RobertsonCo2.pptAND REVITALIZING HISTORIC TOWN CENTERS
SUMMARY REPORT
April 27-28, 2007
A partnership of Robertson County, City of Springfield, A.I.A. Middle Tennessee, Nashville Civic Design Center, University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, and the Greater Nashville Regional Council.
Principle One: DESIGN IN A HUMAN SCALE Compact, pedestrian-friendly communities allow residents to walk to shops, services, cultural resources, and jobs and can reduce traffic congestion and benefit people’s health.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Two: PROVIDE CHOICES People want variety in housing, shopping, recreation, transportation, and employment. Variety creates lively neighborhoods and accommodates residents in different stages of their lives.
Principle Three: ENCOURAGE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT Integrating different land uses and varied building types creates vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, diverse communities.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Four: PRESERVE URBAN CENTERS Restoring, revitalizing, and infilling urban centers take advantage of existing streets, services, and buildings and avoid the need for new structure. This helps to curb sprawl and promote stability for city neighborhoods.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Five: VARY TRANSPORTATION Giving people the option of walking, biking and using public transit, in addition to driving, reduces traffic congestion, protects the environment, and encourages physical activity.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Six: BUILD VIBRANT SPACES Citizens need welcoming, well-defined public places to stimulate face-to-face interaction, collectively celebrate and mourn, encourage civic participation, admire public art, and gather for public events.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Seven: CREATE A NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY A “sense of place” gives neighborhoods a unique character, enhances the walking environment, and creates pride in the community.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Eight: PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES A well-designed balance of nature and development preserves natural systems, protects waterways from pollution, reduces air pollution, and protects property values.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Nine: CONSERVE LANDSCAPES Open space, farms, and wildlife habitat are essential for environmental, recreational, and cultural reasons.
THE A.I.A. TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Ten: DESIGN MATTERS Design excellence is the foundation of successful and healthy communities
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle One: DESIGN IN A HUMAN SCALE How could your community or all of Robertson County become more compact and pedestrian friendly?
• There is a need for smart growth through countywide planning and design. Smart growth requires planning both where and how you want to grow, as well as where and how you don’t want to grow. It also requires changing regulations to match your desired outcomes. (30 dots)
• Renovate or adaptively reuse underutilized building stock throughout the county, such as the tobacco warehouses in Springfield. (19)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Rehabilitate and extend sidewalks. (17)
• Continue the improvements made already to downtown Springfield-- which as county seat, and a traditional American square, embodies the “downtown” of everyone in the county. (14)
• Provide more flexibility with regulations, codes, zoning and distance requirements to promote growth within the footprint of existing infrastructure. (13)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Expand the greenway trail systems-- they are very popular. (11)
• Don’t allow sewer use outside of city limits and don’t upgrade water facilities outside of non-growth areas. This is an expensive taxpayer burden for less desirable development. (9)
• Promote unique and small businesses. They are consistent with the rural character and traditions of the county. (5)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Two: PROVIDE CHOICES What housing, shopping, recreation, or employment choices are currently missing in either your community or all of Robertson County?
• Restaurants (including liquor by the drink), family entertainment, and unique, locally focused shopping alternatives were cited as lacking. (33)
• Employment that requires higher education and higher pay, with office parks and housing options for this market, were cited as lacking. (32)
• Recreational options for young people are needed. (17)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Two: PROVIDE CHOICES
• A broader range of quality housing options, including high end multifamily, downtown lofts, and affordable (or workforce) housing, as well as shelter for the homeless, is needed. (13)
• Community arts facilities and programs are desired. (8)
• Full service grocery store(s) were cited as inadequate. (6)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Three: ENCOURAGE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT Where and how should mixed-use development, integrating different land uses and varied building types, be encouraged in your community or Robertson County in general?
• Mixed use is encouraged for Springfield, especially around the square and Main Street. (18)
• Reuse buildings ex.: old tobacco warehouses. (9)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Provide incentives to developers to follow architectural, landscape, scale and walkability guidelines. (5)
• Preserve farm / agricultural land in north Robertson County, and implement smart growth zoning practices in southern “Nashville” influenced areas. (5)
Principle Three: ENCOURAGE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Four: PRESERVE URBAN CENTERS How can we encourage the establishment or revitalization of your community’s town center, or Robertson County’s town centers in general?
