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The Planning Process
1
Determine the neighborhood boundary.
2
Place the elementary school in a central location.
3
Locate additional services around the elementary school to create a neighborhood hub.
4
Locate commercial services at the edge along main street.
Neighborhood Characteristics
The neighborhood hub should be a 5-10 minute walk for the residents.
The neighborhood hub can be more dense than the rest of the neighborhood.
The neighborhood hub should have both civic and commercial uses.
Locate public buildings near direct paths, so people don't have to walk around a block.
Add streets and footpaths to connect the neighborhood and shorten walk times.
Use a domestic massing that fits with residential streets.
Neighborhood Services
Civic Services:
Elementary School*
Playing Field*
Community Garden
Café
Meeting Hall (Neighborhood Association)*
Church
Library (Branch)
Park / Swimming Pool
Bus Stop
Commercial Services:
Corner Store*
Restaurant (Pizzeria, Deli, Bakery, Ice Cream, Diner)
Laundromat
Apartments / Multifamily
Example Neighborhood Projects
Neighborhood Planning - Queensbury, NY
Queensbury, NY has three main residential neighborhoods.
The neighborhoods can support a neighborhood hub without requiring increased density.
Each neighborhood could have its own elementary school, meeting hall, and corner grocery.
1. Montray Neighborhood
2. Dixon Neighborhood
3. West Mountain Neighborhood
Montray Elementary
The elementary school anchors the neighborhood. It's located on a residential street away from the noise and traffic of Route 9. It has a domestic scale.
Students, parents, and teachers can walk to school, or ride their bike. If they need to drive, there is parking behind the school.
The school serves the community. Parents can volunteer at the school.
Dixon Elementary
The elementary school is conveniently located on Midnight Dr. to maximize direct paths, so people don't have to walk around the block to get there.
If the school was located on Poplar Ln., everyone from Helen Dr. would have to walk around the block, adding to walk times. It would be annoying to know that the school was right there, but not being able to cut through the block to get to it.
Montray Meeting Hall
The Neighborhood Association makes decisions for the neighborhood.
The existing parking lot is mostly unused, and a new building would fill in the street to improve the pedestrian experience.
The site mediates between the town and the neighborhood.
West Mountain Elementary
There is an existing school at the location, but it serves special needs students from the whole town. The school should expand into a complex of buildings that includes a neighborhood elementary and a bus stop.
A new street connects the neighborhood to the elementary school. Otherwise, the residents would have to walk all the way around, and the school would not be within walking distance.
Dixon Meeting Hall
The meeting hall for the Neighborhood Association is located next to the elementary school on Dixon Rd.
The building holds 200 people in the main room. There are two stories of offices in the back.
Parking is located behind the building.
Montray Bus Stop
The site is a good location for a bus stop on Route 9. A pathway through the elementary school connects to Route 9. The buses connect to the other neighborhood hubs, as well as to the town center.
Busses, crosswalks, and pedestrians slow traffic. It reduces noise, increases public safety, and improves the pedestrian experience along Route 9.
Commercial Services
Services such as a convenient store, coffee shop, pizzeria, laundromat, etc., are better on main street, which is zoned for commercial uses. They can be at the edge of the neighborhood, still within walking distance of the residents.
The commercial edge should be near the neighborhood hub so the two centers complement each other.
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