t ra n s i t - or i e n t e d de v e l op m e n t
urban design associates
urban design associates
transit-oriented development
Introduction Newtown Strategic Growth Area virginia beach | virginia
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Downtown Norfolk Transit norfolk | virginia
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Alexander Street Corridor yonkers | new york
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West Don Lands Transit toronto | ontario | canada
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Cincinnati Riverfront Transit cincinnati | ohio
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Neighborhoods of the Mill Creek Valley cincinnati | ohio
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North Shore LRT pittsburgh | pennsylvania
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East Liberty Station pittsburgh | pennsylvania
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Beechview Corridor LRT pittsburgh | pennsylvania
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PAT Vision 2020 pittsburgh | pennsylvania
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Rose Quarter Transit Center portland | oregon
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City of Tracy Transit Station tracy | california
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Yuzyni st. petersburg | russia
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Introduction
As leaders of broad master planning efforts – or as members of interdisciplinary design teams focused on specific transit projects – Urban Design Associates (UDA) has integrated transit service into neighborhoods and downtowns. Cities with transit systems are better able to support pedestrian friendly, dense, compact development. UDA has found that transit adds enormous value to cities and regions and enables cities to be more visitor- and user-friendly by linking together all aspects of life. UDA celebrates transit as a highly visible and pleasant experience that animates the public space of the city. Transit and Sustainable Development Transit is becoming increasingly important as our natural resources diminish and become more costly. Cities with safe, attractive and reliable transit improve mobility and grow in value as highly desirable, prestigious environments. For regions, transit systems encourage sustainable settlement patterns by focusing dense pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods around transit stations. This pattern of growth resists suburban sprawl, reduces the reliance on the automobile, and consumes less energy and resources. The UDA Process Common to all our work, whether it is a comprehensive plan (such as our Cincinnati Riverfront Master Plan, Norfolk Downtown Master Plan and West Don Lands Precinct Plan in Toronto, Ontario) or specific transit improvement projects on multidisciplinary teams (in Shaker Heights, Ohio and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania), is our ability to communicate complex, highly technical system designs to broad audiences. With highly visual and user-friendly materials, we help design teams and transit authorities understand the impacts and opportunities of transit infrastructure options to better integrate transit into sensitive areas. UDA’s ability to lead public design processes, a service fundamental to all of our work, better enables technical teams and transit authorities to listen and respond to political leaders, community groups and neighborhoods. UDA has found that by illustrating how transit can animate and strengthen streets and public squares, stakeholders begin to understand the enormous potential of transit to improve the quality of life in their community and their region.
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Transit and Revitalization UDA’s work in urban design often sets the stage for transit projects because it helps planning agencies and transit authorities position transit as an essential component of revitalization. Transit in Toronto influences urban form because it enables the city to plan less parking. Pittsburgh’s expansion of Light Rail to the stadium area was a major influence on site selection for new stadiums and the extension of the downtown as a new, mixed-use district. Variety of Project Types UDA’s skills have been used on engineering teams in a diverse range of transit projects including Regional Visions, DEIS, and FEIS stages of transit planning and Preliminary Engineering. UDA’s services help teams evaluate alignment options, station planning concepts, relationships to existing and planned use, and the integration of transit into public space.
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Newtown Strategic Growth Area virginia beach | virginia
primary client
City of Virginia Beach, VA project size
200 Acres (180 developed) year completed
2010 reference
Karen Lasley City of Virginia Beach ,VA Department of Planning Municipal Center, Building 2 2405 Courthouse Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23456 klasley@vbgov.com 757-385-4621
The Newtown Strategic Growth Area (SGA) on the city’s western border, is the City’s first transit-oriented SGA with Norfolk’s HRT light rail line, that will open at the SGA’s doorstep in early 2011. Urban Design Associates led a multidisciplinary team to develop a master plan for a transit-oriented mixed-use district. The plan identified specific initiatives that both the city and private sector could implement over time. Approximately 1,000 housing apartment, condo, and single-family housing units will provide more housing diversity for the city. Retail and employment uses are structured around a new street network and transit corridor. An educational campus is proposed near the center of the district for existing higher education institutions and their corporate partners.
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Downtown Norfolk Transit norfolk | virginia
primary client
City of Norfolk year completed
On-going reference
The Honorable Paul Fraim City of Norfolk City Hall Building 810 Union Street, Suite 1109 Norfolk, VA 23510 (757)664-4679 paul.fraim@norfolk.gov
Urban Design Associates has been engaged by the city to address multiple transportation issues including specific elements of the new Light Rail Transit system. UDA has focused on improving the experience for pedestrians along major arterials. UDA has worked in collaboration with the Transportation Department to tame Brambleton Avenue and enhance connectivity across this major thoroughfare. UDA has also worked extensively with Hampton Roads Transit to integrate the LRT into the downtown fabric, create public spaces at key stations, and ensure that the stations are designed in a complimentary architectural vocabulary. The entire downtown is now considered a Transit Oriented Development. Most recently, UDA prepared concepts for a new high speed rail intermodal center in the downtown area.
