

A B

calculated using the estimated crown diameter (the width of the shade providing by the tree if the sun is directly above) to calculate the shaded area. Crown diameter can vary with species. Tree species were not noted in this study therefore a 30’ crown diameter was applied to each of the existing trees. Many trees along these corridors are located on vacant residential lands which were not used to calculate the percentage of shade; however, they are shown in the findings.

115 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 116 Ibid. 117 Dunn, Liz. “Benefits of Street Trees.” Friends of Frink Home. N.p., n.d. Web. Accessed 1 Mar. 2011. <http://www.frinkpark.org/trees.

121

M T 5 H C B A

A B

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The Measurement & The Findings118: The percentage of shade along the corridor. The following is the percentage of shade along the corridorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study areas; listed from highest to lowest. The higher the percentage of shade provided by street trees along the corridor, the higher the sustainability of that study area for this element. However all these percentages are low when compared to the LEED ND requirement of 40%.

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area A: Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area B: Tunnel Road Study Area A: Haywood Road Study Area B:

122

19% 16% 15% 12% 11% 5% 2%

118 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville, site visits and aerial photography.

FIGURE8.15: Merrimon Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade. Data Source: COA GIS data and observations. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

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M T 5 H C B A

A B

FIGURE8.16: Haywood Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade. Data Source: COA GIS data and observations. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

FIGURE8.17: Tunnel Road’s Findings for THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade. Data Source: COA GIS data and observations. Created by L. Graham Stewart.

Low

5 A

5 B

M T H C B A

A B

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Greening of the Streets

PHOTO8.16: Planted Median. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

All corridors in this study were deficient of street trees. Median, planted pedestrian refuges and verges along sidewalks could be used to contribute to the Community’s goals identified in the Asheville City Development Plan 2025 of Urban/Neighborhood Corridor and Gateway Boulevard. One of these goals is to decrease stormwater runoff, increase the quality of pedestrian experience, and other benefits. The photos show examples of possible ‘greening of the street’ measures.

PHOTO8.15: Street Trees with a Verge. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

124

PHOTO8.17: Planted Pedestrian Refuge. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

COMPLETEcorridors t

M T 1 H C B A

A B

THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone: Established Boundaries The Intent: Acquire and foster a sense of neighborhood identity and community.119 The Measure: Existence of recognized neighborhood. The Explanation: Neighborhood groups and registered associations are an important part of community and can play an important part in planning efforts. Usually boundaries have to be established for a neighborhood to be recognized by a municipality. Boundaries are integral and can provide information about a place. There is a connection between social and spatial: “social life structures territory… and territory shapes social life.”120 The Measurement & The Findings: All study areas have recognized neighborhoods.121

119

Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 120 Hayden, Dolores, The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. MIT Press, 1995. 121 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

Yes

C B A

A B

M T 2 H C B A

A B

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THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTtwo: Existence of Art

PHOTO8.18: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: Acquire and foster a sense of neighborhood identity and community.122 The Measure: Existence of art. The Explanation, The Measurement & The Findings123: Neighborhood organizations help build an identity through programs that celebrate the history and character of the community by way of art, theatre, murals, etc. Haywood Road was found to have the highest level of art along the corridors. Merrimon Avenue also had art along the corridor but only in Study Areas A & B, while Tunnel Road has no visual art along the corridor from the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observations.

PHOTO8.19: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

126

122 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 123 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

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PHOTO8.20: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO8.22: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

M T 2 H C B A

A B

PHOTO8.21: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

PHOTO8.23: Art.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

2 A

2 B

M T 3 H C B A

A B

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THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTthree: Existence of Gateways/ Wayfinding Signage

PHOTO8.24: Gateway.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: Acquire and foster a sense of neighborhood identity and community.124 The Measure: Existence of gateways/ wayfinding signage. The Explanation: Kevin Lynch states that wayfinding is “the original function of the environmental image and the basis on which its emotional associations may have been founded. But the image is not only useful in the immediate sense in which it acts as a map for direction of movement. In a broader sense, it can also serve as a general frame of reference within which the individual can act or to which he can attach his knowledge. In this way it is like a body of belief or a set of social customs: it is an organizer of facts and possibilities.”125 PHOTO8.25: Wayfinding Signage.

The Measurement & The Findings : Haywood Road was the only corridor that had a gateway sign and wayfinding signage specific to that area. The photos depict the gateway signage found on Haywood and an example of the wayfinding signage that can be found throughout Asheville. 126

M H T

C B A

A B

No Yes No

124 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 125 Hufford, Mary. One Space, Many Places: Folklife and Land Use in New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve.American Folklife Center: Library of Congress, 1986. Print. 126 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

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THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTfour: Past on Display

M T 4 H C B A

A B

PHOTO8.26: Presence of History. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

The Intent: Acquire and foster a sense of neighborhood identity and community.127 The Measure: Presence of history. The Explanation: “Lousie Erdrich writes that in a tribal view of the world ‘the landscape itself is enlivened by a sense of group and family history. What keeps the landscape alive is not the strict preservation of that history, but the continual reweaving of the past into the present.’” Jane Jacobs, an urban writer and activist argued that every neighborhood needed a mixture of newer and older buildings to allow for a variety of uses, income levels, and even ideas within the neighborhood.128 The Measurement & The Findings : Merrimon Avenue Study Area A & B have historic districts. Haywood Road has areas that would most likely meet the criteria for a historic district but are not formally recognized. 129

127 Adapted from Congress for the New Urbanism, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. 2010 ed, Updated 2010. Print. 128 Hufford, Mary. One Space, Many Places: Folklife and Land Use in New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve.American Folklife Center: Library of Congress, 1986. Print. 129 Based on information from GIS data from the City of Asheville and observations.

PHOTO8.27: Presence of History. Data Source: L. Graham Stewart.

Yes

4 A

4 B

COMPLETEcorridors t

COMPLETEcorridors M f

M M H H T TB

LOCATION, location, LOCATION

G 2 G 3 G

THEgray, ELEMENTone: Utilities

Yes

THEgray, ELEMENTtwo: Developed Land

Yes

THEgray, ELEMENTthree: High Priority Area

Yes

THEgreen ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Wildlife and Biodiversity

THEgreen, ELEMENTtwo: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Agricultural Land THEblue, ELEMENTone: Environmentally Sensitive Land: Water Quality

pts.

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Low

High

Moderate

High

Low

Moderate

Low

High

Low

Moderate

Low

Moderate

Yes

Moderate

High

Moderate

Low

Yes

High

Moderate

Low

Moderate

High

Low

Moderate

High

Moderate

Low

pts.

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

Moderate

Low

High

Low

Moderate

High

Low

High

Low

High

Moderate

High

n/a

High

Moderate

Low

Moderate

High

Moderate

Low

Yes

High

Yes

High

Moderate

High

LAND use

LOCATION, location, LOCATION Total Points: n/a

G 5 G 6 G 7 G 8 G 9 G Gr Gr

3 4

No Points Awarded, if the answer is No to any of the elements in this category then then another urban corridor should be considered. THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types

THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services THEgray, ELEMENTeight: Access to Schools THEgray, ELEMENTnine: Access to Mixed-Use THEgreen, ELEMENTthree: Access to Civic or Passive-Use Space THEgreen ELEMENTfour: Access to Community-Based Food Production

LAND use High=2 Moderate=1 Low= 0

Yes= 1 No= 0

MULTI-modal

Total Possible Points= 15 10

G 11 G 12 G 13 G 14 G

THEgray, ELEMENTten: Access to Transit: Bus Stops THEgray, ELEMENTeleven: Access to Transit: Daily Service Trips

THEgray, ELEMENTtwelve: Access for Bicycles: Study Area THEgray, ELEMENTthirteen: Access to Sidewalks: Study Area, Existing Linkage

THEgray, ELEMENTfourteen: Access to Sidewalks: Along Corridor MULTI- modal: High=2 Yes= 1 Moderate=1 No= 0 Low= 0

Total Possible Points= 9

NEIGHBORHOOD pattern, DESIGN & CHARACTER

M T H

G 16 G 17 G 18 G 19a G 19b G 19c G 19d G 19e G Gr

THEgray, ELEMENTfifthteen: Intersections THEgray, ELEMENTsixteen: Block Average

THEgray, ELEMENTseventeen: Access to On-Street Parking THEgray, ELEMENTeighteen: Access to Parking

THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (a) Direct Path

THEgray,ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (b) Building Setbacks THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (c) Fenestration THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (d) Drive-thru

THEgray, ELEMENTnineteen: Quality of Pedestrian Way: (e) Height-to-Street Ratio

THEgreen, ELEMENTfive: Access to Shade

THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone: Established Boundaries

