Post by nickv on May 18, 2009 11:56:48 GMT -8
Inland Empire Smart Growth Development Concepts
How Transit Oriented Development can Reshape and Bolster Riverside County Cities [/url]
The Inland Empire, overwhelmed by uncontrolled rapid growth and plagued by automobile-centric development, was by far the nation's worst example of suburban sprawl, a team of researchers concluded in 2002 followed by a news report by the Los Angeles Times. The three-year study was conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Cornell universities and released by Smart Growth America in Washington.
The research project faulted Riverside County for the lack of local authentic village centers and business districts, to a haphazard, poorly connected road system that makes walking and bicycling perilous.
Sprawl - How Not to Build:
Automobile-Centric Development
Suburban sprawl is spread out development out over large amounts of land, forcing long distances between residential areas, retail, office, and job centers. Such development converts automobile travel from an option into a requirement for even short trips to the neighborhood park or market.
Such unchecked growth can be controlled. Riverside County can have cleaner air and water, better transportation options, walkable communities, more parkland, local farming, and giant open spaces. Several Inland Empire cities have started to use smart-growth solutions to address the problems caused by sprawl through infill redevelopment, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Temecula.
See how smart growth solutions can revitalize sprawling communities.
Inland Empire "Sprawl Buster" Concepts:
Concepts Showing how some of the Worst Examples of Sprawling Residential Development can be revitalized and made more livable
Southern Nuevo, Nuevo Rd & Menifee Rd: This region suffered from some of the worst examples of sprawl and leap-frog-development during the housing boom. Tract housing developments were built in this rural community, once threatening the rural atmosphere and the local commercial farming sector. By forming an urban boundary and rezoning the outer areas, Southern Nuevo can be transformed into an authentic community-oriented village with a central square, farmer's market, commercial farming, and walkable access to other high paying targeted jobs and mass transit.
Temecula, Butterfield Stage Rd & Nighthawk Pass: Several cul-de-sacs prevent local residents from conveniently accessing the main streets, forcing them to hike around development. This is just one of many places in Riverside County where dead-end cul-de-sacs makes walking, transit use, and bicycling perilous. Interesting enough, many cul-de-sacs can be quickly fixed without too much trouble or expense.
Pathways can be placed at these dead-ends without acquiring residential property, allowing for pedestrians and bicylists access to main streets and thus allowing convenient access to parks, schools, local shopping centers and transit service. These pathways can even be gated to maintain privacy and prevent small children from leaving the cul-de-sac areas.
Temecula, Redhawk Pkwy & El Chimisal Rd: This region is one of the worst examples of suburban sprawl and car-centered development around. A small Main Street retail square, a telecommuter office, and a community clubhouse along El Chimisal Road between the Redhawk and Morgan Hill Communities can bring lots of much needed amenities to this sprawling region.
Together with the completion of the City of Temecula Trails & Bikeways Master Plan, residents will be able to play more with added trails, tennis courts, community pools and a recreation center; Mom's and Pop's needing milk, bread, or even a coffee break can take a stroll to the community market or coffee shop; many would be able to get work done too with live/work lofts and a telecommuting office next door to Morgan Hill Park. The local shuttle would also connect to local jobs and CA HSR.
Temecula, SW Corner of Pauba Road & Butterfield Stage Rd: The Paseo Del Sol Master Planned Community included miles and miles of pathways linking several parts of the residential communities to parks and major streets. However, even a simple errand requires use of a car for most people in this region. A small village Main Street on the remaining undeveloped land would provide walkable access to retail and live/work lofts from the Paseo Del Sol and Crowne Hill Communities. Gated pathways would also be placed at dead-end cul-de-sacs adjacent to Butterfield Stage Road and other connecting streets, further allowing for pedestrians and bicylists access to the center and local mass transit.
Winchester, Domenigoni Pkwy & HWY 79: RCTC is in the last phases of developing a new route for SR 79; the route that connects the pass area with the communities of Temecula and Murrieta. Today SR 79 follows a circuitous route through the downtown areas of San Jacinto and Hemet. Will Winchester turn into car-center-ville, or will it be a thriving rural community village with local jobs?
Smart growth concepts and rezoning must be considered for the SR 79 realignment so that traffic and sprawl in the Winchester area do not get any worse from uncontrolled development and render the whole point of the project meaningless: To improve mobility.
Hills of West Beaumont, Champions Dr & Cherry Valley Blvd: With the Southern California PGA Golf Course built within the development to serve as an anchor, a transit/pedestrian-centered village square with high paying jobs catering to the golf or other industries nearby can also be established and accessible by foot, bicycle or neighborhood shuttle. Transit routes would also connect this region with the San Bernardino urban core to the west and the Coachella Valley to the east.
Infill Development Concepts:
Ideas to Develop or Redevelop within Existing Developed Areas
Temecula, NW Corner of Temecula Pkwy & Butterfield Stage Rd: Rezoning this area from single family residential into mixed use would yield several benefits including a possible Great Park of Temecula, mixed use retail, live/work lofts, better mass transit, offices, and a prime local job market within walking distance of Southern Paseo Del Sol and Crowne Hill, and Northeastern Redhawk and Vail Ranch.
UCR High Speed Rail Station and TOD: An ideal Spanish Mission Theme would be appropriate for the station building architecture. This station would feature several entrance/exit points.
Temecula Transit Center / Murrieta High Speed Rail Station TOD: Imagine living in a spacious loft or condo with a short walk downstairs to a giant wide open park, wide selection of retail stores, an abundant job market, and the California High Speed Rail system.