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Alexander Street Corridor yonkers | new york
primary client
City of Yonkers year completed
2009 reference
Sharon L. Ebert Deputy Commissioner Planning and Development City of Yonkers 87 Nepperhan Avenue Suite 311 Yonkers, NY 10701 (914)377-6651
The redevelopment plan provides new waterfront access, expanded park space, and venues for public events. UDA was selected to refine the plan and prepare sustainable design guidelines for the redevelopment area. The process began with a place making exercise to define the concentrations of uses, character of public spaces and the range of architecture. The streets and parks were designed to accommodate a range of uses and activities for residents and visitors. Guidelines for the design of public space provide standards for each development team to follow as they implement projects. The highly illustrated document prepared by UDA provides a clear vision and promotional tool for the city as they work with developers, designers, and officials to build the district.
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West Don Lands Transit toronto |†ontario |†canada
primary client
Waterfront Toronto year completed
2004 reference
John Campbell President & CEO Waterfront Toronto 20 Bay Street, Suite 1310 Toronto, ON M5J 2N8 Canada (416)214-1344 jcampbell@waterfrontoronto.ca
Urban Design Associates designed the West Don Lands as a new mixed-use precinct with an emphasis on urban living. A central component of the district is the extension of the downtown transit line running at street level to serve businesses and residences. UDA developed a new streetcar alignment along Cherry Street, a major district thoroughfare, to both serve the district and to be available to extend to adjacent precincts. The District Plan locates commercial, retail and entertainment uses along Cherry Street, creating a district main street in conjunction with the transit service.By providing transit service in the Plan, UDA was able to reduce the parking requirement for the residential development. Incorporating transit helped further the objective of building new, sustainable developments in downtown Toronto.
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Cincinnati Riverfront Transit cincinnati | ohio
primary client
City of Cincinnati, Ohio reference
Roxanne Qualls 400 Pike Street #509 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 404-7263 roxanne.qualls@gmail.com
Urban Design Associates prepared a plan for the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to locate two new sports stadiums to generate maximum economic benefit for the downtown, and to revitalize the central Ohio River riverfront. A key component of this effort was to develop a Transportation Master Plan to serve both new uses and downtown. The plan is designed to restore the riverfront as a hub of activity and a place that connects people to the urban environment. The elements of the Transportation Master Plan were completed in an integrated interactive design process in which overlapping and often competing ideas were accommodated in the final plan.Specific recommendations include: reconfiguring the expressway to allow the downtown street grid to be reconnected to the riverfront, creating an intermodal transit center, infiltration of future light rail transit, and the introduction of a new grid of streets.
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Neighborhoods of the Mill Creek Valley cincinnati | ohio
primary client
City of Cincinnati Department of City Planning and Buildings project size
Over 180 acres across 4 study areas year completed
In Progress reference
Roxanne Qualls 400 Pike Street #509 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 404-7263 roxanne.qualls@gmail.com
The City of Cincinnati in cooperation with the Greater Metropolitan Sewer District hired a multi-disciplinary team headed by UDA to prepare a sustainable development vision for several neighborhoods along the Mill Creek that will be impacted by two multi- billion dollar projects, the reconstruction of I-75 and combined sewer remediation required by court order. Working with engineers, ecologists, landscape architects, and market specialists, UDA prepared a series of design frameworks to create a continuous open space system for the valley utilizing sustainable storm water management techniques, multi-modal transportation solutions and brown field redevelopment scenarios. Each community participated in the process and saw the value of creating a greater vision for the valley that would encourage and stimulate private investment.
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North Shore LRT pittsburgh | pennsylvania
primary client
The Port Authority of Allegheny County reference
David Wohlwill The Port Authority of Allegheny County 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412)566-5110 dwohlwill@portauthority.org
The North Shore LRT Extension will expand Pittsburgh’s light rail system to serve the north shore area of the downtown which is the home to two new professional sports stadiums and a new waterfront district. The extension will also serve the new convention center and will set the stage for future extensions to areas west, north and east of the city. UDA was urban design consultant and station area planner for DMJM+HARRIS for the FEIS and Preliminary Engineering phase, and was responsible for integrating the new alignment and four new stations into the city. The design process involved stakeholders and public input to explore concepts for station access, station image and above grade rail alignments. UDA’s approach was highly visual and involved the use of area plans, perspectives and study models. UDA helped coordinate the efforts of two architectural teams and landscape designers with the engineering team, the transit authority and the city.