N 2 N 3 N 4 N

THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTtwo: Existence of Art THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTthree: Existence of Gateways/ Wayfinding Signage THEneighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTfour: Past on Display

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

Yes

Moderate

High

Low

Moderate

High

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

High

Moderate

.25

Low

High

Low

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

Low

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

High

Low

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

Moderate

.25

High

Low

Yes

Low

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

n/a

Yes

NEIGHBORHOOD pattern, DESIGN & CHARACTER: High=2 Moderate=1 Low=0 Yes= 1 No= 0

the grey, ELEMENTnineteen (a)-(d): High=0.5 Moderate=0.25 Low=0 neighborhoodCHARACTER, ELEMENTone-four: no points awarded

Total Possible Points= 12

COMPLETEcorridor Total Points (Total Possible Points 35):

29.5

10.75

12.75

M T H

COMPLETEcorridors f

Conclusion According to the COMPLETEcorridors’ index, the corridors study areas rankings from highest to lowest are as follows: Merrimon Avenue Study Area A: 29.5 Haywood Road Study Area A: 23 Haywood Road Study Area B: 19

Merrimon Avenue Study Area C: 12.75

Merrimon Avenue Study Area B: 10.75 Tunnel Road Study Area B: 6

Tunnel Road Study Area A: 5

With attention to this particular layer of urban experience (corridors), we are able to have a broader impact across the various sizes and complexities amongst the study areas. These corridors or study areas are “large enough in scale to intrigue and question the systems, networking and planning, yet small enough in scale and built from sufficiently small enough parts to require design. Issues of design and the relationship of welldesigned parts to well-planned systems are both visible and manageable. They challenge is to think and work across scopes (from regions to rooms), across disciplines (from environmental science to economics), and across professional domains (from planning to real estate development).”130 The idea is for the sustainable, COMPLETEcorridor changes to start a ripple effect that grows and expands to the larger layers but also adjusts to the smaller levels of urban morphology, the neighborhood and eventually the parcel layer. The placement of a building, parking, or installation of a sidewalk and the planting of a tree affect not only these isolated decisions, but they are part of interdependent built and natural environment. These systems shape our future for the generations to come. Moreover, the study strives to illustrate and articulate the delicate balance and the idiosyncrasies of the built and natural environment need to be seen as a system. 132

LOCATION, location, LOCATION

Proper location is necessary for a COMPLETEcorridor, which will contribute to COMPLETEneighborhoods. More complete neighborhoods will then contribute to a COMPLETEasheville. The proper location embodies the goals and objectives identified in the existing plans and polices for the City of Asheville of: • Incorporate sustainability into the City decision making process. • Increase property investment, particularly along our commercial corridors; • Increase accommodation of population growth within the City, particularly along commercial corridors, in compatible neighborhood infill, and in urban villages; • Increase safe multi-modal transportation opportunities; • Preserve the unique character of Asheville; • Encourage development that occurs in a pattern that is sensitive to the natural environment. This connection category of LOCATION, location, LOCATION demonstrated that all corridors’ study areas were in the proper location to be considered for development, redevelopment and/or investment.

130 Kellett, Cynthia Girling and Ronald. Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community. Washington DC: Island Press, 2005. Print.

COMPLETEcorridors f

The Road and beyond…

• These corridors are in the right place, so the next step for Asheville would be to focus on the elements that define these areas more than any other characteristic, the road itself. Although previously mentioned in the Asheville City Development Plan and the 2025 Comprehensive Plan that the City should work with NCDOT and adopt a Complete Street Policy, this study only reinforces that previously stated need. It would also be beneficial to take a broad view of the City’s corridors with the intention of articulating a consistent approach to applying guidelines for corridor management. Context sensitive approaches are warranted based on urban, suburban, and rural characteristic. There are numerous plans that look at sidewalks, bicycle lanes, transit, roadways, etc. A useable, working document compiled by a multi-disciplinary task force (by staff persons representing departments such as the Sustainability Office, Planning, Transit, Transportation and Public Works, Public Utilities, Landscape Management, etc) should be created for the purpose of:

M T H

in the roadway requirements overhaul. This is by far the most ambitious approach and most likely the most expensive. But the results would have the largest breadth. Reconstructing our notion that form and cities are difficult to modify is key component to positive change. But strategic urban policies and infrastructure investments can lead, in a finite time, to a re-shaping of cities to a more positive and sustainable form. Funding to assist with these recommended steps exists and should be explored. Recommendation: • Adopt a Complete Streets Policy; • Create and implement a Design Manual for Asheville’s roadways.

• Develops a systematic approach to corridor improvement projects that address all users • Improve and/or maintain appearance of cities’ roadways • Identify gateway opportunities • Establish clear expectations for (public and/or private) development of ROW outside of the travel lanes • Reinforce character and identity of Asheville. This manual should look at the roadways from various perspectives- the engineer, the planner, the arborist, the walkers, the bicyclist, the commuter, the bus rider, neighborhood members, the tourist etc…. Appropriate design speeds, context sensitive street design, street trees, landscape verges, landscape medians and road diets are design choices that need to be considered

133

M T H

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NEIGHBORHOOD Pattern, DESIGN & CHARACTER

MULTI-modal

In order for the City of Asheville’s to meet their sustainable goals of “making decisions that balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet the city’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”131 It is essential to understand that the connection to the physical built environment such as intersections, blocks, on-street parking, parking lot locations, direct paths, building setbacks, fenestration, height-to-street ratios, drive-thru, and shade can/will impact use, users and adjacent properties of a place. Social connections may also be enhanced and/or hindered with these physical connections.

In order for the City of Asheville’s sustainable goals to be met it is essential to foster physical connections to employment, density, housing types, services, mixed-use, schools, civic or passive-use space and community –based food production were examined for each corridor‘s study areas. The COMPLETEcorridors’ element for multi-modal examines the corridors from the built environmental perspective in order to: • Encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure • Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT). • Reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling.

Physical design that enhances the connections between the spatial and social realm is a key component to a COMPLETEcorridor although not always visible or obvious and as such, they will be listed thought the conclusion when appropriate.

Alternative transportation options lead to a more vibrant and sustainable community. In terms of opportunity for alternative transportation options Merrimon Avenue Study Area A has the highest percentage of access to public transit, largest amount of existing sidewalks and existing bicycles facilities but it was also the area identified by the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan and the 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan as one of the areas with the most needed linkage. This is noted to demonstrate that there are areas of improvement even thought Study Area A has the most COMPLETEcorridor score. Travelling north at the Merrimon Avenue from Study Area A thorough Study Area B to Study Area C the building setbacks transition away from the right-of-way, and so do the COMPLETEcorridor scores for Merrimon Avenue, the link between the physical environment and walkablility/ bike-ability scores become apparent.

134

131 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

Haywood Road Study Area A and Study Area B received a high and moderate score with access to public transit, respectively. Both received moderate scores in terms of existing bicycle facilities. High and moderate in terms of existing pedestrian infrastructure but the ‘needed linkage’ was one of the highest in Study Area A and moderate in

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Study Area B, there are definitely areas for improvement. Haywood road had the most pedestrians, bicyclist traffic, and transit users during the observation. Perhaps the existing urban form of shallow setbacks with larger amount of fenestration, access to mixed-use, small block lengths, on-street parking contributes to the corridors activity. Tunnel Road’s lack of pedestrian facilities is obvious, i.e. the desire lines that flank the right-of way. The large street width, limited crosswalks, large setbacks and lack of services all contribute to the corridors low ranking in the COMPLETEcorridors’ index. However while observing Tunnel Road a number of sidewalks were being installed along Study Area A. This will enhance pedestrian safety but this is only one aspect of walkablity other physical characteristics of the built environmental are still lacking. Encouraging redevelopment or development along the corridor that enhances not detracts from the public realm. Continue bicycle and sidewalk infrastructure installation. With redevelopment requirements of sidewalk installation along parcel street frontage triggered, perhaps bicycle infrastructure should also be required. Viewing these components of circulation with the same fervor as vehicular traffic might lead to a better overall design for the parcel. During the development review process vehicular circulation plans are sometime requested for view. Requiring a pedestrian and cycling plan could enable the designer and the review to see the plan from a comprehensive transportation plan. How a pedestrian navigates through parking to the sidewalks to the bus stop or once the cyclist arrives where they can store their vehicle- are just some of the possible scenarios that could be brought to light. One way to encourage alternative transportation choices is through incentives and education. The City of Asheville currently is promoting and incentives city employees to employ alternative transportation choices perhaps this same idea could be filtered out into the other employers in

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the Community. Partner with business leaders and owners on ways of incentivizing their employees to change their means for commuting to work (well over half of jobs within the city are held by those whom live outside). Promote and offer education to community members and visitors on alternative transportation options. Websites, maps, promotional materials that articulate and explain information in an articulate and pleasing manner can be effective. ‘Testing’ these methods on users can illuminate shortfalls and successes. Incentivize shared parking opportunities and reducing parking requirements can contribute to alternative transportation choices as well as the reduction of stormwater runoff. Incentivize pervious pavement use, increase ratio of tree islands to parking spaces and plant more street trees. A roadways purpose needs to serve more than vehicular traffic, access to and for, bicycles, and pedestrians. Encouraging infrastructure that promotes those ideas is essential to a COMPLETEcorridor, which will then contribute to COMPLETEneighborhoods. More complete neighborhoods can then contribute to a COMPLETEasheville. Making the ‘right thing to do the easy thing to do’ can transform a person’s habits and ideas of social norms. Begin with the roadways, which will serve as a catalyst for COMPLETEcorridors, but this is only one of the many aspects needed.

