Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors

KNOXVILLE 2040: CENTERS AND CORRIDORSKNOXVILLE 2040: CENTERS AND CORRIDORS

KNOXVILLE 2040: CENTERS AND CORRIDORS

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by the funding under award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of this work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.

2014 Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission

ISBN 978-0-615-95794-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reformatted, reproduced, or used in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or copyright holder.


Prepared for the City of Knoxvilleand the PlanET Consortium by the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design

Ted Shelton, FAIA, LEED APPrincipal Investigator

Amanda GannLead Research Assistant

Jason ColeMarion ForbesBen WathenDaniel ZegelResearch Assistants

Valerie Friedman, Associate ASLALandscape Ecology Consultant

CONTENTS

Introduction 7Background 9Concerns 19Bearden Neighborhood Center 31Burlington Neighborhood Center 49East Town Community Center 69West Town Community Center 83Pellissippi Regional Center 99Downtown Regional Center 117Conclusions 131About the Authors 133

6KNOXVILLE 2040: CENTERS AND CORRIDORS

7The five-county PlanET region, consisting of Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon, and Union Counties, is projected to grow from a population of 698,000 in 2010 to 996,000 by 2040 - a 43% increase. As the focal point of this growth, Knoxville will solidify its position as the center of this dynamic region over this period. This growth will be accompanied by extensive new construction, new infrastructure. However, the nature, effectiveness, and impact of the growth can vary widely depending on our choices, goals, and vision.

Within the context of recent transportation proposals and the regional Plan East Tennessee (PlanET) effort, Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors envisions a future where growth has been incentivized to support the creation of walkable neighborhoods, provide robust transit options, and counteract the negative effects of sprawl. The report uses Transit Oriented Development (TOD) techniques, which concentrate development around well-served transit hubs, as a fundamental basis for its proposals. However, these techniques are not seen simply as a way to ensure the viability of new transit systems. To ask the question this way is to get it the wrong way around. Rather, the report asks the more compelling questions of what types of neighborhoods and civic spaces might arise from leveraging the possibilities presented by expanded transit systems and what types of lives might be available to Knoxvilles citizens in these places.

By focusing on the urban design possibilities inherent in nodes linked by diverse transit options, Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors certainly intends to move civic thinking away from

the development models that drive sprawl. This shift is not made out of a sense of obligation, though the environmental and social arguments for doing so are compelling. Instead, the plan is driven by the desire to create places where Knoxvillians are able to pursue healthy, active lifestyles; are socially connected to their neighbors; have easy access to civic amenities; enjoy clean air and water resources; reap the benefits of energy efficient buildings and urban areas; and can move around the city easily and affordably. In other words, the plan endeavors to create the places where people want to live that are not currently available.

By pursuing the primary goal of quality placemaking, the Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors scenario generates significant collateral benefits. These include protecting the regions rural and natural landscapes and critical habitats, positioning the city to respond to an uncertain energy future, allowing for the efficient use of existing infrastructure while providing a path to transition to decentralized infrastructure, and fostering the ability for the city to be agile in its future transportation choices. The result is an efficient, dynamic city positioned to attract and retain the intellectual capital and active citizenry necessary to compete in the 21st century.

While this is an ambitious vision, it is important to remember that the changes to come in the next 30 years will be tremendous whether or not we shape them to our advantage. To keep the status quo, which is to follow the sprawl model of the last several decades, will also lead to a radical reshaping of the city that will continue to devour

SPRAWL DEVELOPMENT ALONG KINGSTON PIKEINTRODUCTION

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8land; stretch municipal infrastructure and services; put mobility out of the reach of more of our citizens; make the city more susceptible to unpredictability in energy markets; make us less economically and energy efficient; put greater burdens on our air, water, and habitat; estrange us from our neighbors; and create spaces loved by no one. Ultimately, it will put us at a significant disadvantage when competing for the best and brightest citizens in a world where capital, work, and information are increasingly fluid.

The Knoxville of 2040 is as distant as we look forward in time as is the citys 1982 Worlds Fair is looking backward. The fair imagined a bright future defined by amazing energy technologies. We have realized some of that promise. Much is still waiting to be claimed. Since 1982 we have developed a much deeper understanding of the connection between our cities and the wider environment and have rediscovered the power of place in creating better lives for our citizens. Cities across the US, Knoxville included, have experienced a renaissance that few could have predicted in 1982. The hope of this proposal, therefore, is to not only fully claim the vision of 1982, but to move well beyond it to a Knoxville of 2040 that is integrally tied to both its people and its region while competing on the national and global stages.

9BACKGROUND

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TOP LEFT: CEDAR BLUFF ROAD AND I-40 CIRCA 1960. (UT DIGITAL COLLECTIONS)BOTTOM LEFT: CEDAR BLUFF ROAD AND I-40 CIRCA 2013. (KNOXVILLE-KNOX COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION)

The sprawl-based development that has characterized the growth of Knoxville over the past fifty years has had severe consequences for the regions natural and agricultural landscapes. Such development patterns use land very inefficiently while taxing municipal infrastructure unnecessarily and producing disproportionate amounts of soil, air, and water pollution. To continue following this path is to cede the balance of our landscape to a type of development that can impair the greater civic good. Furthermore, such development tends to disadvantage those at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. As the city sprawls, those with limited personal mobility are cut off from quality jobs, quality education, and even quality food. Such development puts Knoxville at a severe disadvantage when competing with other cities to create a healthy, educated citizenry, attract the most desirable jobs, and foster a robust creative class.

As Knoxville prepares for the next half century and beyond, it is clear that a different model is needed. Smart growth principles seek to balance economic development with protection of the natural environment, the creation of quality civic space for all, and the effective use of municipal resources. These principles underpin the proposals in this document.

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As with many places in the US, sprawl development has drastically changed the nature of Knoxville in a brief period of time. Early in the 20th century the city was relatively dense and compact. This type of configuration is easily served by public transport (in the case of Knoxville, streetcars), maintains the surrounding land in either a natural or agricultural state, and allows cultural infrastructure such as schools, libraries, and cinemas to be neighborhood-based. By the early 21st century sprawl development had consumed a significant portion of the natural and agricultural land in Knox County and created a region that relies on the private automobile, is challenging to service with social and technical infrastructure, and is isolating for many of its residents.

THIS AND FACING PAGE: THE ROAD NETWORKS AND GROWTH PATTERNS OF KNOX COUNTY

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Anderson

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Maryville

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Regional Express Bus System

Regional Center

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Community Center

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Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors is part of the larger Plan East Tennessee (PlanET) vision that imagines how to handle the regions growth over the next thirty years. Using smart growth principles, PlanET has proposed that the regions growth be focused on centers of varying sizes, each with its own distinct identity. In this way, the regions future growth can be used to reinforce the unique nature of East Tennessee places.

