ULI proposes urban standards

Urban corridors ideas shown

David Crossley, Feb 27, 09.

On Wednesday, the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Corridor Planning Assessment Group delivered recommendations for a proposed ordinance on the City’s new light rail transit corridors. Jonathan Brinsden, the task force chair, presented the ideas to the Mixed-Use, Transit-Oriented Subcommittee of the City of Houston Planning Commission that is working on that ordinance.

ULI-Houston’s leaders said the goal was to “provide a thoughtful and deliberate analysis of the development impacts and consequences of the City of Houston’s Urban Corridors Planning Proposal, and to make recommendations as necessary based upon real-world experiences and best practices of the real estate development profession.”

Among the highlights was a call for a minimum 6-foot pedestrian clear zone that exceeds the 5-foot standard the original Urban Corridors report proposed. The committee had tentatively agreed on the 5-foot standard, but in light of ULI’s higher standard, which matches one called for by a coalition including Houston Tomorrow, Citizens Transportation Coalition, and RichmondRail.org, Chairman Mark Kilkenny said the committee may revisit its earlier decision.

The ULI presentation is available online.

The Urban Corridors reports are available at the bottom of the Implementation page of the City Planning & Development Department’s Urban Corridors site.