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MULTI-modal cont.

LANDuse

Recommendations: •Consider the possibility of requiring an alternative transportation plan for projects during the plans review process •Partner with business leaders and owners on incentives that change employees means of commuting to work •Promote and Educate community members and visitors on alternative transportation options •Encouraging redevelopment or development along the corridor that enhances not detracts from the public realm •Incentivise shared parking opportunities •Incentivize pervious pavement use •Increase the ratio of tree islands to parking spaces •Plant street trees.

In order for the City of Asheville’s sustainable goals to be met, it is essential to foster spatial connections to employment, density, housing types, services, mix-use, schools, civic or passive-use space and community – based food production were examined for each corridor‘s study areas. The COMPLETEcorridors’ elements for ;and use examine the corridors from the built and natural environmental perspective in order to: • Encourage development within and near existing communities and public transit infrastructure • Reduce the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and hypertension by encouraging daily physical activity associated with walking and bicycling • Encourage development in existing areas to conserve land and protect farmland and wildlife habitat, promote livability, walkablility, and transportation efficiency, including reduced vehicle miles travelled (VMT) • Improve public health encouraging daily physical activity associated with alternative modes of transportation and compact development • Promote community interaction and engagement by integrating schools into the neighborhood • Support students’ health by encouraging walking and bicycling to school • Improve physical and mental health and social capital by providing a variety of open spaces close to work and home to facilitate social networking, civic engagement, physical activity, and time spent outdoors • Promote community-based food production, improve nutrition through increased access to fresh produce, support preservation of small farms producing a wide variety of crops, reduce the negative environmental effects of large-scale industrialized agriculture, and support local economic development that increases the economic value and production of farmlands and community gardens.

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Access to employment, density, housing types, services, mix-use, schools, civic or passive-use space and community –based food production is essential to a COMPLETEcorridor, which can then contribute to COMPLETEneighborhoods. More complete neighborhoods can then contribute to a COMPLETEasheville. In the LANDuse connections category the elements of density (THEgray, ELEMENTfour: Access to Jobs and Residence, THEgray, ELEMENTfive: Access to Diverse Housing Types, THEgray, ELEMENTsix: Access to Density) can be esoteric. Density is one of those elements that all corridors and study areas could improve upon. The study found that 14.2 persons per acre reduce automobile dependency considerably however Asheville highest ratio of people per acre within the study area was nine (at the census block group level, and five at the study area level. As mentioned earlier “density is the hot button issue for sustainable urbanism. In one regard, it is a sustainability silver bullet, moving across the broad reduction in percapita resource use. These reductions occur in proportion to increasing development density. Even better, this same density silver bullet provides local region and global benefits.”132 Many times lack of understanding causes fears. Most often if an increase of density is discussed in the public realm, neighborhoods will oppose a development with great fervor. The debate usually centers on preconceived notions of inevitable traffic congestion, expanses of parking and the aesthetics of the building rather that the actual increase in population. Perhaps the resistance comes from a lack of understanding the benefits higher densities can bring such as walkablility; a broad mix of uses, less dependency on the automobile.. According to Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature by Douglas Farr –“the average density of most new developments in the United States is two dwelling units per acre, which is too low to support walk to destinations (1/4 mile radius).” Density is a key component in the shaping

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of the built environment and is typically expressed as a number of dwelling units per acre. Most zoning maps use two-dimensional maps and color blocking to illustrate the specific characteristic of each zoning designation. Density can be difficult for communities to visualize and understand, so what if density was presented in another way—not as a color or a numerical phrase, “the number of dwelling units per acre” but relating to the scale of development, either in person or by looking at a picture. Education and incentives are powerful tools although they are often overlooked. Asheville is headed in the right direction with the Sustainable Development Project Eligibility Map which identifies properties with 1/8 mile of a high frequency transit corridor with make them possibly eligible for incentives such as density bonuses, parking reduction, etc. But perhaps more can be done. Accessory dwellings such as a in-law suite or a garage apartment are other ways to increase density while maintain a single family neighborhood character. Design is extremely important but even more so when a density development is proposed. Scale, massing, and fenestration that enhance the public realm are vital. Merrimon Avenue Study Area A is the densest of all the COMPLETEcorridor study areas and it is also the most complete, DENSITYmatters. An increase in housing types is needed on all corridors that vary in size, income, culture and lifestyle and contribute to the economically sustainable of a neighborhood and a city as well as support community vitality and affordability. The study shows that a higher FAR can also contributed to COMPLETEcorridors, which will allow for more mixeduse developments and higher density and possibly less impervious surface, leading to less runoff which can lead to higher water quality (it’s all connected). Merrimon Avenue Study Area A, Haywood Road Study Area A & B had the highest percentages of building with a high FAR as well as higher instances of mixed-use development. 132

Farr, Doug. Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007. Print.

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The existing plans and policies had several instances of the desire for mixed- use (live-works). More often than not municipality encourages mixed-use and communities request them but it’s the financing aspect that can be the most daunting. It seems that the desire of mixed-use is not sufficient ; perhaps Planners, Developers, City Leaders, Community Members and members of the financial world need multi-disciplinary education on these obstacles, incentives, issues and opportunities that mixed-use can bring the a community- never under estimate the power of education, MIXED-USEmatters. THEgray, ELEMENTseven: Access to Services identified nodes along Merrimon Avenue Study Area A & C and Haywood Road where neighborhood shops, services, and facilities were within ¼ mile walk distance of at least five diverse uses. These areas might be a place for an urban village to occur or to continue to be encouraged. These areas have the synergy of people and place already occurring perhaps enhancing them with density, open space, mixed-use, pedestrian facilities could contribute to a more COMPLETEcorridor and COMPLETEneighborhoods. Merrimon Study Area B did not have a node that met the criteria of at least five diverse uses within ¼ mile. However this area could be another ideal place for an urban village due to its proximity to University of North Carolina – Asheville. Tunnel Road had no nodes that met the criteria of THEgrey, ELEMENTSseven: Access to Services but at the intersection of Tunnel Road and Riceville Road (the VA hospital is also located at this intersection, one of the largest employers on the Tunnel Road corridor). There were diverse uses just not five and no pedestrian infrastructure. So perhaps this area could serve as a possible urban village location. Urban Villages could allow for more density, architecture that promotes the public realm, civic space, shared parking, access to services, etc.

138

Access to Schools, Civic Spaces and Community Based Food Production were highest in both Merrimon Avenue Study Areas A and Haywood Road Study Area A & B. These areas are also the oldest of the study areas, developed in

an era when the automobile was not ‘king.’ Tunnel Road Study Area A & B had a moderate amount of civic spaces but no pedestrian infrastructure to support the close proximity. These elements of connection categories of land use are more than just uses that foster community, and in turn offer a sense of identity. One could argue that the lack in the neighborhood character category of connection could be because of the deficiencies in this category or vice versa. Recommendations: • Education and continue the incentives for increasing density • Explore accessory dwellings • Encourage home occupations, small businesses, existing employers to locate, relocate in these areas • Promote and allow for diverse housing type (where appropriate) • Encourage and continue higher FAR • Educate and incentives Mixed-Use • Explore the idea for Urban Villages- should allow more density, architecture that promotes the public realm (i.e. high fenestration percentages, no or limited parking between the building and the street. etc.), civic space, shared parking, access to services, etc.