The strategy of reinforcing existing places and understanding them as unique centers hopes to avoid the placelessness inherent in sprawl development where each place begins to seem much like any other, with the same establishments, streetscapes, and housing types. Rather, the plan proposes to reinforce and sensitively grow each of these centers making them more self-reliant and distinct. PlanET imagines each of the proposed centers as a place where, at least to some extent, residents can live, work, and play. This allows residents the opportunity to lead more place-connected lives while simultaneously benefiting the region by reducing the need for transportation and making the delivery of amenities more efficient. While some urban amenities such as sporting venues, entertainment venues, and major retail areas, will undoubtedly continue to be concentrated in the larger centers, the hope is to make each center largely autonomous in its ability to provide for residents daily needs.

The lone exception to the concept of reinforcing existing centers is the Pellissippi center, which currently has no identifiable manifestation but which is proposed to absorb significant growth over the next decades and form a triangle of regional centers along with Knoxville and Maryville/Alcoa.

Each type of center is projected to generate a number of new residents and new jobs as shown below.

new population new jobsRegional Center 5,000 10,000Community Center 5,000 2,500Neighborhood Center 2,500 1,000Small Town Center 1,500 750Rural Crossroads 600 250

Connecting many of the centers is another important piece of the PlanET vision - regional express bus and local bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. BRT systems use limited stops, dedicated lanes, and efficient ticketing, signal priority controls, and improved stations to provide many of the advantages of urban rail systems at a fraction of the price and with greater flexibility. The regional Transportation Planning Organization proposes a local BRT system along Kingston Pike, Broadway, and Magnolia Avenue (shown in light blue at left) and a regional express bus system (shown in dark blue at left) along freeways. At several key locations the two systems have overlapping stops allowing passengers

to transfer between the two. Interestingly, Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) has recently begun running buses on 15 minute headways along the Kingston Pike, Broadway, and Magnolia Avenue corridors during morning and afternoon peak ride times. Such frequent buses are a key component of BRT systems and allow riders to use the system much as they would a light rail or subway. Frequent travel options allow one to disregard the schedule and simply show up at a station when ready. This is truly convenient public transit.

The local BRT and regional express bus systems allow for energy- and time-efficient movement between the various centers and invite the possibility of rail service in the future. These assumptions set the framework for the Centers and Corridors project and give rise to an investigation of the potential character of several of the centers.

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Within the framework of the PlanET vision, this proposal considers the development of six centers; two of each of the three largest proposed types.

Regional centers - Downtown Knoxville and PellissippiCommunity centers - West Town and East TownNeighborhood centers - Burlington and Bearden

In each case Knoxville 2043: Centers and Corridors proposes how the center can absorb the growth projected by PlanET while both reinforcing its specific character and addressing a variety of concerns as outlined in the following chapter.

East Town

Burlington

Downtown Knoxville

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19CONCERNS

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Each of the investigated centers has a unique nature and a unique set of related concerns. However, certain concerns are seen as universal to the project and therefore cross over from one center to another. These concerns - mobility, health, environment, and community - are seen as fundamental to the creation of vital urban places in the 21st century. Thus, they must be addressed in any successful design for the future of urban centers in Knoxville.

Mobility is central to the success of the proposal. If we are to imagine a Knoxville that is less reliant on single-occupancy vehicles, it must be one that provides convenient, reliable, efficient, and affordable mobility. Without addressing this concern, a growing Knoxville will only become more dependent on single-occupancy vehicles and be forced to deal with the myriad problems that such dependency brings with it.

Each day we are becoming more aware of the link between our health and our built environment. By proposing designs that bolster residents well being while eliminating stress on human health, we cannot only make for a more efficient and productive city but also significantly improve citizens quality of life.

For too long the city has been seen as the antithesis of the natural world. Rather, the two must exist in a cooperative relationship with each other. Designing cities that foster the protection and regeneration of the natural environment benefits the regions ecological health while also providing amenities for residents in the form of easily accessible wild and natural places.

Any proposal for the future of Knoxville must emphasize and reinforce a distinct sense of community. This is true not only with regard to the city as a whole, but also with regard to each of the smaller centers. For example, a resident of Burlington

must be integrally connected to both Burlington and the city of Knoxville. Such connections are critical if neighborhoods and cities are to attract and retain an active, engaged citizenry.

Far from being completely discrete, each concern interacts with and reinforces the others in multiple ways. It is nearly impossible, for example, to consider human health without considering the health of the environment. Likewise, it is difficult to imagine how one might build strong community in a center that is not well connected to other centers and the city at large.

This chapter describes each of these overarching concerns in more detail.

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A fundamental goal of this proposal is to reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles. Doing so would positively affect all four of our major concerns - mobility, health, environment, and community - as discussed here and on the following pages. Therefore, this is a critical goal addressed through multiple means. This proposal employs a hierarchy of mobility options with the pedestrian occupying the top of the list as the most desirable form of mobility, then on down through human-powered vehicles, mass transit, high-occupancy vehicles, and finally single-occupancy vehicles as the least desirable option.

In many ways, mobility is the central issue of this document. Within Knoxville the centers proposed by PlanET are to be linked with both local BRT and regional express bus lines. To propose developing the centers without this important new method of moving between them would only add to the traffic pressures along the citys major arterials and highways. However, the tactics that form a comprehensive mobility strategy range from the scale of the regional transportation systems down to the sidewalk. It is only when all of these scales are working together that the overall mobility system can truly begin to function efficiently.

At the largest scale, Centers and Corridors looks to the long term when regional passenger trains again serve Knoxville and the Southern Depot area is the hub of such rail transportation. That hub, in turn, serves as a connection point where buses and trolleys can reach the Duncan Transit Center where the express buses and bus rapid transit system vehicles arrive and depart. Knoxville passenger rail would most likely connect to the proposed national high-speed rail system at either Louisville, Atlanta, Charlotte, or Greenville.1

1 United States. Department of Transportation / Federal Railroad Administration. Vision for High-Speed Rail in America. 2009. .

At the regional scale, this proposal makes no recommendations regarding the expansion or modification of the regional transportation system, as this was well outside the scope of the work. However, it is very easy to imagine that, were the recommendations of PlanET and the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization to be taken up in the coming decades, extensions would be in order. Perhaps the most desirable extension would be to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nations most visited.

Centers and Corridors proposes to extend the local BRT system to all of the centers. This requires extending the Kingston Pike line westward to the new Pellissippi regional center and creating some link from the East Town community center to either the Broadway local BRT, the Magnolia local BRT, or both. Without these connections, the proposed centers will not be fully viable. The most effective way of reducing the use of automobiles is to create places where residents can perform most or all of their daily tasks within close proximity to their homes, altogether alleviating the need to use ones car. Coupling such design with a robust transit system, as is proposed here, is called Transit Oriented Development (TOD), which is a hallmark of many American cities. This concept permeates both the corridors and centers in the proposal.

