Build and Plan for Communities Today and In the Future
with a Mix of Jobs, Housing, and Civic Uses

Land use and transportation decisions should be made not only with respect to existing conditions, but also to future needs and demands through comprehensive planning. Current and future demand for housing, employment, services, and civic uses (parks, schools, etc.) are a primary element of these decisions, and encouraging a mix of these uses at different scales is important in meeting the needs of communities throughout the region.

Mixing uses helps lessen peak demand on the road and transit networks, improve accessibility of important services to residents and workers, and create opportunities for sharing parking and other resources between different users. Mixing uses is not always simple, and the mix will be different in different places. Predominantly residential neighborhoods may have only a handful of retail areas, parks, and schools, while in other areas of a community an equal balance of housing, stores, and offices will be appropriate.

 

 

National Best Practice Examples

Corridor Housing Initiative, Twin Cities, MN
The Corridor Housing Initiative is a partnership among neighborhoods, city government, and a technical team of development consultants, design experts, and facilitators to connect market opportunities with neighborhood goals in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The goal is to expand the discussion of housing choices for a mix of incomes and households, with access to transportation options, retail amenities, parks, and job opportunities and reduce the cost of development by building community support early in the process..

More info

Corridor Housing Initiative, Twin Cities, MN
The Corridor Housing Initiative educates community groups about infill, mixed-use, and affordable housing.
[Source: Corridor Housing Initiatvie]

The Plan for Nashville, Nashville, TN
The Plan of Nashville was a 2 1/2 year project to develop a comprehensive community-based vision and design principles for metropolitan Nashville's urban core. The plan engaged citizens in crafting a vision for urban development and design. The plan was facilitated by the Nashville Civic Design Center, a non-profit organization, in response to the fragmentation of neighborhood planning in the last 50 years. The plan resulted in a city vision that is currently being realized through neighborhood development plans and civic development projects, such as waterfront revitalization and the construction of a new stadium.

More info

The Plan for Nashville, Nashville, TN
The Plan of Nashville outlines a community-based vision for the development of central Nashville and the surrounding neighborhoods. [Source: Nashville Civic Design Center]



Additional Resources and Examples

Link Source What it is
Creating Great Neighborhoods: Density in Your Community Adhir Kackar and Ilana Preuss Handout explaining the benefits of density.
Drivers and Keys to Mixed-Use Development Urban Land Institute Making mixed-use development work from a developer’s perspective.
This is Smart Growth The Smart Growth Network Graphically attractive report defining smart growth and how to create it.
Smart Growth Zoning Codes: A Resource Guide Local Government Commission Key strategies for zoning for traditional neighborhood development.
Making the Connection: Transit-Oriented Development and Jobs Good Jobs First A survey of 25 TODs and their success in addressing affordability.
New Jersey Smart Growth Gateway Smart Growth Gateway Collaborative An online resource for implementing smart growth strategies.
Challenge to Sprawl Sierra Club Resources for fighting sprawl nationally.
Tool Kit for Integrating Land Use and Transportation Decision-Making Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Strategies for integrating land use and transportation planning.
Strategies for Successful Infill Development Northeast Midwest Institute and the Congress for the New Urbanism Financing options, design strategies, and solutions for infill development.
Great Communities Toolkit Bay Area Great Communities Collaborative A variety of reports and approaches for transit-oriented development.
Visualizing Density Lincoln Land Institute (free login required) Media and campaign strategies for advocating for TOD in your community.
Mixed Use Zoning & Streets Standards: Executive Summary of the Diagnosis of Existing Codes & Policies Clarion Associates A step-by-step comparison of existing city zoning to proposed mixed-use zoning.


Local/Regional Examples

MWCOG has several resources related to this subject, including Smart Growth Begins at the Local Level, Access and Opportunity: Strengthening Workforce Development in the Washington Metropolitan Area, and Metropolitan Washington Regional Activity Centers: A Tool for Linking Land Use and Transportation Planning.

In addition, there are a number of good local examples of neighborhoods and individual developments with a mix of housing, jobs, and civic uses, included in the Washington region database. These types of places are vitally important for linking transportation and development in the Washington region.