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John Nolen’s City Plan 1925

Asheville has a strong history of city planning; the City Plan 1925 was prepared for Asheville by the famed city planner John Nolen. Asheville’s City Development Plan 2025 Comprehensive Plan showcased elements of famed city planner John Nolen’s City Plan 1925 that are still relevant today. John Nolan’s observations about Asheville brought to light the issues facing Asheville yesterday and today. • These issues and themes persist through decades attesting to their importance in shaping a city. Of those, below are those that are relevant to the study: • “Asheville stands today on the threshold of a new state in its evolution. • The automobile is changing the radius of city life. • Asheville needs a better street system, more parks, a (new) Civic Center. • (The) French Broad (River) divides (the) City into two distinct localities. • A Passenger Rail Station in Biltmore is advocated. • A diagram of the main thoroughfare system of Asheville does not present the same orderly uniform appearance that a similar diagram of rectangular or more level cities would show…. State highways are the backbone of Asheville’s thoroughfare system. • Pack Square is and probably always will be the center of activity for Asheville. • Pack Square is the geographical Center of the City. • A well organized, well maintained City Market will greatly stimulate…{the local economy}. • The main lines of the {greenway} system follow the banks of the French Broad River and the Swannanoa River…. • {Regarding native arts and crafts industries of the mountains,}(t)here are no disadvantages—in fact, there is everything to gain—in encouraging this type of indigenous industrial life and providing for its legitimate extension. • Biltmore Village is a fine example of town planning. • Zoning is no panacea for all the evils of shortsighted city building nor an alternative for constructive city

planning. At its best, it can only prevent and restrict undesirable building and this acts more in a negative than positive way. Much of the present zoning is being done without a city plan and in such cases it has a tendency to perpetuate existing conditions rather than make possible right future growth. We also believe that there should be a certain amount of flexibility in the {zoning} ordinance making more allowance for change and growth.” 133 133 Asheville, City of. Asheville City Development Plan 2025 Comprehensive Plan. (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/business/development_services/planning_zoning/default.aspx?id=1144>.

FIGUREA.1: John Nolen’s City Plan 1925.

Data Source: http://carolelizabethpennell.wordpresscom/2010/12/27/2010-ashevillecity-plan/

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Smart Growth Land Use Policies

IIn 2000 the Asheville City Council adopted Smart Growth Land Use Policies: • “Mixed use developments and buildings should be encouraged. • Compatible, higher density commercial and residential infill development should be encouraged. • New development should promote a sustainable land development pattern. • Traditional neighborhood development patterns should be recognized and encouraged. • Discretionary block grant and local funding for affordable housing and economic development should be used to support a Smart Growth development pattern. • Industrially-zoned land should be reserved for industrial uses. • Areas with steep slopes and environmentally sensitive areas should be identified and preserved while allowing alternatives to development that protect private property rights. • Existing neighborhoods near Downtown Asheville should be strengthened through infill development, housing rehabilitation, proactive enforcement of zoning and building standards, and housing code enforcement. • City staff is directed to develop new zoning tools and use existing zoning tools to promote compatible land use projects, protect industrial and environmentallysensitive land, and allow flexibility in site design to achieve the above policies. These tools may include revision of subdivision regulations to incorporate traditional neighborhood and conservation development practices, as well as continuing existing innovative regulations such as our accessory apartment code provisions. Additionally, capital projects and economic development incentive funding should be supportive of a Smart Growth development pattern where appropriate.”134 144

2005 update to The City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan Goals The original City of Asheville’s Pedestrian Plan was adopted in 1999. The 2005 Update of the plan identified almost 110 miles of needed linkage. The following information is applicable to this study.

“Goals: Asheville will develop and maintain a pedestrian network that includes sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and greenways that … • Offer convenience, safety and connectivity to citizens and visitors, • Encourage and reward the choice to walk and use transit, • Improve access for those with disabilities, and • Add to the quality of life and unique character of the City of Asheville. The plan used six criteria areas identified for measuring project impact and priority: (1) Zoning jurisdiction; (2) Proximity to Schools, Parks, and Community Centers; (3) Proximity to Transit Stops; (4) Needed linkages that complete a pedestrian thoroughfare or address a safety concern; (5) Feasibility of construction; and (6) Major Thoroughfares and Connector Roads.”135 In the interest of time and no interest in duplicity, the information gathered from the 2005 Update to the Pedestrian Plan was utilized in the study.

134 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf> 135 Asheville, City of. 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan. Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/uploadedFiles/Residents/Transportation/Bike_and_Ped_Services/2005PedestrianPlanChapters1-2PlanPurposePlanningContext.pdf>

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Asheville City Development Plan 2025

Data Source: Asheville, City of. Asheville City Development Plan 2025 Comprehensive Plan. (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/business/ development_services/planning_zoning/default.aspx?id=1144>

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FIGUREA.2: Future Land Use and Transportation Plan.

The Asheville City Development Plan 2025 was completed in 2007. It serves as a visioning document “that reflects and unifies the direction desired citizenry for the future development of Asheville”; some of these desires were applicable in this Study. “Public comments and independent analysis of land use, transportation, air and water quality and economic development trends indicated that the need and desire for the following growth: • Skilled workforce, particularly high-tech and medical; • Entrepreneurship, especially local small businesses and home occupations; • Increased property investment, particularly along our commercial corridors; • Increased accommodation of population growth within the City, particularly along commercial corridors, in compatible neighborhood infill, and in urban villages; • Mixed-use land use pattern; • Multi-modal transportation opportunities; • Development reflecting the character of Asheville; • Development that occurs in a pattern that is sensitive to air and water quality concerns.”136 e Roa d

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Asheville, City of. Asheville City Development Plan 2025 Buncombe Comprehensive Plan. County Zoning Surrounding Municipalities (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010.<http://www.ashevillenc.gov/business/development_services/planning_zoning/default.aspx?id=1144>. Counties Blue Ridge Parkway 137 Major Thoroughfares Ibid. Streets/Roads

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2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan

The following information is from the 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan that that is applicable to this study. The critical issues and concerns in the Plan are: • Access and connectivity • Lack of adequate bicycle facilities • Driver behavior • Safety • Road width (narrow roads) • Traffic • Large arterial roads • Dangerous intersections and roads • Lack of shoulders • Disconnected areas and key destinations • Problematic bicycle and car interactions • Maintenance practices

• Provide a safer facility for bicyclists to cross the I-240 entrance ramp when traveling east on Tunnel Road. • Improve conditions for bicyclists on bridges in Asheville.”138 In the interest of time and no interest in duplicity, the information gathered from the 2008 Comprehensive Bike Plan was utilized in the study.

“The Short-Term Bicycle Facilities and Operational Improvements in the Plan are: • Provide bicycle lanes on the following streets: Haywood Road (from Riverside Drive to Beverly Road West)

•

Provide shared lane pavement markings (described in Chapter 4) on Charlotte Street north of I-240 to encourage bicycling and build public awareness. Haywood Road in Downtown West Asheville may also be an appropriate location for shared lane markings in the near term. Recommended locations for shared lane markings in the short-term are included below. Haywood Road (in downtown West Asheville) Montford Avenue

The Medium-Term Recommendations in the Plan are: • Provide bicycle lanes in the following locations: Tunnel Road

• Provide shared lane markings in the following locations: Merrimon Avenue (US 25)

• Provide climbing lanes in the following locations: 146

Merrimon Avenue Tunnel Road

138 Asheville, City of. Comprehensive Bike Plan. (2008). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <ftp://www.ashevillenc.gov/Web/TransportationEngineering/Transportation/Asheville_Plan_Final_Adopted_022608.pdf>

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2009 Downtown Master Plan

The Downtown Master Plan was created in 2009. Issues and opportunities identified in the plan that are applicable to the study are as follows: • “Sustain Downtown’s dynamic and diverse culture and economy. • Maintain an eclectic mix of creative, innovative businesses and the employment opportunities they provide. • Build on the strong and diverse arts community. • Encourage mixed-use development. • Balance the needs of tourists and residents. • Strengthen Downtown’s identity as a series of residential neighborhood. • Create neighborhood centers within a network of parks, services, and transportation options. • Build housing that suits a variety of household incomes, sizes, ages, and lifestyles. • Provide good, interconnected for better access and better health. • Provide Downtown with continuous bicycle and pedestrian routes tied to regional bicycle and pedestrian systems. • Improve transit service to and within Downtown. • Investigate an auto-free zone on periodic weekends. • Add parking spaces sparingly and develop new unified parking management strategies. • Highlight the public health benefits of walkablility, fitness, and safety.”139

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2009 Transit Master Plan

The 2009 Transit Master Plan stated that “currently there is a 60 minute service on each Route Three of the 5 corridors served by transit are in the study. Top routes include corridors in study: (1) Haywood, (2) Merrimon, (13) Tunnel Road/ Oteen/ Haw Creek.”140 Other information applicable to this study indentified in the Plan are the requested changes and Short-term results: “Requested Changes • Sunday service (most requested) • More frequent service (second most requested) [major reason for non-riding] • Sidewalks and shelters [also issue for non-riders] • More evening service until midnight • Additional transfer points without having to come downtown • New routes, including express [also issue for nonriders] Short-Term Results • 5 corridors gain 30 minute service Monday – Saturday; hourly service until 10 PM; • Tunnel, Biltmore, Haywood, Patton, Merrimon • Evening services combined with daytime routes • Significant expansion in sidewalk and shelter construction.”141

139 Asheville, City of. Asheville’s Downtown Master Plan. (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <ftp://www.ashevillenc.gov/web/FinalPlan5.pdf> 140 Asheville, City of. 2009 Transit Master Plan. Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://ashevillenc.gov/uploadedFiles/Residents/Transportation/City_Bus_Service/ Transit%20Master%20Plan%20-%20Final.pdf> 141 Ibid.