Along the corridors, each stop of the local BRT functions as a secondary center. Accordingly, it will be important to develop methods of incentivizing multi-use (commercial, residential, and civic) development within a 5 to 10 minute ( to mile) walk of each station. This will energize the corridor and eventually link the centers with a continuous, diverse fabric. Density of use is intensified within the centers with a diverse mix of commercial, business, civic, and residential uses located within the 10 minute walking radius. Such design is intended to maximize the most basic of mobilities - simply walking a short distance to a desired amenity.

CONCERN: MOBILITY

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The proposals in Centers and Corridors seek to improve Knoxville residents health in many ways both directly and indirectly. A healthy citizenry is essential both for establishing a high quality of life and increasing Knoxvilles competitiveness on the national and international stages.

As stated previously in the mobility section, a fundamental goal of Centers and Corridors is to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles. This is achieved primarily by creating compact multi-use centers and connecting them with effective BRT and a robust bicycle infrastructure. If this strategy is successful in reducing the number of cars on the road it would directly improve residents health. While it has long been understood that air pollution from vehicles has negative impacts on respiratory health, the World Health Organization recently published findings classifying air pollution as a carcinogen in humans.2

Furthermore, the design of compact, multi-use centers connected to parks and serviced by strong pedestrian and bicycle linkages creates the framework for what is called an active living neighborhood.3 In such places, residents are much more likely to regularly get recommended amounts of exercise. This exercise comes in the form of walking or biking to conduct ones daily activities as well as participating in

2. Friedman, MS, KE Powell, L Hutwagner, et al. Impact of changes in transportation and commuting behaviors during the 1996 Summer Olympic games in Atlanta on air quality and childhood asthma. Journal of the American Medical Association. 285. (2001): 897-90.

Straif, Kurt, Aaron Cohen, and Jonathan Samet. IARC Scientific Publication No. 161: Air Pollution and Cancer. World Health Organization, 2013.

3. For detailed information on active living neighborhoods see http://activelivingresearch.org.

formal and informal recreational activities. Both are made possible by the close proximities created by the relatively dense designs in Centers and Corridors. All six centers have densities that provide residents with recreational, retail, commercial, and civic spaces within walkable and bikeable distances. Consideration is also given to how each center will link to larger systems such as urban wildernesses, greenways, and bicycle trails.

Another health benefit of the proposal relates to the provision of healthy food options. Concentrating development into relatively dense centers as proposed in Centers and Corridors makes it easier to address concerns about access to high-quality affordable food. Of the six centers in the study, all but Bearden are classified by the US Department of Agriculture as food deserts in that they are areas in which either 5,000 people or 33% of the population live more than a half mile from a supermarket.4 Four centers Downtown, East Town, Burlington, and West Town are also in areas considered to be low income, further exacerbating the problem of food access. By creating livable centers that can attract a concentration of residents Centers and Corridors incentivizes businesses such as supermarkets to locate within the centers, putting such amenities just a few steps away from where residents live and work and, in the case of food, providing critical access.

While much of human health is dependent on personal actions and choices, each day we learn more about how the built environment can either encourage or discourage such positive choices.

4. See the USDA Food Access Research Atlas at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas

CONCERN: HEALTH

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The Knoxville region is known for its iconic landscapes - forested ridges and fertile valleys, mountain streams and scenic rivers and reservoirs. These environmental resources are one of the regions greatest assets, in terms of beauty, biological diversity, and tourism dollars. However, in many of Knoxvilles developed areas, human activities and land use patterns are degrading these resources at an accelerating rate. Given the PlanET Regions anticipated 43% population increase over the next three decades it is clear that a successful approach to urban planning must address environmental concerns.

Common environmental concerns in the region include poor air and water quality. Poor air quality is attributed to many factors, including valley topography and pollution from neighboring areas, but two factors that may be addressed within the region are reducing vehicle emissions and increasing urban tree canopy. As noted in the section on mobility, a fundamental goal of this study is to reduce reliance of single occupancy vehicles. This is accomplished through better options for public transportation but may also be supported by increasing options, such as greenways, for non-motorized transportation.

East Tennesseans rely on both surface and ground water supplies for uses including recreation, agricultural and industrial supply, and, most importantly, for drinking water. The region also supports many rare aquatic habitats that are highly sensitive to water quality. Regional water quality is variable, with the majority of high-quality waters found in undeveloped and protected areas such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Surface water moves through the region in topographically-defined land areas known as watersheds. Watersheds are a series of basins linked by a single point of reference where water flows from one watershed into the next downstream

watershed. For example, all surface water in the Lower French Broad watershed collects in the French Broad River before flowing downstream into the Fort Loudoun Lake Watershed. Because water constantly moves downstream, it is of primary concern to treat water quality issues, such as non-point source pollution, where they occur to prevent accumulation downstream.

Stormwater entering regional surface waters is also of concern. Stormwater affects water quality by transporting contaminants such as hydrocarbons, pathogens, and sediment into surface waters. Large quantities of stormwater are generated from vast areas of impervious surfaces, such as parking lots and compacted lawns, which are often numerous in developed areas. These influxes of stormwater erode stream banks and damage aquatic habitat, lead to flash flooding, and transport contaminated surface water to areas where it may infiltrate into groundwatera source many rely on for drinking water.

A goal of Centers and Corridors is to incorporate environmental best management practices at both the scale of the proposed community centers and throughout the larger proposed corridor to address the issues outlined above. Each community center proposal employs practices such as providing and protecting open space, minimizing impervious surfaces, integrating vegetative stormwater management facilities, and providing ample urban tree canopy. These practices enhance the community from a recreational and aesthetic perspective while generating good air and water quality, regulating ambient temperatures, and fostering habitat.

An additional environmental goal of this study is to integrate systemic ecological functioning within the larger corridor. This approach, known as green infrastructure, refers to a system of interconnected landscapes distributed throughout

CONCERN: ENVIRONMENT

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a watershed that provide ecosystem services, stormwater management opportunities, and other benefits, such as recreational amenities and protection for environmentally sensitive landscapes. These large-scale implementations provide regional habitat corridors that may also house inter-community greenway trails.

Open spaces are integral to the health of a communitys residents and they provide an environment for community events, recreation, and alternative transportation routes such as greenway trails. Additionally, ecologically functioning landscapes support ecosystems that provide the region with essential amenities such as clean air and water.

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As already stated, it is not a goal of Centers and Corridors simply to add density to Knoxville. While density comes with many benefits, it is not a worthy goal in its own right. Rather, the proposal seeks to enhance, through sensitive design, the unique qualities of each center while imagining how each can grow into a larger and more vibrant neighborhood that is an integral part of the wider city. This is accomplished through several means.

