STREETSCAPES AND URBAN DESIGN Existing Streetscape … › ... › pdf › sdcimpstreetscapeconcepts.pdf · STREETSCAPES AND URBAN DESIGN This section illustrates streetscape and

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STREETSCAPES AND URBAN DESIGN

This section illustrates streetscape and urban design concepts to help visualize how the vi-sion, guiding principles, and preferred plan concept could appear. The focus for streetscape improvements is on Imperial Avenue, since most new development will be located on this street. Though Commercial Street will retain its industrial uses and character, sidewalk instal-lation and other basic streetscape improvements will also be prioritized, particularly at the 32nd Street station.

Existing Streetscape Conditions

Currently, Imperial Avenue maintains a mix of small business and residential land uses, with generally one and two story building heights. Overall, the character of the street is provided by the activity of pedestrians and a varied mix of small businesses and single family homes.

In front of residential uses on Imperial Avenue the sidewalk is typically ten feet wide, includ-ing a four foot planted buffer between the sidewalk edge and the property line. In front of commercial uses, sidewalks are 14 feet wide, including small five foot by five foot planting cut-outs for street trees, which are generally spaced 25 to 35 feet apart. Very few street fur-nishings (such as benches, trash receptacles, or bike racks) are provided along the corridor making the streetscape appear a bit barren. Lighting is limited to vehicular pole lights and does not provide good illumination for pedestrians at night.

Potential Streetscape Concepts

Community members expressed a desire for more attractive and comfortable streets, with more street trees, places to sit, and lighting to ensure safety at night. This section explores three concepts for improvements to the configuration of Imperial Avenue, particularly around the mixed use node near 25th Street.

Imperial Avenue Concept 1 – Diagonal Parking This concept utilizes the existing curb alignments, but reconfigures the travel lanes in order to include a row of diagonal parking on one side of the road through the elimination of the center turn lane. While this scheme maximizes parking, shared class II bike lanes and wi-dened sidewalks are not included in this concept. New street trees will help soften the corri-dor and provide shade to pedestrians on warm sunny days. Street trees in this scheme are placed in tree grates to maximize the amount of walkable surface since there is no gain in sidewalk width. Planted islands between the diagonal parking spaces are provided to break up the long rows of diagonal parking and to provide additional shade.

New pedestrian scale lighting provides added light to improve visibility and safety at night and provide the potential to hang banners. Like in all three concepts, benches, public art, and trash receptacles should also be provided along the corridor to create an inviting pedestrian scale character for the streetscape. These site furnishings should be of a similar style and col-

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or palette, but could also provide an opportunity to provide branding for Imperial Avenue and the community and to incorporate public art into custom site furnishing pieces.

Imperial Avenue Concept 2 – Bike Lanes with Minimal Disturbance Similar to concept 1 this concept also utilizes the existing curb alignments, and eliminates the center turn lane. This scheme however uses this additional space to add five foot wide class II bike lanes. This concept still has fairly wide travel lanes at 13’ each, but the inclusion of the bike lane creates a safer environment for cyclists to travel through the corridor. As in the first scheme, new street trees should be included in trees grates to maximize the walkable surface.

Imperial Avenue Concept 3 – Pedestrian Promenade

Maximum emphasis on pedestrians and bicycles is the goal of the third scheme. This concept utilizes the existing curb location along the south side of Imperial Avenue, but widens the sidewalk by six feet on the north end to allow for additional sunlight to reach the sidewalk in the cooler winter months. Five foot wide Class II bike lanes are also provided in this concept through the elimination of the center turn lane and by narrowing down the vehicular travel lanes to ten feet each. These narrow vehicular lanes serve as a traffic calming tool.

New street trees with cutouts for understory planting are included in this concept since the width of the northern sidewalk has been increased. This planted understory will also create a more walkable pedestrian-friendly environment by separating pedestrians from the street. The widened pedestrian sidewalk will provide an opportunity to create informal gathering spaces and additional seating areas than what could be provided in the other concepts.

S P U R L O C K P O I R I E R

L a n d s c a p e A r c h i t e c t s

C O M M E R C I A L A N D I M P E R I A L C O R R I D O R M A S T E R P L A N

C I TY OF SAN D I EGO

1/16” = 1 ’ - 0” OC TOBER 5 , 2011

IMPER I A L AVENUE CONCEPT 1 S TREE T S EC T ION





1/16” = 1 ’ - 0” OC TOBER 5 , 2011






1/16” = 1 ’ - 0” OC TOBER 5 , 2011





C I TY OF SAN D I EGOOCTOBER 6 , 2011

IMPER I A L AVENUE EX I S T ING S TREE T COND I T IONS



C O M M E R C I A L S T A N DI M P E R I A L A V E C O R R I D O R M A S T E R P L A N


1/16” = 1 ’ - 0” MAY, 2011

IMPER I A L AVENUE TYP I CA L S EC T ION C






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STREETSCAPES AND URBAN DESIGN Existing Streetscape … › ... › pdf › sdcimpstreetscapeconcepts.pdf · STREETSCAPES AND URBAN DESIGN This section illustrates streetscape and