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2009 Sustainability Management Plan’s Sustainability Goals

The 2009 Sustainability Management Plan identified the following Sustainability Goals that are relevant to this study: “Management Practices: • Incorporate sustainability into the City decision making process. • Land Use: • Developed and Redesign land use policies to support regional sustainable growth. • Support sustainable projects, patterns and building practices. • Sustainability planning extends beyond the building level to neighborhoods and regions. Transportation: • Reduce Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) for city Employees for commuting • Increase Transit ridership • Support the reduction of Vehicle Miles Travelled by City residence and visitors. • Support transit options.”142

• Write and adopt a City policy for inclusion of pedestrian and bicycle ways in new design and construction. Prioritize corridors for implementation. • Reach out to transportation department and public works department to discuss feasibility of bike lane and sidewalk improvements. • Update zoning codes to reflect multiple uses along key corridors.” 144 A product of the plan is an amendment to the ordinance; “Sec. 7-16-1(c): Sustainable Development Projects- This section of the code provides incentives for the construction of high quality, sustainably based development projects that are reasonably compatible with the natural and built environments of the city. Sustainable Development Project Eligibility Map identifies properties with 1/8 mile of a high frequency transit corridor with make them possible eligible for incentives such as density bonuses, parking reduction, etc. All of the corridors in the Study are identified on the map.” 145

The Plan “recommends that city planners employ Complete Streets practices in corridor planning due to the ability to reduce automobile use and the increase of bicycle and pedestrian activity helping to achieve several of Asheville’s sustainability goals. It also notes that many of Asheville’s transportation corridors are not accessible or accommodating to forms of transportation other than automobiles.”143

148

The Plan also indentifies next steps in the Complete Street Process: • “Review US DOT Guidance and state roadway improvement policies to determine legal support and examples for a local policy. • Coordinate with local MPO to identify partnerships and current multi-modal transportation initiatives and funding sources.

142 Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf> 143 Ibid. 144 Ibid. 145 Ibid.

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Linking Lands and Communities Sustainability

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FIGUREA.3: Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Map.

Data Source: Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Landof-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional

Land-of-Sky Regional Council has been collaborating with local and regional interests to design regional framework for conservation and development that will strategically guide future growth for Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania counties while respecting the integrity of the region’s ecosystems. The Linking Lands and Communities Study has created data and maps that identify valuable ecological systems and resources, important working lands, and areas most suited for future growth and development. The Council’s goals were to help to link urban and rural communities and protect the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage. The purpose of the Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment is to identify lands that: Provide wildlife habitat, Support high levels of biodiversity, and Provide associated ecosystem services and functions. In addition to providing habitat for wildlife, intact natural systems identified in this assessment also provide important ecological functions and services, including: • Filtering pollutants from air and water • Creating and maintaining fertile soil • Pollination of plants and seed distribution • Flood control • Carbon storage • Erosion control.146

146

Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional.

The Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment Map (Figure A.3) was created from several data sets and sources like NatureServe, The Nature Conservancy, NCDENR Natural Heritage Program, Audubon Society, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, etc. More information about the data, its sources can be found at this website: http://linkinglands. org/docs/WHASUMDataDefinitions.pdf.

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FIGUREA.4: Agricultural Lands Assessment Map.

FIGUREA.5: Water Quality Assessment Map.

The Agricultural Lands Assessment Map (Figure A.4) identifies lands that are the most valuable for agriculture, including farming and forestry practices. The goal of this map is to understand the location and condition of lands that support or could potentially support farming and forestry practices throughout the region. The Agricultural Lands Assessment Map was created from several data sets and sources like National Land Cover Dataset, etc. More information about the data, its sources can be found at this website: http://linkinglands.org/docs/ AgMapDataDefinitionsFinal.pdf.

The purpose of the Water Quality Assessment is to identify lands in the region that are valuable for producing clean water.The three primary components used in developing the Water Quality Assessment are: 1. Watersheds 2. Land Use 3. Streams149

Data Source: Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Landof-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional

150

Data Source: Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Landof-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional

The Water Quality Assessment Map (Figure A.5) was created from several data sets and sources like National Land Cover Dataset, NC Division of Water Quality etc. More information about the data, its sources can be found at this website: http://linkinglands.org/docs/ WaterQualityDataDefinitions.pdf.

149 Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional.

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Walk Score Walkscore is a website that generates a ‘walkscore’ for any address that the user enters. Their website states that “walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to the: • Environment: Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines. • Health: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood. • Finances: One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property. • Communities: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10% .”150 According to the site the elements that make a “neighborhood walkable include: • A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it’s a main street or a public space. • People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently. • Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses. Parks and public space: • Plenty of public places to gather and play. • Pedestrian design: • Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back. • Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes. • Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.” 151 Walk Score measures “how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking. It uses a patent-pending system to measure the walkablility of an address. The Walk Score algorithm awards points based on the distance to amenities in each category. If an amenity is within .25 miles (or .4 km) Walkscore assigns the address the maximum number of points. The number of points

declines as the distance approaches 1 mile (or 1.6 km)—no points are awarded for amenities farther than 1 mile. The points are summed and normalized to yield a score from 0—100. The number of nearby amenities is the leading predictor of whether people walk. Walkscore uses ‘as the crow flies’ distances rather than walking directions. This means if you live across the lake from a destination, they are assuming you will swim. And if you live in a subdivision with long curving streets with few intersections, we hope your neighbors don’t mind you walking through their back yard.” 152 The limitation of Walk Score is that “it just an approximation of walkablility. There are a number of factors that contribute to walkablility that are not part of their algorithm: Street width and block length: narrow streets slow down traffic. Short blocks provide more routes to the same destination and make it easier to take a direct route. Street design: sidewalks and safe crossings are essential to walkablility. Appropriate automobile speeds, trees, and other features also help. Safety from crime and crashes: how much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are streets well-lit? Pedestrian-friendly community design: are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? Are destinations clustered together? Topography: hills can make walking difficult, especially if you’re carrying groceries. Freeways and bodies of water: Freeways can divide neighborhoods. Swimming is harder than walking. Weather: In some places it’s just too hot or cold to walk regularly.” 153 This study finds that Walk Score‘s use of the ‘as the crow flies’ distance is a limitation. 150

Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml> 151 Ibid. 152 Ibid. 153 Ibid.

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2/25/2011

Walk Score of merrimon

Find a Walkable Place to Live.

Cities & Neighborhoods | Why It Matters | How It Works | Walk Score On Your Site | Blo

Some of the factors that Walk Score uses to calculate will be visible in the COMPLETEcorridor’s Study, however Walk Score itself was not used. It was discovered that Walk Score was used as a measure in some similar studies. But due to the linear nature of the corridors and the Walk Score requirement that a particular address be used to generate the walkablity score, the measure was not used to evaluate the corridors. Nevertheless, it will also be visible that some of the factors listed as limitations of the Walk Score algorithm were applied independently as deemed relevant in this study’s index.

FIGUREB.1: Image from Walk Score.

