Large Area Planning

For Florida’s Varied

Landscapes

APA Florida 2011

Planning Context:

Large Area Sector Plans and Hybrids

Horizon West Sector Plan, Orange County

West Bay Sector Plan, Bay County

Taylor County Vision, Taylor County

Mid-West Sector Plan, Escambia County

East Nassau Community Planning Area, Nassau

County

Myregion.org, How Shall We Grow, Central Florida

Region

Horizon West Sector Plan

Area: 28,000 Acres

Primary Focus: Community Design

Secondary Focus: Beltway Construction

45k households at build out

Six villages

One town center

One rural settlement

Two championship golf courses

One elementary school per neighborhood

Two high school sites

West Bay Sector Plan

Area: 80,000 Acres

Primary Focus: Economic Development

Secondary Focus: Environmental Protection

Taylor County Vision

Area: 113,000 Acres

Primary Goal: Economic Development

Secondary Goal: Shared Vision for County Growth

Escambia County Mid-West Sector Plan

Area: 15,000 Acres

Primary Focus: Community Design

Secondary Focus: Economic Development

East Nassau Community Planning Area

Area: 24,000 Acres

Primary Focus: Economic Development

Secondary Focus: Community Design Recently Converted to Sector Plan

myregion.org Regional Vision:

How Shall We Grow?

Area: 7 County Central Florida Economic Regions

Primary Focus: Economic Development

Secondary Focus: Shared Vision for Regional Growth

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Success of Large Area Planning Will Hinge on

Critical Thinking and Reasoning. Successful

Planning Will Incorporate High Imagination.

Large Area Planning may be as much about managing

natural resources and solving regional water supply

problems as it is about creating new communities.

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Large Area Planning Will Emphasize Economic

Development and not Regulation.

Regulation will be accepted as a requirement for

achieving economic initiatives.

Planning = Regulation

vs.

Planning = Economic Development

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Successful Plans Will Focus on Identification of Key

Initiatives and Benchmarks for Measuring

Achievement Of Economic Initiatives. (i.e., Six

Pillars of Florida’s Economy)

There is a connection between the economy and the

environment. Those that get it right will be the winners.

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Successful Large Scale Planning Will Require

Significant Investment in Public Engagement and

the Education Of The Public To Context, Trends,

Alternative, Initiatives And Benchmarks.

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Successful Large Area Planning Takes Time

Champions

Constituency

Continuity

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Vision Required as the “Top Of the Box”

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

General Practice

Context must include the

Economic Region

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

Specific Practice

Keep the Conceptual Plan General and Flexible

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

Specific Practice

Use Design Principles and Guidelines to Guide

DSAP’s. A Village includes complete and integrated neighborhoods, containing housing,

shops, workplaces, schools, parks and civic facilities essential to daily life of

Village residents

A variety of housing types are located generally within a 1.2 mile radius of the

Village Center (shops, services, etc.)

As many activities as possible are located within walking distance of existing or

designated transit stops

A Village and each of its neighborhoods includes a center focus that combines

commercial, civic, cultural and recreational uses

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

Specific Practice

Use DSAP to Establish Detailed Planning

Requirements That Are Location Specific.

Typical gross floor area:up to 350,000 SF

Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR): 0.40

Permitted Uses include:

Single family detached and attached residential homes

Various retail and services

Business, Professional, and Government Office

Village Center

Neighborhood Center

Maximum gross floor area:20,000 SF

Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR): 0.50

Permitted Uses: Personal service shops

Specialized retail

Business or professional offices

Community and civic uses

Restaurants

Bed and Breakfast establishments

Single family detached and attached residential homes

Apartment District

Maximum Density:20 units/acre

Minimum Lot Dimensions:16’ x 86’

Average Block Length:300 feet

Design of apartments will be consistent with the scale and character of development in the Village

Townhome District

Maximum Density: 12 units/acre

Minimum Lot Dimensions:16’ x 86’

Typical Lot Size:20’-25’ x 125’ (requires alley)

Permitted Uses: Attached townhomes and accessory structures

Maximum Density:6 units/acre

Minimum Lot Dimensions:

16’ x 110’ (Townhomes);

40’ x 110’ (single family detached)

Typical Lot Dimensions:

20’-25’ x 125’ (Townhomes, requires alley)

40’ x 125’ (requires alley)

45’ x 125’ (requires alley)

50’ x 125’

Average Lot Size: 4,800 SF

Permitted Uses: Single Family detached residential homes, garage apartments. Townhomes allowed by special exception

Village Home District

Garden Home District

Maximum Density: 4 units/acre

Minimum Lot Dimensions:

20’ x 110’(Townhomes);

40’ x 110’

Typical Lot Dimensions:

40’ x 125’ (requires alley)

45’ x 125’ (requires alley)

50’ x 125’

60’ x 125’

70’ x 125’

Average Lot Size:6,000 SF

Permitted Uses:Single Family detached residential homes, garage apartments. Townhomes allowed by special exception

Estate District

Maximum Density:2 units/acre

Minimum Lot Dimensions:85’ x 110’

Typical Lot Dimensions:85’ x 160’-200’ adjacent to lakes

Average Lot Size:10,000 SF

Permitted Uses:Single Family detached residential homes, garage apartments.

Estate Rural District

Maximum Density:1 unit per acre

Minimum Lot Size:1 acre

May reflect secluded tracts or existing large lot developments

Horizon West Town Center Plan

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

Specific Practice

Focus first on the sacred places, the environmental network where

development should be discouraged.

Best Practices/ Lessons Learned

If you want to change the regulatory paradigm,

you must have a good reason:True Urbanism vs. New Urbanism

Community DNA (genetic code)

Balanced transportation planning

Pedestrian networks

Bicycle networks

Traffic quieted streets

Public transportation

Healthy community principles

Well-being

Environment

Economy

Social institutions

Children and young people

Community DNA (genetic code)

Public realm

Squares and marketplaces

Outdoor cafes and restaurants

Farmers Markets

Community festivals

Appropriate human scale of

architecture

Cellular community of short distances

Mixed-use shops/houses

Regional Context

Public art