ULI details methods for smart strip development

Commercial strips along America's highways can be reinvented through the renovation or replacement of such structures with mixed-use development that is pedestrian-friendly, open to bordering neighborhoods and served by roads that connect the entire project, according to a release from the Urban Land Institute.

The reinvention of America's commercial strips was the topic of the recent Smart Growth Solutions Charrette in Washington, D.C., sponsored by ULI to lead off a series of forums seeking solutions to specific land use and growth management problems.

The three-day program, which culminated in a presentation June 2, highlighted the most effective ways to reinvent retail strip development by setting principles charting a course for future use.

ULI's recommendations were based on analyses of commercial strips along three corridors in the Washington metro area: Rockville Pike in Montgomery County, Md.; Route 301 in Charles County, Md.; and Richmond Highway in Fairfax County, Va.

The areas were examined by teams of ULI members from the fields of architecture, urban design, land planning, transportation, real estate development, marketing and public policy.

Although the development principles were based on analyses of the Washington area strip centers, they can be applied to any market, said ULI President Richard Rosan, in the release. "We are looking for generic solutions to make suburban areas more economically strong and esthetically attractive," Rosan said. "The purpose is to create a set of tools that can be used anywhere."

ULI's "10 Commandments" for reinventing suburban strips are:

Ignite the public leadership of the area and nurture public/private cooperation using a marketing plan that fosters communication between all parties, including area residents;

Anticipate evolution of the market in terms of demographic demand and changes in the retail sector;

Know the market well enough to properly plan for revitalization covering short- and long-term needs;

"Prune" the retail-zoned land. A surplus of retail-zoned land makes it easy to simply abandon existing structures and build others, contributing to sprawl;

"Pulse" the development, creating specific focal points for intense development connected by less densely developed areas or by open space;

Tame traffic, using roads as seams to connect various parts of the development, and providing pedestrian routes that minimize conflict with traffic. If possible, try to avoid using roads as edges that divide development and encourage faster driving speeds;

Create a "place," or a sense of community that is appealing from a variety of perspectives, including safety, comfort, dining and physical attractiveness;

Diversify the character of the development, providing a variety of uses beyond retail;

Eradicate ugliness by focusing on wide median strips with mature trees, ample lighting and well-landscaped parking areas;

For public officials: Put your money and regulations where your policy is, with zoning that complements, rather than inhibits, development strategies; and by leveraging public investments such as government offices or post offices into larger-scale, mixed-use developments.

"Many suburban strips, based on outdated whatever, wherever' plans do not take into account changing demographics and consumer demand for more urban, walkable facilities with defined gathering places for socialization," said A. Eugene Kohn, president of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC in New York, in the release. "Suburban residents want a sense of community."

The growing number of empty nesters and telecommuters will increase demand for more mixed-used projects that include housing, Kohn added.

Adjacent neighborhoods can be served well by reinvigorated commercial developments that open directly onto secondary streets running behind the projects, said Kenneth H. Hughes, president of UC Urban in Dallas. "The whole idea is to conserve, enhance and extend the existing neighborhood to create a better environment," Hughes said.

Con Howe, director of planning for the Los Angeles Planning Department, pointed out that traffic improvement plans must include arrangements for access to and parking for the development itself, not just traffic flow in the surrounding area. Such plans keep people "going to, not just through" the projects, he said.

According to Joseph E. Brown, president and chief executive officer of EDAW Inc., in San Francisco, the development industry must avoid the "defeatist notion" that land fronting highways will never constitute anything more than an opportunity for retail strip development.

"To rescue our communities we must convert our highways from congested and ugly strips of disparate, ad hoc, stand-alone projects into attractive transportation corridors that take people to places," Brown said.

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute.