2040 VISION
84
Town Center
– Town Centers are traditional downtown areas with a mix of retail, institutional, office, and residential uses.
These centers are pedestrian-oriented, with buildings built close to sidewalks and often attached, side to side.
The primary uses in these areas might include:
Traditional downtown retail and mixed use buildings
Traditional downtown offices, residences, and institutions
Entertainment uses
High-density residential development next to traditional downtown areas
Secondary uses in these areas might include existing industrial uses.
Land uses should be mixed within town centers, preferably within individual buildings. Historic buildings should be
preserved, rehabilitated, and reused. New development must respect pedestrians with appropriate design that encourages
walking. Development should be built to the sidewalk or close to the sidewalk, with doors that open to the sidewalk and clear
windows along the street.
Buildings should be designed with a wall to window ratio that reflects existing historic structures in the area and should
generally have a vertical orientation. Parking should be located to the rear of buildings. When structured parking is used and
faces a primary pedestrian route, stores and other uses should be placed in the ground floor of the building. Public access to
rivers and other waterways should be preserved, and, if one does not already exist, a central park or green should be created.
Reuse of historic buildings is the best way to preserve
town character.
New buildings should have ground floor retail.
Central greens and pocket parks are important assets
for Town Centers.