The compact centers proposed in this study provide an ideal opportunity to leverage civic infrastructure to reinforce community. Concentrations of residents and businesses in multi-use connected neighborhoods provide a large bang for the citys civic buck. Centers would be attractive locations for everything from streetscape improvements to branch libraries and community centers, all of which foster interaction among residents and connection to place.

We might even imagine a rethinking of something as central to community as schools. A city that is not spread thinly across the landscape but rather concentrated in neighborhoods of various sizes that could support smaller schools based in those neighborhoods. Many students could walk to school (or, if older, ride on the BRT) and the regular interactions of parents, students, and teachers would closely link people in the surrounding community. Such small schools could provide significant incentive for residents to settle in the centers, particularly if they produced the educational outcomes shown in some studies.5 The school grounds could also serve as places for community gardens and other civic activities.

Where significant community and/or cultural resources exist Centers and Corridors identifies and reinforces them. They

5. There are many sources for additional information on the small schools movement. See for instance http://smallschoolscoalition.com/

CONCERN: COMMUNITYare critical ties to the citys past that provide continuity to each place. For example, in Burlington the proposal is to revitalize the historic commercial center of the neighborhood, connect Chilhowee Park more closely to the daily life of the community while maintaining its role for special events, and link a vibrant Magnolia Avenue to the unique Racetrack Neighborhood.

In other instances the study proposes civic amenities that would bring people together both literally and figuratively. These include a new outdoor amphitheater at East Town, the reintroduction of a minor league baseball stadium to downtown, and new greenways and/or park spaces in every center. Such gathering places are vital to forging a collective sense of association in addition to providing attractive recreational opportunities.

Throughout the proposal a series of housing types is explored. Though often not permitted under current zoning regulations, these housing types demonstrate methods of creatively introducing housing into communities of various densities. Housing and the full-time residents that it represents are the life blood of any community. It will be essential for Knoxville to move beyond typical housing models in order to support dense and vital community centers.

As residents living becomes more neighborhood-based, we are likely to see new models of workspace arise such as co-working spaces. In co-working spaces workers use telecommunication technology to work near or at home rather than travel to a common office space. As a result, one regularly works alongside ones neighbors, further cementing the bonds of community.

Only through fostering a sense of community do we create the types of places that people love and in which, therefore, they want to invest their time, energy, and money.

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31BEARDEN

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Located at the busy Northshore Drive intersection, the Bearden

neighborhood is bisected by the Kingston Pike commercial

corridor. Any viable plan for this area as a coherent urban place

must find ways to link both sides of Kingston Pike, link both sides of

Northshore Drive, provide pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly spaces

along both of these arteries, and allow for the continued (though

hopefully reduced) use of Kingston Pike by both car traffic and the

local BRT line.

Such requirements predicate a completely revised development

pattern if we are to create a cohesive, walkable, and bikable Bearden.

Much of the existing parking-centric, single story commercial

development will need to be replaced in this process. To ensure

that there is no displacement of existing businesses, the proposed

master plan creates space for over 2,000 new jobs in this center

rather than the original target of 1,000.

Using this new target number will allow local businesses to stay in

the area, while still providing room for the addition of new businesses

and living space for over 2,500 people.

Additional considerations in this center include the need to

proactively address flooding along Fourth Creek and the possibility

of connecting to the existing greenway system (which currently ends

just east of the center at Bearden Elementary) and extending the

system to connect to the currently isolated greenway at Lakeshore

Park (just southeast of the center along Fourth Creek).

PROJECTED GROWTH

INTER

STATE

40

THSTH

NORTHSHORE DRIVE

THS

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The area that currently makes up the Bearden Center consists

primarily of single-level commercial development engulfed in a

sea of surface parking lots. Sidewalks, in the few instances that

they are present, are narrow and often either obstructed with

infrastructure (fire hydrants, telephone poles, and street signs),

rendered dangerous due to the lack of a buffer between traffic and

pedestrians, or perforated with frequent curb cuts. Approximately

52% of the current land use consists of impervious surfaces, mostly

in the form of rooftops that do nothing to mitigate their runoff, and

surface parking lots. This surface runoff has impaired the adjacent

Fourth Creek. The north/south running Northshore Drive lies in the

floodplain and drains into the creek, adding to the runoff pollution.

The proposed center is bounded on the north and south by areas of

hilltop and steep slope protection, which should not be developed

in any responsible plan. Bearden Elementary School and Central

Baptist Church of Bearden are significant cultural institutions located

within the proposed center.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

d plainF.E.M.A. 100 year floo

HURCHCENTRAL BAPTIST CHHURCST CHC UHURCST CHC HR

CHEROKEE GOLF COURSECHEROKEE GOLF COUCHER OLF CO

ARY SCHOOL ANRY SCHOOL ANDRBEARDEN ELEMENTARB DARE END EEML TE O DAL DBB DAREARE ENE ED EEMLEML TNE OO DAL NL DDRY L AON CENTECENTERN CEADAPTIVE EDUCATIONA TAD EVET AUCE IA CENTNTER

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES Impervious surfaces include buildings, road network, and parking lots. There is

a significant concentration of impervious surface near the

intersection of Kingston Pike and Northshore Drive.

52%

FLOOD PLAIN. The area of elastic fabric, which exhibits a high rate of change and is dominated by single-story commercial space and surface parking, is the focus of the proposed changes. The plan must respond to the Fourth Creek flood plain.

CENTER. The underbout is created to solve the intersecting needs of creek, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic. Fourth Creek is modified to allow for a more naturally absorbent flood plain and create a recreational greenspace.

38


GREEN SPACE The enhanced Fourth Creek is the focal point of the neighborhood. The new greenway passes cleanly below the traffic circle, so that automobiles and pedestrians alike have consistent access through the intersection without having to regulate the intersection with a signal.

COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL. Centering on the BRT stop, the commercial corridor is reinforced with low-rise commercial buildings and residential buildings at strategic locations allowing all easy access to the transit system.

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The Bearden neighborhood center is focused on a local BRT

stop situated between Bearden Elementary and the underbout

at Kingston Pike and Northshore. New commercial development

along Kingston Pike creates a coherent street edge. New regular

cross streets provide pedestrian pathways as well as a way to pull

vehicles off of Kingston Pike and get them to parking areas behind

the commercial buildings.

The plan responds to the existing formal lawn in front of Bearden

Elementary by creating a civic plaza that spatially links both sides

of Kingston Pike. The school itself sits at the focal point of the lawn

as an important civic institution. The schools grounds are used

as a public community asset when school is not in session. The

existing greenway system is extended to the green and travels down

Kingston Pike along the sidewalk to link to the new Fourth Creek

Greenway.

