Planning Solutions, Inc.

Description

BY DANIEL G. GEORGE Planning Solutions Incorporated September 14th, 2007 All things old are new again. A time-honored land use practice, mixed use, ismaking a comeback in cities across the country. Developments from Addison Circlenear Dallas, Texas, to Santana Row in San Jose, Calif., as well as The Roundin nearby Beaverton, Ore., are discovering that mixed use is a viable solutionto an ever decreasing supply of buildable land. Locally, developers have becomeincreasingly interested in the added profit potential provided by mixed use projects. Mixed use, or the practice of allowing multiple land uses to coexist in a singledevelopment, has the potential to avoid many of the pitfalls of modern life,including the dreaded commute. The goal of mixed use developments is to bringhousing, retail, commercial and office uses into close proximity within a pedestrian-friendlyenvironment. Lucky residents could find themselves in the enviable position ofavoiding a high-traffic commute, while enjoying increased physical activity.The luxury of found free time also awaits residents who trade an hour’scommute for a five-minute stroll. There are two distinct forms of mixed use projects: horizontally integrated andvertically integrated. Horizontally integrated projects require more land sincethey typically incorporate several individual buildings within the project. Anexample of a horizontally integrated mixed use project could include a commercialbuilding with retail on the ground floor and professional offices on the upperstories, surrounded by a mix of single family attached and single family detachedhomes. The various uses would be linked to each other by pedestrian paths, pocketparks and plaza spaces. The European-influenced vertically integrated form of mixed use is finding morefavor in urban areas where buildable land is scarce. Integrating uses verticallyinto a single multiple-story structure provides opportunities for extremely efficientland use resulting in higher profit potential. For example, the same land thatmight support 12 single-family homes could also support a five-story mixed usebuilding providing 20,000 square feet of retail space plus 20,000 square feetof office space, as well as 40 luxury residential condominiums. From an economicstandpoint, the revenue generated by the initial sale of 30 residential condominiumsalone could potentially cover the development’s initial costs. This leavesthe developer with a long-term revenue stream of rental income associated withthe retail and office space. Examples of vertically integrated mixed use developmentsabound in the Portland and Vancouver area. Among them are: The Pearl District,McCormack Wharf, Riverwalk and Esther Short Park. Whatever form mixed use developments take, they are usually marked by highlylandscaped common areas, pocket parks, attractively designed streetscapes thatinvite pedestrian use and amphitheaters to encourage social interaction amongresidents and visitors. Transit hubs for public transportation are also a commonand highly desirable, feature. Daniel G. George, Licensed Landscape Architect, is the owner and managing principal at Planning Solutions Incorporated, a Vancouver-based architectural and land use planning design firm. He can be reached at 360-750-9000 or psi@planningsolutionsinc.com. Community Pride Design Awards recognizes innovative collaboration BY JODIE GILMORE For the VBJ October 26th, 2007 Completed in July, Evergreen School District’s newest school, Union High has integrated the best of educational technology into the school’s design. At Union, said Vaughn Lein, Principal of LSW Architects PC, which designed the facility, “instead of learning from technology, the students learn with technology.”

Fact sheet

Company contacts

Products & services

Similar companies nearby