Plazas
While the preferred location of buildings
is at the property line, project developers
may wish to provide larger open spaces at
the street level of their projects to create
a special visual setting for the building,
enhance the entryway, or create places for
outdoor dining or other activities.
Plazas may also be created to fulfill open
space or lot coverage requirements, or
they may be left-over space that is not
considered desirable for buildings. In all of
these cases, the plazas created return open
space back to the public environment along
the sidewalks.
The way in which ground level open spaces
are designed and positioned can have
significant effects on the functionality and
character of the street-level environment.
The following guidelines encourage the
design of plaza spaces that will contribute
positively to the functional and aesthetic
environment of Downtown.
General Provisions
1. Wind tunnel testing should be
undertaken where a plaza is proposed
to measure any potential adverse
effects on the pedestrian environment.
The design should then be modified as
necessary to minimize street level wind
impacts.
2. In order to permit maximum solar
penetration, plazas are encouraged
to be located on the north side of the
street, facing south.
3. Plazas should be designed with a sense
of spatial definition or articulation
based on the type of activities to be
accommodated within the space(s).
Open, non-articulated expanses of
paving are generally considered to be
inappropriate if they provide no setting
for pedestrian-oriented activities.
Spatial definition may include the
use of building enclosure, landscape
and site elements such as seatwalls,
changes in paving material, etc.
Enclosure by building elements is
often an easy way to provide spatial
definition.
1.7
Public Spaces
4. Plazas serving and entrance courts to
new development or as open space
amenity areas, are preferred to be
developed with active ground level
pedestrian related uses near by. Office
uses and other activities that do not
require or generate pedestrian activity
are not appropriate adjacent to plazas.
5. Plazas intended for public use should
not be visually cut off from the sidewalk
spaces to insure the safety and security
of these spaces.
6. Plazas intended for private use only
should clearly delineate the boundary
between public and private space, while
maintaining visual connection for safety.
7. Plazas completely enclosed by buildings
should have at least 4 access points
from the public realm. They should
be designed in keeping with CPTED
principles.