The master plan uses four housing types - an iconic apartment

building located at a focal point along the new park space, mixed use

housing located on the commercial corridor, walk-up high density

housing behind and on the corridor, and single-family type row

housing threaded into the development. Ample parking is provided

along streets, as well as in several parking structures. Fourth

Creek is protected and becomes a park that meanders through the

development, giving residents and workers a green space in which

to relax and play. The park connects the citys existing greenways,

as well as providing a new greenway connection to Lakeshore Park

to the south.

QUARTER MILE

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COMMERCIAL

OFFICE

MIXED USE

RESIDENTIAL

CIVIC

PARKING

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BUS RAPID TRANSIT STOP

MIXEED USE | RESIDENTIAL + RETAIL MIXED USE | RESIDEN

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

MIXED USE CORRIDOR

THE UNDERBOUT

ROUNDABOUT

GREEENWAY ROW HOUSING

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

42


Beardens focal park, nicknamed The Underbout is a place of rest and a transition between the urban sidewalk and the meandering park path. A residential

tower adjacent to the park takes advantage of this new urban green space. The area

inscribed in the circle of the Underbout provides local bird and wildlife habitat as

well as pedestrian and bike access to the new Fourth Creek Greenway. Along the

northeast side of the Underbout is a terraced amphitheater to be used for large events

such as concerts, plays, and community gatherings.

AVIEW A -- THE UNDERBOUT

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THE PLAZA|UNDERBOUT

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TRADITIONAL ROW HOUSE TYPE

The row house is an efficient form of

housing that is created by abutting units

along shared walls and providing units with

little or no private exterior space. Within this

type, however, there are many opportunities

for integrating exterior space within the

units, as explored in the diagrams below.

PRIVATE SPACES ALONG REAR OF UNITS

Providing private spaces along the rear of

the units allows the front facade to maintain

a rhythm and create an urban street edge.

The private spaces could take various forms

such as a yard, porch, or deck. This system

works particularly well when the units back

up to a pleasant space or a secondary

access.

PRIVATE SPACES AT FRONT OF UNITS

When providing private spaces along the

front of the units, one must balance the

units privacy needs against the need to

also create a public space along the street.

This can be accomplished with vertical

separation, as with a stoop or porch, or with

transparent enclosure, as with a sunroom.

Even small yards can be provided without

undermining the urban nature of the type.

PAIRED SPACES WITHIN THE UNITS

Given a sufficient footprint, private spaces

could be provided within the unit in the form

of a courtyard or light well. Mirroring units

and joining the spaces of two adjacent units

allows them to be larger but means the loss

of individual control of the space. Rather,

the space is semi-private and shared with

one other unit.

PRIVATE SPACES WITHIN THE UNITS

Alternately, spaces within the units could

be kept solely private. Such spaces

are necessarily tall and thin due to

the proportions of the row house type.

However, if designed well these spaces

can still create a sense of retreat within

the unit. As the private space is enlarged,

this configuration begins to approach the

Charleston single type.

BVIEW B

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what is a ROW HOUSE?A row house is a residence that shares at least one wall with the

adjacent structure. This shared wall is fire rated. The entry to each

unit is private, making these units single-family homes rather

than multi-family residences. It is an efficient yet gracious type.

Knoxville has many examples of historic row housing such as the

Kendrick Place row houses on Union Avenue.

VIEW B

45

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what is a ROW HOUSE?A row house is a residence that shares at least one wall with the

adjacent structure. This shared wall is fire rated. The entry to each

unit is private, making these units single-family homes rather

than multi-family residences. It is an efficient yet gracious type.

Knoxville has many examples of historic row housing such as the

Kendrick Place row houses on Union Avenue.

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

46


46


VIEW C

C

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Looking south towards Kingston Pike, the bicycle and pedestrian

greenway winds along Fourth Creek. The greenway provides a lush

green view for row housing residents who live along the sides of

the park. The recreation area serves as an absorbent flood buffer,

habitat, and recreational space.

The creek restoration project entails re-meandering the flow with

alterations to the grading and drainage, re-planting and restoring

the riparian edge, and providing buffers to collect and cleanse the

stormwater runoff from the major road intersections.

FOURTH CREEK PARK

VIEW C Looking south towards Kingston P

greenway winds along Fourth Creek

green view for row housing reside

the park. The recreation area serve

habitat, and recreational space.

The creek restoration project enta

alterations to the grading and dra

the riparian edge, and providing bu

stormwater runoff from the major ro

48


BURLINGTONNEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

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2,501

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6000

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4000

3000

2000

1000

0

1,149

690

3,841

COMMERCIAL JOBS

OFFICE JOBS

PARKING SPACES

ADDED RESIDENTS

RESP

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1000

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8000

Like Bearden, the Burlington neighborhood center is bisected by a

commercial corridor, in this case Magnolia Avenue. However, the

condition is quite different in Burlington for three critical reasons.

First, Magnolia Avenue isnt nearly as heavily used as is Kingston

Pike. Second, though it has suffered from the negative effects of

sprawl development, Magnolia Avenue retains some of the historic

pattern of houses, small apartment buildings, commercial buildings,

and civic buildings that face the avenue and reinforce the street

edges. Finally, the commercial corridor is bounded on both sides

by significant historic housing stock of a type and density that is

conducive to rehabilitation as a contemporary green neighborhood.

Such neighborhoods offer connection to urban amenities while

maintaining the possibility of relatively quiet streets and both

personal and shared open space. In Burlington the various scales

of community might reasonably range from block, to multi-block

neighborhood, to the revitalized Magnolia corridor, to the wider City

of Knoxville through the local BRT line. Proximity to downtown could

make this area highly attractive once this dependable and frequent

transit link is established.

The opportunity in Burlington then is to revitalize one of Knoxvilles

oldest streetcar neighborhoods through very precise small-scale

interventions both along the Magnolia Avenue corridor and in

the neighborhoods beyond. The goal of this work should be to

provide new life to the center while reinforcing and capitalizing on

the neighborhoods significant positive characteristics. Cultural

institutions of note in this area include Austin-East Magnet

High School, Chilhowee Park, the Knoxville Zoo, Racetrack

Neighborhood, and the historic downtown Burlington. Each must

be maintained or enhanced in the final scheme.

PROJECTED GROWTH

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RUTL

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AUSTIN-EAST MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL

QUARTER MILE

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Magnolia Avenue as it runs through the proposed Burlington Center

is comprised of commercial, industrial and retail spaces typically

surrounded by surface parking. Many of the buildings along this

corridor and throughout the adjacent neighborhoods have fallen

into disrepair or have become vacant in recent years. Centers and

Corridors proposes to leverage these vacant spaces in order to both

reinforce the public nature of the street along Magnolia Avenue and

introduce new housing typologies to the neighborhoods. The hope is

to create a vibrant mix of commercial, civic, and residential spaces

attached to the spine of the avenue.