• Identify and offer diverse financial incentives for quality town center development. (33)
• Provide friendly cooperation from the city of Springfield to community groups, working together, to form public / private partnerships. (19)
• Encourage festival events and downtown marketing. (11)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Four: PRESERVE URBAN CENTERS
• Remove the 300-foot buffer around churches in the core commercial district to allow “by the drink” alcohol sales (6)
• Identify historic districts and overlays, and promote preservation and tours. (5)
• Develop regulations that encourage smart growth, reinforcing town centers and restricting growth in agricultural areas. (5)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Five: VARY TRANSPORTATION What additional transportation options, including walking, biking, driving, and public transit, are needed in your community or Robertson County in general?
• Rail / bus transit into large employment areas is needed. (19)
• Local public transportation options (between communities) is needed. (10)
• Require, increase and improve sidewalks. (10)
• Continue the development of greenways, as well as other walking and bicycle paths. (8)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Provide public transportation (northeast corridor) from Nashville. (5)
• Widen Route 431. (5)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Six: BUILD VIBRANT SPACES What are the best public spaces in your community, and Robertson County in general, and where could new, memorable public spaces be established?
• Existing Courthouse Square in downtown Springfield (18)
• Both existing and new parks, including pocket parks and athletic fields under development, are among the best public spaces. (15)
• Establish a Farmers Market. (11)
• Use greenways as connectors to parks, shopping, neighborhoods, etc. (10)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Six: BUILD VIBRANT SPACES
• The existing greenways in White House and Springfield are among the best public spaces in the county. (6)
• The theater in downtown Springfield is among the best public spaces. (5)
• Economically depressed areas need new public spaces. (5)
Principle Seven: CREATE A NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY How would you describe “the sense of place” in your community, or Robertson County in general?
• An open, rural scenic countryside with small towns, yet in close proximity to Metropolitan Nashville. (22)
• County history and culture ex.: “whiskey, weed, witch and more.” (15)
• The Courthouse Square in Springfield. (9)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• The historic homes, farms, families, architecture and neighborhoods (8)
• “Agricultural.” (7)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Eight: PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES What environmental resources in your community or Robertson County in general need to be protected and preserved?
• All natural water features in the landscape countywide should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (55)
• Farms and woodlands should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (15)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Nine: CONSERVE LANDSCAPES Where should open space, farms and wildlife habitat be preserved in your community, or throughout Robertson County?
• Concentrate city centers where they now exist, thereby preserving open space, farms and wildlife habitat in the north and west of the county. (24)
• All natural water features in the landscape (countywide) should be preserved as open space and wildlife habitat. (23)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Retain open space, farms and wildlife habitat where it already exists to the fullest extent possible-- encouraging concentrated growth around it. (10)
• Preserve farmland. (5)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
Principle Ten: DESIGN MATTERS How do you feel design excellence can promote successful and healthy communities throughout Robertson County?
• Express a vision for quality growth, and then shape your planning and zoning accordingly throughout the county, in order to reduce sprawl, reduce community infrastructure, and maintain green space. (28)
• Keep design standards high and variances low. (21)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY
• Promote a distinct look and identity for the town centers, through preservation, “Main Street” principles, buried utilities, etc. (12)
• Promote alternative, higher densities in areas already urban. (7)
• Promote health and “quality of life” through planning that promotes walking. (6)
Principle Ten: DESIGN MATTERS
• Guide our region’s growth with comprehensive community plans.
• Update zoning, subdivision and building codes to implement community plans.
• Use design to protect and enhance our region’s diversity of community character.
• Redevelop and strengthen our region’s cities, towns and rural communities to ensure a range of unique lifestyle choices.
• Create a variety of housing choices for our region’s diverse workforce.
• Conserve our region’s land, water, natural and cultural resources for our future economic, health, and social well-being.
CUMBERLAND REGION TOMORROW QUALITY GROWTH GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• Link land use and transportation planning to promote an integrated framework to guide growth and development.
• Guide public and private investment to efficiently use pre-existing infrastructure and developed land.
• Think and act regionally to ensure our future livability and economic vitality.
CUMBERLAND REGION TOMORROW QUALITY GROWTH GUIDING PRINCIPLES