TypeGet anYour Address: merrimon asheville nc Data Source: Walk Score - A Walkabilityave Score For Any Address. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml> Walk Score

83 Out of 100

Very Walkable Merrimon Ave Asheville

Overview

More Amenities

Your Commute

Restaurants Atlanta Bread C o

0.01mi

Coffee Rise 'n Shine C afe

0.03mi

Groceries Sav-Mor

0.52mi Get Walk Score

Shopping C hildren's Trading

0.01mi

Schools Orton Academy

0.35mi

Parks Norwood Park

0.44mi

Books Accent On Books Inc

0.52mi

Bars Pocket

0.56mi

Entertainment 0.11mi Asheville Pizza & B Walk Score Description Banking

Public Transportation 90–100 Walker’s Paradise: Daily errands do not 0.03mi require a car. Why isn't public transit show ing? About transit data View more amenities 70–89 Very Walkable: Most errands can be accomplished on foot. Compare Your Score 50–69 Somewhat Walkable: Some amenities within Asheville top 10%: 89 9% of walking distance. Your score: 83 have a Asheville average: 57 within 25–49 Car-Dependent: A few amenities Get your Credit Score for free before you apply for walking distance. 0–24 Car-Dependent: Almost all errands require a car. Street Smart Walk Score First C itizens Bank

Calculates your score using w alkin

Check out your new score, we'd lo

Your Commute

How long does it take to get to w ork w alking, biking,

152 Walk Score and nearby amenities for Merrimon Ave As

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Walkshed “Walkablility is the first step to urban sustainability. It makes neighborhoods more economically robust, reduces our impact on the environment, and improves the health of our citizens. Walkablility is about making cities better. Sustainable Development does not just mean a cleaner environment; it also requires establishing local economies that are economically viable and socially responsible. It will involve a shift in mindset in terms of how approach individual life, business, and government is approached. And it will require the transformation of both public policy and the technologies we use to operate our community systems. At the heart of it all is geography. Measuring a city’s walkablility is just the beginning. Planning water sources, land use, optimal public transit routes, better sidewalk networks and bike lanes, traffic light timing, and distance from diverse habitats are just a few of the ways that geographic technology can help us make towns and cities operate in a more sustainable manner.”154 Walkshed does not think it is helpful to calculate walkablility based on amenities that you can’t actually walk to. “Many communities are close to amenities ‘as a crow flies’ but those amenities are cut off from pedestrians by barriers and disconnected street networks. Walkshed works by using ‘friction-based’ (aka ‘cost-based’) distance calculations in lieu of straight-line distances for the best accuracy. Walkshed friction calculations work by laying a grid of hundreds of thousands of cells over the entire city and determining how much ‘friction’ a pedestrian would encounter for each cell. For example, cells on interstates and rivers have very high walking friction while cells on the street grid and parks have very low friction. This has important effects on walkablility. Barriers will have a negative impact on walking distances since people typically don’t walk through highways or on water. Street connectivity matters. Cul-de-sacs and winding suburban streets will have longer walking distances than an urban street grid. By determining the walking friction of the entire city, Walkshed can calculate the optimal and actual

walking distance from every point in the city to the closest amenity in every category. Walkablility means different things to different people. Empty nesters may enjoy being near a wide variety of restaurants and theaters. Runners and families might prefer easy access to parks and playgrounds. Young professionals and students may like the nightlife in certain neighborhoods. All of these people love and value walkablility, but they all have different preferences that shape it”155 which led to their development of the Azavea’s Decision Tree. “Using Azavea’s DecisionTree calculation engine, Walkshed is able to dynamically account for each person’s preferences by giving relative weights to each factor before combining the data. This means that giving a +1 to everything is no different than giving everything a +5 since there is no difference from factor to factor. This also means that a +2 is twice more important than a +1, a +3 is 1.5 times more important than a +2, and so on. DecisionTree is a set of web-based planning and prioritization tools. It is able to prioritize locations based on custom weighted geographic preferences. Based on its calculations, DecisionTree generates a ‘hot spot’ or ‘heat’ map displaying the locations that best match users’ selected preferences and weights. The result is a graphical representation of spatial data, where values are represented as colors along a spectrum—a heatmap. For example, areas that best meet a user’s defined priorities may be colored green, while poorly suitable areas are shaded red. Heat maps present complex quantitative and spatial information in a form that is easy to understand without technical skills.”156 154 Walkshed- Personal and Precise Walkability Mapping. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http:// walkshed.org/>. 155 Ibid. 156 Ibid.

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Walkshed calculates the optimal and actual walking distance from every point in the city to the closest amenity in every category but the data must be first created for the entire city to generate the DecisionTree. Currently New York City and Philadephia are the only cities what have WalkShed. WalkShed was not used in this study due to its current lack of accessibility in Asheville. However factors like barriers and street connectivity were used in the COMPLETEcorridorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; index.

154

FIGUREB.2: Image from Walkshed.

Data Source: Walkshed- Personal and Precise Walkability Mapping. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://walkshed.org/>.

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LEED for Neighborhood Development “The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development’s location and design meet accepted high levels of environmentally responsible, sustainable development. LEED for Neighborhood Development is collaboration among USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.”157 LEED Neighborhood Design rating system is divided into five categories: Smart Location and Linkage, Neighborhood Pattern and Design, Green Infrastructure and Buildings, Innovation and Design Process, Regional Priority Credit. Each of the categories has a prerequisites and possible credits. These prerequisites and credits range from density, block averages to requirements for building water efficiencies.

LEEDS ND rating system was used the most often in the COMPLETEcorridors’ index due to the applicability and ease in implementation. However some measurements and ranges had to be modified due to the linear nature of corridors and the context of Asheville. 157

”LEED ND” USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http:// www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3357>. 158 Ibid.

FIGUREB.3: LEED ND Graphic.

Data Source: ”LEED ND” USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3357>.

“LEED for Neighborhood Development is a voluntary rating system that recognizes development projects that successfully protect and enhance the overall health, natural environment, and quality of life of our communities. The certification system encourages smart growth and new urbanist best practices, promoting the location and design of neighborhoods that reduce vehicle miles travelled and communities where jobs and services are accessible by foot or public transit. It promotes more efficient energy and water use—especially important in urban areas where infrastructure is often overtaxed.”158 USGBC states that they are “committed to facilitating the development and retrofit of neighborhoods by integrating the combined principles of smart locations, neighborhood design, and green infrastructure and building.” Not all the categories, credits, credit’s measures and ranges for LEED ND were applicable to this study. 155

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Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places As part of an effort to promote walkable, transit-oriented places in the Twin Cities, the center for Transit Oriented Development conducted a study outlining an approach for transforming existing activity centers into walkable places. This study was done in partnership with the Urban Land Institute in Minnesota and the ULI/Curtis Regional Infrastructure Project and called the Connecting Transportation and Land Use Systems Initiative. In defining a “walkable urban place” the CTOD considered several measures: • whether a place has a multi-modal transportation system and how well it performs • the “employment gravity” of job clusters and the mix of uses – to determine how many hours out of the day people actively use a place • the intensity of uses -- how many people use the area • the area’s “walkscore” – a measure of the amenities within walking distance • a connectivity index that measures the connectedness or “permeability” of the street network – because connected street networks support increased walking and biking as well as other benefits • block sizes and intersection density • origin mode split and destination mode split • land opportunity and the potential for walkability. Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places was site specific, not all the categories, measures and ranges were applicable to this study. The COMPLETEcorridors’ index utilized the measures and some of the ranges to calculate completeness. 156

“Where there are good transportation options and workers choose to take alternatives to the car, fewer parking spaces are needed, and less public space overall is devoted to the car. This becomes a positive feedback loop, in which public space is used by pedestrians walking to work, transit, lunch, and/or home, and more resources and space can then be allocated to improving the pedestrian realm.”

-Twin Cities Ctlus Initiative: Identifying and Evaluating Regionally Significant Walkable Urban Places

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Portland Plan’s Status Report: 20 Minute Neighborhood The report describes a 20-minute neighborhood “as a place with convenient, safe, and pedestrian-oriented access to the places people need to go to and the services people use nearly every day: transit, shopping, quality food, school, parks, and social activities, that is near and adjacent to housing. In other words, a 20-minute neighborhood is another name for a walkable environment.”159 They used the term 20-minute neighborhood because they thought it was easier to understand—it is where people go within twenty minutes of their dwelling. 20-minute neighborhoods have the following three basic characteristics: • A walkable environment • Destinations that support a range of daily needs (i.e., shops, jobs, parks, etc.) • Residential density “The impetus of the report is an increased interest in improving sustainability—responding to challenges posed by climate change by reducing car trips and decreasing energy use in general, the need for affordable housing and to reduce housing-related costs, the need to stay physically fit and live healthily and wants to support local businesses—has renewed interest in walkable environments or 20-minute neighborhoods. While some aspects of a walkable environment are obvious: They are compact, with good walking surfaces. They have direct, obvious and safe routes with frequent connections to attractive destinations—places to which people need and want to go. Other aspects of 20-minute neighborhoods or walkable environments many not be immediately obvious. However, a growing body of national and international research agrees on a basic set of features and elements that make walkable environments or 20-minute neighborhoods. According to the research, walkable environments—or 20-minute neighborhoods—generally include the following:

• building scales that are comfortable for pedestrians; • mixed-use and dense development near neighborhood services and transit; • distinct and identifiable centers and public spaces; • a variety of connected transportation options; • lower speed streets; • accessible design; and a street grid or other frequently connected network of local streets. Twenty-minute neighborhoods offer direct and indirect benefits. The most direct benefit of 20-minute neighborhoods is that they allow residents to drive less and thus reduce their overall household transportation expenditures, which at this time averages 16% of one’s income. According to the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan ‘walking will help reduce traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, wear and tear on roads, and consumption of petroleum; it will reduce the number of pedestrian-motor vehicle-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities; and it will reduce the need for additional roads, travel lanes and parking.’ Economic benefits frequently include an increase in housing values, attraction of new economy workers, offer business relocation opportunities, reduce commuting costs, decreases infrastructure investments (which ultimately affects the taxpayer), and they attract tourists.”160 The report noted that the preliminary analysis included distance, destination, density and other factors described as the ” ’least common denominator’ type of definition— one that was simple and straightforward and would include the minimum elements that could be applicable to the largest area of the city. We recognize that this definition leaves out a key characteristic of most successful 20-minute neighborhoods—they each have a special character that reflects the people who live 159 Portland Plan’s Status Report: Twenty-Minute Neighborhoods. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp_update/documents/20_Minute_ Neighborhoods.pdf> 160 Ibid.

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in the area, its history, and its physical features.”161 The findings were weighted and ‘Hot Spots’ of businesses, grocery stores, open spaces, appropriate infrastructure, intersections, and transit identified. Portland’s 20 Minute Neighborhood study is in the beginning stages. COMPLETEcorridors’ index utilized the factors that contribute to ’20 minute neighborhood’ to calculate the completeness of Asheville’s urban corridors.

158

161 Portland Plan’s Status Report: Twenty-Minute Neighborhoods. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp_update/documents/20_Minute_ Neighborhoods.pdf>

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Asheville, City of. 2009 Transit Master Plan. Web. 5. Dec. 2010.<http://ashevillenc.gov/ uploadedFiles/Residents/Transportation/City_Bus_Service/Transit%20Master%20 Plan%20-%20Final.pdf> Asheville, City of. 2005 Update to the City of Asheville Pedestrian Plan. Web. 5. Dec. 2010.<http://www.ashevillenc.gov/uploadedFiles/Residents/Transportation/Bike_ and_Ped_Services/2005PedestrianPlanChapters1-2PlanPurposePlanningContext.pdf>

Jacobsen, Will Fleissig and Vickie. In Collaboration with the Congress for New Urbanism and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Smart Scorecard for Development Projects.” (2002). <http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/scorecards/Scorecard_expfleissigjacobsen.pdf>. Kellett, Cynthia Girling and Ronald. Skinny Streets & Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community. Washington DC: Island Press, 2005. Print.

Asheville, City of. Asheville’s Downtown Master Plan. (2007). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <ftp:// www.ashevillenc.gov/web/FinalPlan5.pdf>

“LEED ND” USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http:// www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3357>.

Asheville, City of. Asheville City Development Plan 2025 Comprehensive Plan. (2007). Web. Accessed 5. Dec. 2010. <http://www.ashevillenc.gov/business/development_ services/planning_zoning/default.aspx?id=1144>.

Library, Pack Memorial. <http://www.ashevillemtns.com/historicphotos/index.html>.

Asheville, City of. Comprehensive Bike Plan. (2008). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <ftp://www.ashevillenc.gov/Web/TransportationEngineering/Transportation/Asheville_Plan_Final_Adopted_022608.pdf> Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http:// www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf> Asheville, City of. 2009 Transit Master Plan. Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http://ashevillenc.gov/uploadedFiles/Residents/Transportation/City_Bus_Service/ Transit%20Master%20Plan%20-%20Final.pdf>

“Locate Parking Strategically-Metropolitan Area Planning Council.” Metropolitan Area Planning Council | Promoting Smart Growth and Regional Collaboration. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mapc.org/resources/parking-toolkit/strategies-topic/locate-strategically>. “New York City Handbook, Appendix D.” 6. Dec. 2010.<http://www.tenant.net/Other_ Laws/zoning/zonap-d.html> Organization, Complete Streets. <http://www.completestreets.org/>. Planning and Urban Design Standards. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print.

San Jose, City of. City of San Jose Planning Division Envision San Jose 2040. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning.

“Planning for Sustainable Travel - Key Themes - Density.” Planning for Sustainable Travel - Home. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.plan4sustainabletravel.org/key_themes/ density/>.

Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS support center for the transportation community. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/ reading/design-speed-2/>.

Portland Plan’s Status Report: Twenty-Minute Neighborhoods. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp_update/documents/20_Minute_ Neighborhoods.pdf>

Complete Streets. Web. Accessed 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.completestreets.org/>.

“Road Diet.” Streetswiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://streetswiki.wikispaces. com/Road+Diet>.

Council, Land-of-Sky Regional. Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region. Print. Asheville, 2010. Ed. Council, North Carolina’s Land-of-Sky Regional. “Design Speed: Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community.” Welcome to CSS | Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. http://contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/design-speed-2/ Dunn, Liz. “Benefits of Street Trees.” Friends of Frink Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. <http://www.frinkpark.org/trees. Farr, Doug. Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007. Print. Franklin, Wayne and Steiner, Michael, ed. Mapping American Culture. University of Iowa, 1992. Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. http://www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.shtml Group, The Arroyo. Santa Fe Depot Speciﬁc Plan Update. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. <http:// www.arroyogroup.com/santafedepot/OR-FactSheet-MixedUse.pdf>. Hayden, Dolores. The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. MIT Press, 1995. Hufford, Mary. One Space, Many Places: Folklife and Land Use in New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve. American Folklife Center: Library of Congress, 1986. Print.

Elizabeth Shay, Steven C. Spoon, Asad J. Khattak. Walkable Environments and Walking Activity University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Transportation Program, 2003. Print. Transportation, The New York City Department of. The New York City Street Design Manual, 2009. Print. “Urban Air Pollution in Australia.” Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) - Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/urban-air/ pubs/chapter5.pdf>. U.S. Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural, and Resources Defense Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. Washington DC: The U.S. Green Building Council, Inc., Updated 2010. Print. Walkshed- Personal and Precise Walkability Mapping. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. <http://walkshed.org/>. Webster’s Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complete, Accessed 15, Dec. 2010.).

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A Accessory dwelling units:

Commonly referred to as mother-in-law apartments or granny flat. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are a second dwelling on a piece of property where a primary residence already exists.

ASHTO:

(American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials) A nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, representing all five transportation modes—air, highways, public transportation, rail, and water. AASHTO publishes numerous design guidance publications, including A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (“Green Book”). www.transportation.org/?siteid= 37&pageid=310Urban Form

Biodiversity:

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Blue Infrastructure:

Consists of water bodies; like rivers, stream, lakes and wetlands, a component of the natural environment.

C Collective Image:

How a place is seen through the eyes of many, the characteristics that are consistent (can be spatial or a feeling). “it is the job of the city planner and urban designer to make the city’s image more recognizable, vivid, and memorable to the city dweller. Clear images, Lynch believes, give people emotional satisfaction, an easy framework for communication, and personal security.” Kevin Lynch (1960). The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

Crosswalk:

A.That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway between the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, between the edges of the traversable roadway; B. Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface. Transportation, The New York City Department of. “The New York City Street Design Manual.” 2009. Print.

Corridors:

Broadly defined, a corridor generally refers to a geographic area that accommodates travel or potential travel. Normally, a corridor is considered to be a ‘travel shed,’ an area where trips tend to cluster in a general linear pattern, with feeder routes linking to trunk lines that carry longer distance trips in a metropolitan area.

Transportation Research Board, National Research Council: NCHRP Report 435, “Guidebook for Transportation Corridor Studies: A Process for Effective Decision-Making,” Washington, D.C., 1999.

Complete Corridor:

Corridors that give neighborhoods the ability to access daily needs and services . Looks beyond the roads; it’s also focuses on the context that surrounds them; the corridors’ urban form, alternative transportation options, access to everyday necessities, densities, etc. COMPLETEcorridors integrate transportation and land use, minimizing the amount of travel required and encouraging higher levels of self-containment.

Complete Street:

Complete Streets promotes the idea that roadways should be designed and operated to enable safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transport users of all ages and abilities are able to safely and comfortably move along and across a complete street. Complete Streets. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. <http://www.completestreets.org/>.

D Density:

Residential density refers to the number of housing units per acre of land. The most common measure of residential density is dwelling units per acre (du/ac). Density for may also be measured by floor area ratio (FAR), commonly used for commercial structures. Population density and employment density are others ways of measuring density in an area. Planning and Urban Design Standards. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print.