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES Over fifty-six percent of the

current land use is incapable of dealing with its own rainfall

runoff. Implementation of green roofing systems, as well

as replacing surface parking lots with strategically located

structured deck parking allows a significant portion of this

impervious surface to either be developed for use, or to be

reclaimed as green space for recreation and runoff control.

56%

NSNG CONDITIONEXISTIEXISTI

F MILE

DE

BRT STOP

KNOXVILLE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

ASHEVILLE HIGHW

AY

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON

RACETRACK NEIGHBORHOOD

JACOB BUILDING

CHILHOWEE PARK

VACANT LOTS - USED FOR POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD

CHILHOWEE PARK

RUTL

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PIK

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AUSTIN EAST MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL

56


QUARTER MILE

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SIX M

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Centers and Corridors recommends that the historic Jacob Building

be used as a neighborhood market hall when not hosting special

events. The mixed-used development along Magnolia Avenue

contains office, commercial, and residential spaces. Downtown

Burlington is re-envisioned as an artists enclave where artisans

can have gallery and workshop space on the street level and living

space above. A green corridor begins here, and runs through the

Burlington Center, connecting through to the Zoo and Botanical

Gardens and Arboretum, and leading through the gardens to the

Williams Creek Greenway. This connection will link East

Knoxville to downtown through the greenway system.

Parking is concentrated in the Chilhowee Park area with

two adjacent parking decks. This structured parking is

designed to be converted into living space once the BRT

gains popularity reducing the need to store cars.

INTERS

TATE 4

0

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON

RACETRACK NEIGHBORHOOD

NEW TRAFFIC CIRCLEREDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION

ONE ACRE POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD

JACOB BUILDINGPROPOSED MARKET/PUBLIC SPACE

STRUCTURED PARKING COULD BE DEVELOPED INTO RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE

COMMERCIAL

OFFICE

MIXED USE

RESIDENTIAL

CIVIC

PARKING

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1. DEVELOP CHILHOWEE PARK Low-rise mixed use infill development reinforces the Magnolia Avenue corridor and helps to define Chilhowee Park as a civic space. Adjacent buildings take advantage of the amenity of the park, while increasing its everyday use.

2. THE PARK now unifies both the north and south sides of Magnolia Avenue. Low-rise mixed use infill development reinforces the Magnolia Avenue corridor and helps to define Chilhowee Park as a civic space. Adjacent buildings take advantage of the amenity of the park.

3. ASPHALT SURFACES By removing the asphalt surface parking at Chilhowee Park and replacing it with a surface (such as grasscrete) that is both absorptive and drivable, one is able to enhance public amenity, better control stormwater, and still park for large events. Linking this space to the extended greenway running parallel to Magnolia Avenue provides bicycle and pedestrian access to both Chilhowee Park and the Knoxville Zoo.

ASTERPLANPROPOSED MA

F MILE

DE

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WHAT IS A POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD?Sometimes called cottage developments, a commonly-used Sometimes called cottage developments, a commonly-used

definition states, a pocket neighborhood is a clustered group of

single or multi-family units gathered around a shared open space - a

garden courtyard, a pedestrian street, a series of joined backyards,

or a reclaimed alley - all of of whiwhich ch havhave ae ae clclearearar sesesensensese ofof teeeterrirr torory ay aaandnd nd

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UNIT PER ACRE

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4UNITSPER ACRE

PROP

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9

HOUSING TYPE PRECEDENTS

POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD

SHOTGUN

SIDE PORCH

DOGTROT

ACCESSORYDWELLING UNIT

Several housing types have the potential for use in pocket

neighborhoods. While the type need not mimic those found in the

surrounding neighborhood, they should be compatible in general

scale, material, and formal language.

It is interesting to consider regional types that have traditionally

been used in situations where they are in close proximity to other

structures. Types like the shotgun or the Charleston single represent

relatively high density vernacular responses to climate and culture.

Other regional types such as the dogtrot are interesting regional

adaptations that might lend themselves to adaptation for use in

higher density conditions.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are smaller, secondary residential

structures located on the same parcel of land as a larger house.

Often referred to as mother-in-law apartments, these structures

provide interesting flexibility to homeowners. While they might,

as the name suggests, be used to care for an elderly relative,

they can also serve as rental units or home offices. The ADU is a

useful housing type in its own right and offers lessons for pocket

neighborhoods as well. Because ADUs are on the same piece of

property as another, larger house, they often employ clever design

solutions that allow the residents of both structures to have a sense

of privacy in a relatively dense situation.

60


a sense of communityExamining one particular group of vacant properties within the Burlington neighborhood

center, the following pages show how a pocket neighborhood could be designed that

would both enhance and reinforce the best aspects of the area.

Due to the orientation of the public spaces within the homes of the pocket neighborhood,

the courtyard becomes public shared space to enhance the quality of community. It

provides areas for gathering, a safe place for children to play, and visual connectivity

between homes. Each home has a louvered porch opening from their kitchen/living room.

This extends the semi-public space into the courtyard where gatherings such as cookouts

and other community activities occur. The deciduous trees provide shading during the

summer months then losing leaves in winter to bring solar heat into the homes.

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POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD TYPE

HOUSING TYPE 11200 sf

4 BR/2 BA

HOUSING TYPE 21000 sf

2 BR /2 BA

ON STREET PARKING18 PARKING SPOTS

HOUSING TYPE 31000 SF

2 BR/2 BA

HOUSING TYPE 4800 SF

2 BR/1 BA

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SHOTGUN v2.1

Similar in form to v1.2, the front porch is extended to provide entry and transition from shared yard space, while creating an increased space for outdoor living.

DOGTROT v1.0

This variation on the traditional dogtrot type separates a larger single family unit into two more appropriately sized smaller units. The central breezeway becomes a shared access/entry space for the adjoining units.

SHOTGUN v1.0

A porch is added to the front of the unit. This is ideal for situations where the unit backs up to commercial property or a service alley.

SHOTGUN v3.0

A widely propagated pocket neighborhood type, this form shifts multiple outdoor dwelling spaces to one side of the structure. When the unit is used in repetition, this creates private space for each unit, using the adjacent unit as a backdrop.

DOGTROT v1.1

Private outdoor living space is added to both units allowing for transition to a shared yard space. This provides a buffer between the interior space of the units and the neighborhood.

SHOTGUN v1.1

A porch is added to the back of the unit. This form is used when the unit backs up to another residential property.

SHOTGUN v3.1

An accessory unit added to the side provides more space. This version allows for the addition of extra living space, personal office space, or a rental unit.

COURTYARD OF THE POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD

DOGTROT v1.2

Accessory units are added above providing more living space. These can be connected to the lower spaces to increase the unit size or have separate egress to create a home office or rental unit.

