Urban design & neighborhood character

Introduction

Urban design and form represents that component of neighborhood planning that addresses a community’s livability, identity, and physical quality. It includes factors that contribute to a neighborhood’s condition, appearance, function, and comfort. These qualities are not necessarily quantitative categories such as traffic level of service, demographics, economic market trends, or projected population or employment growth. Rather, urban design and form strive to define and build on positive qualitative components of the Terminal Park neighborhood’s social, economic, and physical character.

The urban design considerations presented in this chapter promote higher quality of life and, ultimately, a reinforced sense of community identity. They seek to build on desired attributes to foster neighborhood attachment. Urban design does this by:

• Making streets suitable for pedestrians and vehicles
• Ensuring that new development is compatible with and sensitive to existing structures
• Fostering neighborhood identity through the provision of public amenities
• Creating a comfortable environment through landscaping and plantings
• Building on opportunities for social interaction.

More specifically, the location and quality of buildings, location and presence (or lack thereof) of signs, street trees, and pedestrian infrastructure are elements of urban form that determine comfort with the neighborhood. A number of elements are addressed that that create the impression that a place is comfortable, interesting, safe, and attractive.
Further, what makes a neighborhood thrive are common elements that help bond residents. Strong neighborhoods provide opportunities and places that allow for interaction amongst neighbors and activities that support common interests. Urban design and form can contribute to building upon neighborhood identification and attachment and in turn strengthen the development of the neighborhood itself.

Issues Raised

The Terminal Park Plan’s Vision Statement reveals that neighborhood residents place a high value on intangible lifestyle qualities. These include knowing neighbors and sharing values that foster a desired neighborhood character supported by pedestrian friendly development and supportive land uses.

More specifically, during the course of the Terminal Park neighborhood planning process the following issues were raised that either relate to or can be supported by quality urban design and form.

Social Relationships

Residents expressed a notable desire for building social relationships within the neighborhood. Several Terminal Park plan stakeholders emphasized what makes living desirable in Terminal Park is that residents know and look out for one another. Occasional social gatherings amongst neighbors occur on a regular basis and are used to help neighbors introduce themselves to one another and strengthen the attentiveness of residents to one another’s needs.

Neighborhood residents continually emphasize how they “know one another.” There is a desire to look for ways to enhance and develop interaction among neighbors so that residents can look out for and care for each other.

Comments were made about how Terminal Park is one of the focal points in the neighborhood as it is well used by neighborhood children and their parents. Opportunities to use the park for more neighborhood-wide events was desired including the possibility of improving the park to attract more use.

Pedestrian Connectivity

Residents in the neighborhood emphasized that they like to walk within the neighborhood. In most neighborhoods, major pedestrian destinations and generators are typically stores, schools and other places that people walk to or from any time of the day.

Terminal Park is no different. In the Terminal Park neighborhood, key pedestrian connections and generators include Terminal Park Elementary School, Terminal Park, churches, and the commercial shopping primarily along Auburn Way South. There are commercial uses along A Street SE but these do not typically cater to local residents.

There are also pedestrian destinations just outside the Terminal Park neighborhood. On the east side of Auburn Way South are key public facilities including Les Gove Park, Auburn Library, and the YMCA. Downtown Auburn is also just to the north of Highway 18.

Barriers to pedestrian travel affect the behavior of persons traveling form one place to another. For example, a person who knows that walking across an arterial intersection will be unpleasant is discouraged from doing so. Barriers can also include large parking lots, walls, or railroad tracks. An unpleasant or unsafe area, whether real or perceived, is also considered a barrier. The largest barriers to pedestrian travel in the Terminal Park neighborhood are the absence of adequate infrastructure including sidewalks and street lights, and marked crossings.

In addition to the demand for safety, Terminal Park can also be improved by developing a network of physical connections within the neighborhood open space, parks and recreation. Given limited resources, key streets and connections should be identified and resources should be devoted to those areas to enhance the local pedestrian network. Safe and effective linkages should not only be developed within the neighborhood but should also connect through the neighborhood to Downtown, Les Gove Park, Auburn Library and the White River Valley Museum.

Neighborhood History

Discussion with residents shows recognition that the Terminal Park neighborhood has a rich tradition and background that is part of the story of Auburn’s history and development. This history is discussed more specifically in the History section of this plan. Terminal Park, for instance, is the City’s first park. Several residences in existence and those that have been removed have been documented as having association with the cultural history of the city.

The history of the neighborhood, as well as the neighborhood itself, should be emphasized. Art or a monument at the park and/or gateways are possible ways of accomplishing this.

Findings

The Terminal Park neighborhood serves an important role in the richness of the city, especially as it was one of the initial neighborhoods to be developed in the city and because it has ties to the city’s rich railroad heritage. It is a neighborhood rich in community spirit and history.

A high level of support for retaining the basic social character of the neighborhood has been acknowledged. There is a strong desire to preserve strong relationships among neighbors and keep the neighborhood friendly. Opportunities to develop community spaces should be expanded.

Comments were made about the extensive use of Terminal Park by the neighborhood and how it serves as a gathering place for children. The park should be improved to provide opportunities for more neighborhood activities and gatherings, including those that offer intergenerational contact.

Pedestrian travel is strongly valued by neighborhood residents. Residents enjoy walking in their neighborhood. “Pedestrianism” with facilities that support that activity should be pursued.

The largest barriers to pedestrian travel in the Terminal Park neighborhood are the absence of adequate infrastructure including sidewalks and street lights, and crossings.

Policies

UD-1: Connected Non-Motorized Network
Develop a neighborhood with open space, parks and recreation that has a well-developed network of safe and effective pedestrian linkages and corridors linking Terminal Park Elementary School, churches, Terminal Park, Downtown, Les Gove Park, Auburn Library, transit stops and services within the neighborhood.

Strategy: Ensure that the design of city infrastructure improvements considers the pedestrian network relied upon by Terminal Park residents.

Strategy: Coordinate with the Auburn school district to identify pedestrian needs and improvements benefiting children attending Terminal Park Elementary School.

UD-2: Enhance Neighborhood Identity
Place identifying gateways and signage to strengthen the identity of the Terminal Park neighborhood.

Strategy: Consider the Terminal Park neighborhood for gateway signage as part of the city’s gateway program.

Strategy: Capitalize on Terminal Park’s rich tradition as the city’s first park to strengthen community ties and attachment.

UD-3: Improve Terminal Park to Strengthen Social Interaction
Provide improvements to Terminal Park to strengthen its role as a social gathering point within the neighborhood where Citizens interact and get to know one another better.

Strategy: Park planning efforts in Terminal Park should incorporate improvements that strengthen the Park’s focal point for social interaction.