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Design Speed:

A selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway. The assumed design speed should be a logical one with respect to the topography, anticipated operating speed, the adjacent land use, and the functional classification of highway.” The maximum safe speed that can be maintained over a specified section of highway when conditions are so favorable that the design features of the highway govern. .“Design Speed | Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community.” Welcome to CSS | Context Sensitive Solutions.org - A CSS Support Center for the Transportation Community. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. http://contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/design-speed-2/

Desire Line:

A path developed by erosion caused by animal or human footfall. The path usually represents the shortest or most easily navigated route between an origin and destination. The width and amount of erosion of the line represents the amount of demand.

Dwelling Unit:

A dwelling unit means one or more rooms physically arranged so as to create an independent housekeeping establishment for occupancy by one family with separate toilets and facilities for cooking and sleeping. In no case shall a dwelling unit be rented or leased for intervals of less than one month. City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance

Floodplain:

Any normally dry land area that is susceptible to being inundated by flooding includes both the floodway and the flood fringe area. The susceptibility of this area to flooding may pose hazards for building construction. City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance

Furnishing Zone :

A multi–purpose area of the roadside. It serves as a buffer between the pedestrian travel way and the vehicular area of the thoroughfare within the curbs, and it provides space for roadside appurtenances such as street trees, planting strips, street furniture, utility poles, sidewalk cafés, sign poles, signal and electrical cabinets, phone booths, fire hydrants, bicycle racks, and bus stop shelters. Institute of Transporta-

tion Engineers, Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities: An ITE Proposed Recommended Practice

G Gateway :

A combination of traffic–calming and visual measures used at the entrance.

Greenfields:

Land not previously developed or polluted.

Façade:

A Green Street is a sustainable stormwater strategy that meets regulatory compliance and resource protection goals by using a natural systems approach to manage stormwater, reduce flows, improve water quality and enhance watershed health.

One side of the exterior of a building, usually the front.

FAR:

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which the building is located. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the floor area of a building to the area of the lot on which the building is located. Higher densities make it possible for people to walk, bicycle, or use the bus. One important way to increase development densities is to increase the allowable floor area ratio (FAR). “New York City Zoning Handbook, Appendix D”, 2011). http://www.tenant.net/Other_ Laws/zoning/zonap-d.html

Fenestration: Refers to openings in a structure, i.e. doors and windows.

Five Minute Walk:

The ¼ mile (1,320 feet) is also known as the Five Minute Walk is a standard measure in the planning and transportation profession. The Five Minute Walk is the average distance that a pedestrian is willing to walk before opting to drive.

Green Streets:

http://www.portlandonline.com/BES/index.cfm?c=44407

Gray Infrastructure:

It consists of buildings, roads, parking lots, sidewalks, bike paths and utilities.

Green Infrastructure:

It is considered by many as the parks, natural areas, trees, shrubs and grass; it is a component of the natural environment.

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Horizontal Mixed-Use:

Public Realm

A single-use building on distinct parcels in a range of land uses in one planned development project. This approach avoids the financing and code complexities of vertical layers used while achieving the goal of place making that is made possible by bringing together complementary used in one place. http://www.planning.org/

Height to Street Ratio:

The height-to-street-width ratio of 1:3 (i.e., a minimum of 1 foot of building height for every 3 feet of street width) is the optimum measure for promoting a street frontage that creates of sense of closure and promotes walkability.

The public realm includes all exterior places, linkages and built form elements that are physically and/or visually accessible regardless of ownership. These elements can include, but are not limited to, streets, pedestrian ways, bikeways, bridges, plazas, nodes, squares, transportation hubs, gateways, parks, waterfronts, natural features, view corridors, landmarks and building interfaces. http://www.upc.gov.ae/prdm/public-realm-definition.asp

U.S. Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural, and Resources Defense Council. LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development Rating System. Washington DC: The U.S. Green Building Council, Inc., Updated 2010. Print.

Right–of–Way:

AASHTO: Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities

Impervious surface:

Any surface which in whole or in part, restricts or prevents the natural absorption of water into the ground. Such surfaces may include, but not be limited to, compacted earth, traffic-bearing gravel, concrete, asphalt, or other paving material, and all area covered by the footprint of buildings or structures. Uncovered slatted decks and the water area of a swimming pool, pond, or other water body are considered pervious. City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance

N Neighborhood Infrastructure:

Neighborhood infrastructure is considered to be the ‘personality’ of a place or its intangible qualities.

A general term denoting land, property, or interest therein, usually in a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes.

Road Diet:

A Road Diet is a treatment given to an urban roadway in which the number of lanes is reduced, and the freed space converted to parking, bike lanes, landscaping, walkways, or medians. Road Diets are implemented to provide additional pavement and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, reduce speeding, and to make room for parking. “Road Diet.” Streetswiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://streetswiki.wikispaces. com/Road+Diet>.

Runoff:

The draining away of water (or substances carried in it) from the surface of an area of land, a building or structure.

S Setback:

(1)The required minimum horizontal distance between the building line and the related front, side, or rear property line. (2)For the sign regulations found in article XIII of this chapter, setback shall mean the horizontal distance between the leading face of the curb of a street and the closest point of a sign or sign structure on such lot. Where there is no curb, the measurement shall be made from the edge of the pavement. City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance

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Sidewalk:

Traffic Calming:

Transportation, The New York City Department of. “The New York City Street Design Manual.” 2009. Print.

ITE: Traffic Calming: State of the Practice, 1999

That portion of a street, whether paved or unpaved, between the curb lines or the lateral lines of a roadway and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians. Where it is not clear which section is intended for the use of pedestrians, the sidewalk will be deemed to be that portion of the street between the building line and the curb.

Somewhat-defined Pedestrian Way:

A somewhat-defined pedestrian way will have some separation or clear distinction but not consistently across the property.

Street Frontage:

The portion of a lot abutting a publicly maintained street or alley. City of Asheville’s Code of Ordinance

Street Tree: A tree growing in the public right–of–way.

Sustainable:

Making decisions that balance the values of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic vitality to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Asheville, City of. Sustainablity Management Plan. (2009). Web. 5. Dec. 2010. <http:// www.ashevillenc.gov/docs/sustainability/AVL.Sust.Plan.pdf>

T Target Speed:

The speed at which vehicles should operate on a thoroughfare in a specific context, consistent with the level of multimodal activity generated by adjacent land uses, to provide both mobility for motor vehicles and a safe environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. The target speed is usually the posted speed limit. ITE Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities

Ten Minute Walk:

Research also shows that people will walk 1/2 mile (2,640), also known as the Ten Minute Walk to more specialized shops or civic uses.

The combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behaviour and improve conditions for non–motorized street users. As opposed to traffic control devices that are regulatory and require enforcement, traffic calming measures are intended to be self–enforcing.

Twenty Minute Walk:

20-minute walk equates to approximately 1 mile walking at a fast pace; however, the average person could walk between ¼ to ½ a mile under safe, conducive walking conditions, (e.g. sidewalks and short blocks).

U Undefined or Poorly Defined Pedestrian Way:

An undefined or poorly defined pedestrian way will lack clear distinctions and separation between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Vehicle Miles Traveled:

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is the total number of miles driven by all vehicles within a given time period and geographic area. It is used by regional transportation and environmental agencies for planning purposes. VMT is influenced by factors such as population, age distribution, and the number of vehicles per household. However, the greatest factor by far is how land uses are arranged. “LEED ND” USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http://www. usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3357>.

Verge:(see furnishing zone). Vertical Mixed-Use:

Different uses in the same building. The lower floors generally have more public uses, with private uses on the upper level. www.apa.org

W Walkablity:

Walkablity is a measure of how easy it is to walk around in an area easily and safely.

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Wayfinding

Wayfinding is the organization and communication of our dynamic relationship to space and the environment. Successful design to promote wayfinding allows people to: (1) determine their location within a setting, (2) determine their destination, and (3) develop a plan that will take them from their location to their destination. The design of wayfinding systems should include: (1) identifying and marking spaces, (2) grouping spaces, and (3) linking and organizing spaces through both architectural and graphic means. http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/udny/section4-1c.htm

Well-Defined Pedestrian Way:

A well-defined pedestrian way will be separated from vehicular traffic, drives and parking areas. Where they intersect, pavement markings, textural change or coloration will alert drivers to the pedestrian path.

Windshield Survey:

To drive around (or walk) the community/area you are researching, and record your observations.

Z Zoning:

Zoning is a restriction on the way that land can be used. It allows governments to control the development of communities and ensure they are functional and safe places.

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