SHOTGUN v2.0

Porches are split between the front and rear of the unit. When this unit is used in repetition, it creates alternating private/public spaces between units.

e unit. This is t backs up toalley.

the unit. Thisup to another

nt and rear ofin repetition,

ublic spaces

In the proposed pocket neighborhood back porches serve two functions. As covered outdoor spaces they extend the living area of the home. They also are the stage for community engagement. Families, within their screened porch, can view the green courtyard and connect with their neighbors.

POCKET NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TYPES

A variety of the previously mentioned housing typologies are deployed in the example pocket neighborhood. By configuring different types in inventive ways these small developments can create varying arrangements of public, semi-public, and private spaces within.

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the back porch...

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Downtown Burlington was one of Knoxvilles original streetcar

neighborhoods, and the proposed Bus Rapid Transit line strives to

return it to that former glory. With the introduction of a pedestrian

esplanade to the north of an iconic prow-form, mixed-use anchor

building, the life of the neighborhood begins to spill out onto the

streets. Shaded by trees, the new pedestrian-only thoroughfare

connects Historic Downtown Burlington to the new Magnolia

corridor.

The facades of the buildings glow with lively excitement throughout

the day with morning cafes, bookstores, restaurants and stores, the

center transforms from a once car-oriented neighborhood, devoid

of activity and identity, and propels it back into a thriving district that

citizens from all over Knoxville are eager to visit and live.

Chilhowee Park is re-envisioned as a green and active space.

Higher density housing lines the perimeter above mixed-use

commercial space below, and the existing iron fencing is removed,

uniting the sides of the Magnolia Corridor. The iconic Jacob

Building serves as a marketplace and gathering spot, inclusive with

a cafe and bistro. Structured deck parking at the north end of the

park serves both the Zoo and the neighborhood, and is designed

in such a way that it can be converted to residential space in the

future, should society change its reliance on automobiles.

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Both the East Town and West Town community centers are locations

dominated by regional malls along with their associated surface

parking and out parcel developments. While neither mall is derelict,

neither is quite the draw it once was and both have been usurped

as the premier retail location in Knoxville. The concern being that if

nothing is done to re-imagine and revitalize these locations, they

will slide into a condition of widespread vacancy that is difficult to

reverse.

Knoxville Center mall at East Town closely abuts I-640, which is

the beltway around the city. In terms of environmentally sensitive

redevelopment of the mall site proper, there are significant challenges

in connecting to the surrounding areas. The site is bounded by the

floodplain of Loves Creek to the east and by the steep slopes of

Sharps Ridge. An existing apartment development lies within the

Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Area.

Access roads along the north and south sides of I-640 link both over

and under the interstate to handle mall traffic between two relatively

close exits. To the south across I-640 is an area of big box retail

development, with two national hardware chains as the primary

tenants. These are nestled in an area of smaller single family homes.

At the southern end of the theoretical walking perimeter is another

area of steep slope and hilltop protection, which has nonetheless

already been largely developed with the same residential pattern.

In terms of current stormwater considerations, the residential

portions of the center are quite absorptive with a lot of vegetated

areas while the retail portions are almost entirely impervious rooftops

and parking lots. This large impervious area contributes to pollution

and flooding of Loves Creek.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES Large areas of retail surface parking push the impervious area in this center

up to 62%.

62%

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ABSORBENT PARKING FOREST

STADIUM/AMPHITHEATER

RETURN TO HILLSIDE PROTECTION AT END OF USEFUL LIFE

NEW MAIN BOULEVARD

LAND BRIDGE

GREENWAY

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS [P. 78]


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PARKING FOREST - Parking areas for amphitheater events are located along the edges of the East Town community center where it abuts the Loves Creek floodplain. Rather than being created with impervious asphalt, these are constructed of gravel drive surfaces with trees and bioswales interspersed to create the parking organization. At times when they are not in use, they will seem very much like orchards - an extension of the recreational areas around the creek. During flood events the area is inundated; its absorbancy helping to manage the impacts rather than adding to them.

A transit link is necessary for connecting the East Town community

center to the other proposed Knoxville centers. This is achieved by

adding a line on the local BRT system that connects East Town to

both the Magnolia Avenue line to the south and the Broadway line

to the west. This line could either run primarily on local streets and

make several stops along the way or run primarily on I-640 and

stop at only East Town and at a terminal at each connecting line.

Regardless of its routing, at the center it will take advantage of the

existing paired access streets to run in either direction alongside

the centerpiece of the community center - a new lid park over the

interstate. Passengers traveling toward Broadway will catch the BRT

on the north side of the park. Passengers traveling toward Magnolia

will catch the line running along the south side.

The lid park (see page 76) helps to address the community centers

connectivity challenges by linking the bounded area of Knoxville

Center Mall to the residential fabric to the south of the interstate.

Wildflower plantings in the interstate right-of-way, much like those

seen in Asheville, announce the center to those traveling along

I-640. The proposal removes/reconfigures the existing mall in

favor of a regular grid of mixed-use, mid-rise development. The

grid is punctuated by public spaces and parking structures. As a

catalyst for this development, an outdoor amphitheater modeled on

Verizon Amphitheater in Atlanta is placed to the north of the center

with Sharps Ridge behind. This provides a performance venue

not currently found in Knoxville. In support of the amphitheater,

absorbent, floodable parking areas are added to the east. These

help create an expanded absorbent edge to a new Loves Creek

Greenway. The grid of the community center extends to the south of

the interstate and is blended with the existing neighborhood through

the addition of some row housing and accessory dwelling units at

the interface of new and existing uses.

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

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CHASM. In addition to the challenge of dealing with the large masses and surface parking areas associated with a regional mall and big box retail, this site is split by the interstate.

LID. The lid park not only reduces the noise of the interstate but, more importantly, provides a way to connect the two sides of the site. The park is the central space of the revitalized center.

APPROPRIATE DENSITY A simple block type with a high degree of adaptability is used to populate the grid. Row housing and ADUs are used to mitigate between the density of the multi-use blocks and the existing residential areas.

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ATTACHED / DETACHED ACCESSORY DWELLINGS

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) may either be attached to or detached from the primary structure. However, an ADU always has its own entrance. They provide a way of increasing the density of a neighborhood without impacting its overall character.

FLEXIBILITY

An ADU can provide the primary homeowner with additional income while providing the renter with an affordable living space. At times, an ADU could accommodate uses other than living - a home office or a studio, for instance.

ORGANIZATION

Orienting a series of ADUs away from the primary street provides for the emphasis and development of secondary public spaces. Examples include alleys and greenways.

