Overview
“Main street” environments are places that are: pedestrian-oriented; promote interaction among residents and visitors; provide a mix of places to eat, shop and find services; have a distinct identity that reflects the community. By promoting contextual, infill development, zoning and design guidelines can create these places.
Yet most zoning regulations do not enable or allow that kind of mixing of activities. In terms of form, inflexible and excessive off-street parking requirements for each use as well as setback regulations make compact infill development difficult. In terms of uses, many codes prohibit putting more than one use in a building. By relaxing some of these restrictions and expanding the lists of permitted uses, compact mixed-use development can happen.
“Main street” environments are places that are: pedestrian-oriented; promote interaction among residents and visitors; provide a mix of places to eat, shop and find services; have a distinct identity that reflects the community. By promoting contextual, infill development, zoning and design guidelines can create these places.
Yet most zoning regulations do not enable or allow that kind of mixing of activities. In terms of form, inflexible and excessive off-street parking requirements for each use as well as setback regulations make compact infill development difficult. In terms of uses, many codes prohibit putting more than one use in a building. By relaxing some of these restrictions and expanding the lists of permitted uses, compact mixed-use development can happen.
Tools and Actions
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Municipal Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Economic Development section to consider present and future locations for commercial facilities and the designs of commercial centers as a specific policy for improving the local economy.
See Plan -
Area Specific Plans
Area-specific plans can be created for commercial centers.
See Plan
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Site Plan Regulations
Site plan regulations with building placement and street design requirements can promote main street environments.
See Tool -
Aesthetic Regulations
Design guidelines can include requirements for design and placement of parking, street design, building placement and orientation. Basic zoning can include special districts for main street areas that include creative parking regulations, along with the schedule of area and bulk requirements that create pedestrian-oriented places.
See Tool -
Incentive Zoning
Incentive zoning can promote streetscape improvements by developers.
See Tool -
Overlay Zoning
Special zoning such as traditional neighborhood design overlay districts can create a comprehensive, pedestrian-oriented environment.
See Tool -
Parking Districts and Parking Authorities
Municipal parking management.
See Tool
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Design Review
Design review can include guidelines for pedestrian amenities and building placement.
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SEQRA: GEIS
SEQRA (NY State) allows a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) to coordinate progressive redevelopment of commercial corridors and commercial centers.
See Action