Infill in the Urban Core

[Paramount747]

While thinking of some of the conversations Dave Luna and I had over the years, along with others in the group, I thought it would be an excellent intellectual exercise to have a serious discussion thread about infill.

Just as we do in food where we have a main course, the side items often compliment and even enhance the experience of the main course.

Within the built environment such is the case with skyscrapers and infill. Too often the case, such as Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, infill can be ignored while dozens of high rise projects adorn the sky. 

In Atlanta, and my most recent visit was a year ago, much of the midtown and downtown areas were still littered (and I mean littered) with surface lots while dozens of 30+ tall structures were common.

I do want at least one 700 foot tall tower to adorn our skyline, but we have 100's of surface areas that need to contain buildings rather than asphalt. Infill is the bridge.  As in software where the kernel is the bridge between the  API and the CPU, infill is the true connectivity of a city. Infill still provides the pedestrian experience, and enables people to interact. Rarely is there much interaction when people are coming and going from a large high rise structure. In many cases, the place where people congregate are the infill places, not the high rises.

Feel free to discuss.

 

John

 

 

 

 

[arkitekte]

7 hours ago, Paramount747 said:

I do want at least one 700 foot tall tower to adorn our skyline, but we have 100's of surface areas that need to contain buildings rather than asphalt. Infill is the bridge.  As in software where the kernel is the bridge between the  API and the CPU, infill is the true connectivity of a city. Infill still provides the pedestrian experience, and enables people to interact. Rarely is there much interaction when people are coming and going from a large high rise structure. In many cases, the place where people congregate are the infill places, not the high rises.

 

 

 

 

This is all on point. While skyscrapers are nice, they rarely contribute to the neighborhood or pedestrian experience. In turn, infill is good, but best served in the form of mixed use. Residential is good, but unless it's combined with some form of retail it's dull at times. Our problem here in San Antonio is that we've producing a high amount of urban infill (situations similar to the Gulch, just not as tall of developments), but for the most part it's in the form of 5 or 6 floors of residential with little (approx. 2,500 sq ft) or no commercial space.

While some will knock it, hotel space in the form of infill, is highly successful. Street activation plus the typical accompanying commercial/dining space is typical and goes a long way.

Just to jog our brains (outside of Chicago, NYC, Philly, maybe a few others), I'll go out on a ledge and say that the more walkable, pedestrian friendly, urban core/CBD's with active streets have an abnormally low amount of height in their skylines. Seems coincidental, but it's not.

[Guest]

As a city we want to emulate places like Denver and Portland. Excellent density like that brings so many benefits. Washington DC is another great example of a mid rise city with enormous density and walkability.

[Flatrock]

On Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 1:18 PM, NoChesterHester said:

As a city we want to emulate places like Denver and Portland. Excellent density like that brings so many benefits. Washington DC is another great example of a mid rise city with enormous density and walkability.

Yeppers. And on that subject,  could anyone on  UP recommend a reasonable land-planner who could help me get a small infill lot rezoned to a specific plan zoning? It's in Woodbine,  in the UZO and T4 Urban Evolving overlay. Flanked by 2 alleys.   My councilman has given his support to increase the density....just don't have the time or energy to take it through the entire process myself.  Thank you! 

[Hey_Hey]

Dale & Associates is a commonly seen engineering firm that helps applicants go through the process of zoning change.  

Have you spoken with the neighborhood yet?  It is an absolute must to get the councilman on board, but council people will bend to neighborhood pressure if the community comes out against it. I have been involved (on the neighborhood side) of zoning changes that have gone down in flames because the developer didn't speak with the neighborhood first.  I have also been involved in zoning changes in which the neighbors actually went to the Planning Commission and spoke in favor of a zoning change. When that happens in strong numbers they always get approval. What do you have planned (roughly)? T4 allows up to an RM20 zoning density without an amendment to the land use policy.

[Flatrock]

12 minutes ago, Hey_Hey said:

Dale & Associates is a commonly seen engineering firm that helps applicants go through the process of zoning change.  

Have you spoken with the neighborhood yet?  It is an absolute must to get the councilman on board, but council people will bend to neighborhood pressure if the community comes out against it. I have been involved (on the neighborhood side) of zoning changes that have gone down in flames because the developer didn't speak with the neighborhood first.  I have also been involved in zoning changes in which the neighbors actually went to the Planning Commission and spoke in favor of a zoning change. When that happens in strong numbers they always get approval. What do you have planned (roughly)? T4 allows up to an RM20 zoning density without an amendment to the land use policy.

Great counsel.  Thank you very much!  I know of Dale & Assoc but figured they're too big (& too expensive) for a little project like mine.  Haven't spoken with neighborhood (yet). On the list,  though. Wanting  4 - 5 townhomes on a third of an acre.