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WEST TOWNCOMMUNITY CENTER

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West Town Community Center presents an opportunity to redesign

a regional mall and its surrounding parking and out parcel car-

centered retail and dining developments. It is a challenge with

currency not only for Knoxville but for similar sites around the

country. In order to transform these places into walkable mixed use

districts that engender a sense of place and community they must

be fundamentally rethought and reconfigured. One way to do this

is to effectively start over, as was suggested with the East Town

Community Center. However, another way is to try to work within the

structure of what already exists. This is the strategy employed for the

West Town Community Center.

Working with this approach in mind, the challenge of the West

Town Community Center proposal is not to eliminate the mall but

to redefine it - to give it a new life through design. The same goes

for the strip of Kingston Pike. How can it retain its identity as both

an important east/west connector and a commercial spine while

accommodating new identities as part of a live/work/play district

that is enticing to pedestrians as well? If this and related questions

are answered appropriately, then West Town can mature from being

a node along the Kingston Pike corridor to becoming a true anchor

that links back to the rest of Knoxville along a transit-augmented and

more versatile Kingston Pike.

PROJECTED GROWTH

ONE HALF MILE

ONE HALF M

ILE

ONE H

ALF M

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IMPERVIOUS SURFACES As expected with sprawl development, an extremely large proportion of the

centers surface area, in this case 86%, is covered with

impervious surfaces - much of it surface parking lots. This,

of course, generates significant storm water runoff, which

must be dealt with through highly engineered means.

KINGSTON P

IKE TO BEAR

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INTERSTATE

40/75 TO D

OWNTOWN

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The West Town Community Center site is located along the

Kingston Pike corridor and dominated by West Town Mall.

Running parallel to I-40/75, Kingston Pike is the citys primary

arterial road and is largely enveloped by sprawl commercial

development. Here, where it runs between the interstate and

a well-established regional mall, the sprawl development is

at its height with no remaining historic fabric to consider. As

this typifies much of the corridor, proposals for this center

can serve as a model for redesigning much of the strip

development along Kingston Pike to the east and west.

At the outer edges of the half mile radius this condition is

softened a bit with residential areas to the north of I-40/75

and to the south and west of the mall site. West Hills Park to

the north along with the associated Jean Teague Greenway

(and West Hills Elementary just outside of the radius) is a

strong neighborhood amenity worth retaining and eventually

connecting to.

86%

EXISTING CONDITIONS


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XVILLE

91

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WNThe centerpiece of the proposal for the West Town Community

Center is a rethinking of the form of the mall itself. While still

a retail center, the reconfigured mall also invites new, multi-

use development within it, adjacent to it, and even on top of

it. In this new form, the mall becomes the heart of a vibrant

community. In recognition of this role, the regional and local

BRT lines are pulled through the footprint of the mall, which

is now broken into a series of smaller structures and outdoor

public spaces. The BRT stop itself is in the center of this new

walkable mixed-use district. Care was taken in breaking up

the mall in such a way that much of the existing structure

could be retained and renovated.

Along Kingston Pike low-rise mixed use development

establishes the street edge with space behind for parking or,

often, stormwater mitigation measures. While some smaller

localized surface parking lots remain, much of the parking

is now handled through either new parking structures or on-

street parking along the more robust street grid.

A new greenway is proposed along the daylighted creek

running through the eastern half of the community center.

Housing lines the edges to take advantage of this new

amenity. Two inventive housing types - clip on housing and

market housing - work to link the existing surrounding housing

areas to the new center.

PROPOSED MASTERPLAN


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CLIP-ON HOUSING TYPES

The clip-on housing is comprised of additive volumes attached to the reconfigured mall structures in various configurations.

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LIVING ROOM AREA OVE

AT-HOME OFFICE

SECONDARY BEDROOM | OFFICE

IN BETWEEN

Housing may span between larger structures connecting to the interior circulation and creating a grand entry below.

ON EDGE

Clip-on housing may rest on the edge of the existing structure and project beyond to link to both the roof surface and public spaces adjacent to the host structure.

PROJECTING

Residential areas may also be attached to the face of the building projecting from the facade to engage their surroundings.

VIEW A - The exposed structure of the clip-on housing tells the story of the relationship between the additive structure and the existing building. As it projects out into space, the structure ties back into the second floor of the mall.

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PRIVATE MASTER BEDROOM

SEMI-PUBLIC ARCADE ZONE

KITCHEN | STORAGERLOOKING MARKET

A

CLIP ON HOUSING

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SIMPLE BLOCK

The basic unit is the central block. A simple volume lifted above the parking and semi-public spaces below.

SIMPLE BLOCK REPEATED

Using the existing drive aisles along with new cross drives based on the simple block. A basic urban pattern is established.

SPLIT BLOCK

Dividing the block in the long direction provides the potential for admitting light into the covered semi-public spaces. This massing could be used to create micro unit housing.

SPLIT BLOCK REPEATED

When repeated the split block suggests ways in which certain drive aisle streets could be public while others are considered service. Blocks have a front and a back.

DIVIDED BLOCK

Much like the rowhouse type, the divided block creates individual units by slicing through the volume.

DIVIDED BLOCK REPEATED

The fronts and backs of blocks are largely undifferentiated. Through-the-block units face two of the drive aisle streets.

Repurposing the surface parking lot to the west of the

existing mall, the market housing type allows for this space

to simultaneously serve as a small-scale ad hoc retail district,

a housing district, and overflow parking for the nearby

permanent retail during the end-of-the-year retail season.

This is accomplished by working within the sizes and logic

of the existing drive aisles and parking spaces to establish

a structural system that raises the new housing above while

allowing most of the parking to remain below.

While the clip-on lofts projecting from the upper floors of the

renovated mall buildings are most likely premium housing,

the market housing is intended to be more affordable with the

intent of fostering a creative culture of small-scale producers

living above their shops. The stalls below could provide

some reserved parking for residents, but their most interesting

use is to host various vendors (farmers, craftspeople, food

trucks, and the like) and performers or as a shady front

porch for residents to observe the life of the street. Direct

busses on football game days could encourage the rise of a

tailgating district at this location.

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EXISTING PARKING -TRANSFORMED INTO MIXED USE MARKET AREA

MARKET HOUSINGTYPES

Overlaying the 9 grid of the existing parking spaces establishes a 36 structural grid for the

market housing above.

Total number of dwelling units: 130Square footage per dwelling unit: ~1000 SF

MARKET HOUSING TYPES

(Facing page) A variety of urban conditions can be generated from the simple system of breaking down or multiplying the 36 structural grid of the market housing. Using both new and existing drive aisles as circulation provides additional variety.

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VIEW B

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This view looking down one of the promenades that organize

the market housing shows how what was once merely the

drive aisle of a parking lot can become a space of community

engagement.

As this housing type only minimally disrupts the parking

below, it could be introduced in phases with new housing

added as units fill up. The new boulevards will be repaved

with a semi-permeable paving system that would allow for

some

Documents

Knoxville 2040: Centers and Corridors