Item B: South Willamette Concept Plan Update

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South Willamette Concept Plan Introduction Central to making the district a great place is a safe, engaging and unified feel to the public spaces that knit the district together. The Connections and Open Space map describes the street, paths, parks and community gathering features that form the future vision of the district. These and the semi - public spaces such as front yards, courtyards, parking areas and streetside features fronting on shops and restaurants compose the framework for living, doing business and shopping in the district. These elements, together with buildings facing the public areas form the "public realm" experienced by residents, shoppers and visitors to the district, as well as those who commute through. Indicated on the map are concepts for the evolution of South Willamette Street, the north - south spine, into a more vibrant and walkable commercial shopping and business district. Within this spine and jogging over to Oak Alley and Oak Street is a section identified as the "Heart of the Walkable District," where retail uses and active shop frontages are emphasized. Successful walkable shopping districts are typically developed in a compact radius to allow shoppers to browse and easily access multiple destinations. The Oak Alley segment, at the heart of the walkable area, provides a transition between clusters of shops to the north on Willamette Street and to the South on Oak Street. To support the walkable areas, a swath of the map is indicated as a "shared parking study area." Within this area, locations will be identified for shared parking so that visitors who drive can park and patronize multiple shops and services in one trip without needing to drive out onto the street and relocating their cars. Gateways, which could simply be entry points, or could be developed with signage or landscaping, are noted as elements to reinforce district perimeters and identity. Additional pathways and bicycle access points are identified on the map for future implementation to fill in missing connections or take advantage of opportunities to create a more vibrant interconnected neighborhood. . Public and semi - public open space opportunities are also indicated as important outdoor locations connecting the district. The map also highlights 24th, 27th and 29th Avenues, as well as portions of High and Oak Streets for a "safe and attractive pedestrian experience." Street trees, improved or widened sidewalks and lighting are some of the elements to be used to enhance these streets. These concepts are further developed in the Streetside Character section of this document as well as in the conceptual "Street Typologies," included in Appendix D. How will the Concept Maps be implemented? • Gradual redevelopment • Community Investment Program • Special Area Plan with form based hybrid code guiding form of new buildings, limiting heights in mixed use areas • Single Family Options zone and Apartment/ Condo Row House character areas • Monitoring change over time to adjust for changing circumstances See further description: Section 7, Implementation Plan City of Eugene ■ 27