A Better Inland Empire - Better Development: Smart Growth
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How Transit Oriented Development can Reshape and Bolster Riverside County Cities [/url]
The Inland Empire, overwhelmed by uncontrolled rapid growth and plagued by automobile-centric development, was by far the nation's worst example of suburban sprawl, a team of researchers concluded in 2002 followed by a news report by the Los Angeles Times. The three-year study was conducted by researchers from Rutgers and Cornell universities and released by Smart Growth America in Washington.
The research project faulted Riverside County for the lack of local authentic village centers and business districts, to a haphazard, poorly connected road system that makes walking and bicycling perilous.
Sprawl - How Not to Build:
Automobile-Centric Development
Suburban sprawl is spread out development out over large amounts of land, forcing long distances between residential areas, retail, office, and job centers. Such development converts automobile travel from an option into a requirement for even short trips to the neighborhood park or market.
Such unchecked growth can be controlled. Riverside County can have cleaner air and water, better transportation options, walkable communities, more parkland, local farming, and giant open spaces. Several Inland Empire cities have started to use smart-growth solutions to address the problems caused by sprawl through infill redevelopment, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Temecula.
See how smart growth solutions can revitalize sprawling communities.
Inland Empire "Sprawl Buster" Concepts:
Concepts Showing how some of the Worst Examples of Sprawling Residential Development can be revitalized and made more livable
Southern Nuevo, Nuevo Rd & Menifee Rd: This region suffered from some of the worst examples of sprawl and leap-frog-development during the housing boom. Tract housing developments were built in this rural community, once threatening the rural atmosphere and the local commercial farming sector. By forming an urban boundary and rezoning the outer areas, Southern Nuevo can be transformed into an authentic community-oriented village with a central square, farmer's market, commercial farming, and walkable access to other high paying targeted jobs and mass transit.
Temecula, Butterfield Stage Rd & Nighthawk Pass: Several cul-de-sacs prevent local residents from conveniently accessing the main streets, forcing them to hike around development. This is just one of many places in Riverside County where dead-end cul-de-sacs makes walking, transit use, and bicycling perilous. Interesting enough, many cul-de-sacs can be quickly fixed without too much trouble or expense.
Pathways can be placed at these dead-ends without acquiring residential property, allowing for pedestrians and bicylists access to main streets and thus allowing convenient access to parks, schools, local shopping centers and transit service. These pathways can even be gated to maintain privacy and prevent small children from leaving the cul-de-sac areas.
Temecula, Redhawk Pkwy & El Chimisal Rd: This region is one of the worst examples of suburban sprawl and car-centered development around. A small Main Street retail square, a telecommuter office, and a community clubhouse along El Chimisal Road between the Redhawk and Morgan Hill Communities can bring lots of much needed amenities to this sprawling region.
Together with the completion of the City of Temecula Trails & Bikeways Master Plan, residents will be able to play more with added trails, tennis courts, community pools and a recreation center; Mom's and Pop's needing milk, bread, or even a coffee break can take a stroll to the community market or coffee shop; many would be able to get work done too with live/work lofts and a telecommuting office next door to Morgan Hill Park. The local shuttle would also connect to local jobs and CA HSR.
Temecula, SW Corner of Pauba Road & Butterfield Stage Rd: The Paseo Del Sol Master Planned Community included miles and miles of pathways linking several parts of the residential communities to parks and major streets. However, even a simple errand requires use of a car for most people in this region. A small village Main Street on the remaining undeveloped land would provide walkable access to retail and live/work lofts from the Paseo Del Sol and Crowne Hill Communities. Gated pathways would also be placed at dead-end cul-de-sacs adjacent to Butterfield Stage Road and other connecting streets, further allowing for pedestrians and bicylists access to the center and local mass transit.
Winchester, Domenigoni Pkwy & HWY 79: RCTC is in the last phases of developing a new route for SR 79; the route that connects the pass area with the communities of Temecula and Murrieta. Today SR 79 follows a circuitous route through the downtown areas of San Jacinto and Hemet. Will Winchester turn into car-center-ville, or will it be a thriving rural community village with local jobs?
Smart growth concepts and rezoning must be considered for the SR 79 realignment so that traffic and sprawl in the Winchester area do not get any worse from uncontrolled development and render the whole point of the project meaningless: To improve mobility.
Hills of West Beaumont, Champions Dr & Cherry Valley Blvd: With the Southern California PGA Golf Course built within the development to serve as an anchor, a transit/pedestrian-centered village square with high paying jobs catering to the golf or other industries nearby can also be established and accessible by foot, bicycle or neighborhood shuttle. Transit routes would also connect this region with the San Bernardino urban core to the west and the Coachella Valley to the east.
Infill Development Concepts:
Ideas to Develop or Redevelop within Existing Developed Areas
Temecula, NW Corner of Temecula Pkwy & Butterfield Stage Rd: Rezoning this area from single family residential into mixed use would yield several benefits including a possible Great Park of Temecula, mixed use retail, live/work lofts, better mass transit, offices, and a prime local job market within walking distance of Southern Paseo Del Sol and Crowne Hill, and Northeastern Redhawk and Vail Ranch.
UCR High Speed Rail Station and TOD: An ideal Spanish Mission Theme would be appropriate for the station building architecture. This station would feature several entrance/exit points.
Temecula Transit Center / Murrieta High Speed Rail Station TOD: Imagine living in a spacious loft or condo with a short walk downstairs to a giant wide open park, wide selection of retail stores, an abundant job market, and the California High Speed Rail system.
A Better Inland Empire - Better Development: Smart Growth
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