Allegheny Station
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PNC Station
East Liberty Station pittsburgh | pennsylvania
primary client
East Liberty Development Incorporated year completed
In Progress reference
Wendy Stern Port Authority 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412)566-5110 (412)566-5357 dwohlwill@portauthority.org
East Liberty has been in decline since the days of Urban Renewal in the 1960s when the once interconnected street grid was decimated and circumvented with a one-way loop road. Coinciding with the demolition of hundreds of urban buildings had disastrous effects on the heritage and prosperity of East Liberty. UDA was commissioned in 2001 to master plan and develop development guidelines for Centre Avenue, one of the districts former grand streets that was truncated as part of the loop road system. A key recommendation of this study was to better leverage the nearby dedicated busway to attract residential, commercial, and institutional development. The district has begun to rejuvinate, attracting one of Whole Food’s most profitable stores, a new, 2-story Target, and scores of infill projects such as restaurants, Yoga studios, and daily services. One of the few remaining components to the plan is the development opportunity directly adjacent to the busway, itself. Once inhibited by a large land area dedicated to bus turn-arounds, Pittsburgh’s transit authority is working with UDA and a private developer to plan for the new transit station, park-and-ride facility, retail, office, and housing. The plan repairs the urban fabric of the district, makes vital connections across the busway, and establishes intuitive and convenient transit service for residents and guests.
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Beechview Corridor LRT pittsburgh | pennsylvania
primary client
The Port Authority of Allegheny County reference
David Wohlwill The Port Authority of Allegheny County 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412)566-5110 dwohlwill@portauthority.org
The Port Authority of Allegheny County funded a study to more adequately integrate their Stage One Light Rail system in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Beechview by improving the design of Broadway Avenue. Broadway Avenue is unique along the LRT system because the LRVs share cartways with other vehicles. With the construction of Stage Two, the main line serving the South Hills will shift out of Beechview and service along Broadway Avenue will become more local in nature. Because of the limited traffic on Broadway coupled with this service change, the team recommended options for reducing the cartway to increase landscaping and sidewalk areas, improve LRT stops, make safer intersections for pedestrians and vehicles, improve the appearance of catenary poles, and develop a town square as a new focus for the community. These recommendations were developed in a public process and involved broad participation from the community, the city and the consulting team.
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PAT Vision 2020 pittsburgh | pennsylvania
primary client
The Port Authority of Allegheny County and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission reference
David Wohlwill The Port Authority of Allegheny County 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412)566-5110 dwohlwill@portauthority.org
The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) co-sponsored a Transit Visioning Study for the year 2020 covering a nine-county region. Urban Design Associates was part of a team with DMJM+HARRIS and BRW analyzing current transit services in the region, projecting future growth, and exploring concepts for making transit an integral component of regional development. Urban Design Associates conducted an extensive public participation process including focus groups, interviews, and public meetings. UDA also held two public design charrettes, one in a rapidly developing suburb and one in a declining mill town, to illustrate how transit can be an essential component of Smart Growth and urban revitalization. A number of transit-related improvements were proposed, including fixed guideway locations for light rail and busways, bus rapid transit, park and ride facilities, joint development, enhanced transit stops, circulator buses, bicycle and trail connections, Maglev, and paratransit.
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Rose Quarter Transit Center portland | oregon
primary client
City of Portland Portland Development Commission year completed
2001
Urban Design Associates produced an urban design plan and development strategy for the Rose Quarter in Portland, Oregon. The study focuses on the area around the Rose Garden arena and recommends two alternative strategies for creating a mixed-use district of housing, commercial and entertainment uses. A major component of the urban design plan is the improvement of the current traffic system and transit center. The objective of the design is to create safe and attractive pedestrian networks that link to efficient and accessible transit routes and stations. The transit center becomes the focus of a new mixed-use development effort.
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City of Tracy Transit Station tracy | california primary client
Surland Compaines on behalf of the City of Tracy project size
9,500 sf year completed
2010 reference
Les Serpa, The Surland Companies, LLC 1024 Central Ave., Tracy, CA 95376 (209)832-7000 lserpa@surlandcompanies.com
Urban Design Associates has served as urban design consultants for the Surland Companies since 2004, providing master planning, pattern book, and architectural design services. In support of Surland’s civic commitment to Downtown Tracy, UDA was asked to create a contextual exterior appearance for the new City of Tracy Transit Station. The Transit Station is sited and designed as a civic icon that anchors the northern end of Central Avenue. UDA, in collaboration with VBN Architects (the project architect), the City of Tracy, and the Surland Companies, transformed existing design development level elevations into a classic California transit station. UDA also provided architectural illustration services.
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Yuzyni st. petersburg | russia
primary client
Start Development year completed
2010 reference
Andrey Nazarov, CEO Start Development 196632, Sankt-Petersburg Rushkin Region, Lesnoe 7-812 490-33-63
Start Development commissioned a team of international planners and urban designers including Urban Design Associates (US) and Gillespies (UK) to prepare a master plan concept for a new town of 290,000 residents on over 3,700 hectares of land area within St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region near Pushkin. The town will offer a new range of live styles for the region, organized as a series of transit-oriented communities with a diversity of housing, town centers, and neighborhood services. The new town will be served by two commuter rail lines and will link existing transportation corridors together to greatly improve regional access. New single-family homes, townhouses and apartments will appeal to a broad spectrum of incomes and family types. Parks, trails and continuous greenways will connect neighborhoods to a diversity of recreation areas and world heritage destinations.
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