Walkable street vs. unwalkable5/18/2023 ![]() These rules would include specific regulations covering the building setback, design of the pedestrian realm, landscaping, pedestrian friendly building design, and parking (a separate subcommittee has been formed exclusively to deal with parking).īut once adopted, unlike the Transit Corridor Ordinance, neighborhood- and site-specific building rules would be required, not optional, for all new development. Under this new system, any neighborhood could voluntarily apply to become a “walkable place” and in doing so establish their own set of self-defined unique rules for development to encourage walkability. The committee is currently focused on creating an application-based process to establish specific “walkable place” areas. The recently established Walkable Places Committee has been tasked with reevaluating the city code to dive deeper into the issue of walkability in Houston. ![]() Now the City is hoping its latest effort will provide more effective tools for incentivizing and prioritizing walkability. Developers that re-use a historic building, thus maintaining the character of a historic neighborhood, can also qualify for a 40 percent reduction in parking requirements. And the shared parking ordinance allows parking spaces to be shared by different uses at different times of day, in theory encouraging mixed-used development, a hallmark of walkable neighborhoods. For example, if developers provide more bicycle parking than is required, they can then build up to 10 percent fewer parking spaces. The code does include several small incentives for developers to create more walkable spaces. Generally, these requirements have created what many would argue is a suburban landscape with large building setbacks and an excess of parking, ideal for strip mall and big box development, but not the urban place making of a vibrant city. ![]() Without official use zoning, two major elements in the City’s code have shaped the urban environment of Houston since the 1980s – setback requirements based on City designated street type and use ( Chapter 42) and parking requirements based on use ( Chapter 26). At the same time, private developers are integrating walkability into the built landscape with the few tools already at their disposal. Reacting to this desire for an urban lifestyle, the City of Houston is working to further incentivize walkability within the city code. Manhattan and San Francisco are walkable, but so is a thriving small town Main Street, activated by lively street fronts and safe sidewalks, easily accessible from residential neighborhoods. Walkability is an increasingly sought-after characteristic as people choose where to live and work, regardless of density. A city like Houston – sprawling, less dense, and largely suburban - can feel urban when it provides an urban lifestyle, primarily through what is often termed “walkability.” While difficult to put into a single definition, walkability generally means safe and pleasant pedestrian access to a range of uses and amenities either by foot or transit.
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