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1/4 mile
Figure 6.36
Traditional neighborhood combination
diagram. Each neighborhood can combine to form
a larger structure of streets and open spaces.
Individual site characteristics will engender local
variations within this unified structure. (
Drawing
courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company
).
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Typically they have a core area between 30 acres
(12 hectares) and 125 acres (50 hectares). Thirty
acres approximates to the area contained within a
1/8-mile walking radius, and 125 acres fits inside a
circle with 1/4-mile radius. These centers include
retail or other commercial uses totalling between 
150 000–300 000 square feet (13 940–27 820 square
meters), and shopfronts are built to the street with
offices or apartments above. Parking is provided 
on-street and behind the buildings, possibly in decks
in larger developments. Residential densities are
normally between 7–50 dwellings per acre (45–325
persons per hectare) except in transit-oriented centers
where the minimum density should be 16 dwellings
per acre (104 persons per hectare). Urban open space
should be designed as ‘urban rooms’ – squares, greens
or small parks – with their edges defined by build-
ings. The oft-cited Birkdale Village in Huntersville
(see Plates 4, 5, 6 and 7) illustrates a prototypical
urban village at this scale.
Neighborhood Centers
Neighborhood Centers are
mixed-use activity centers scaled to serve a trade area
with a radius less than three miles. The core area is
typically between 8 and 30 acres (3–12 hectares) and
a retail component is sized between 15 000-150 000
square meter (1394–13 940 square meters). Smaller
neighborhood centers typically offer ‘convenience’
scale retail shops with no large anchor tenants, and
require a minimum of four to five neighborhoods
(about 3200–4000 homes at the slightly lower den-
sity figure) for viable support. Larger neighborhood
centers typically include a full-service supermarket or
grocery store and serve no less than six neighborhoods
(roughly 4800 homes). Parking is provided on-street
and behind the buildings, usually in surface car parks.
As with the larger centers, residential densities are
normally between 7 and 50 dwellings per acre
(45–325 persons per hectare) except in transit-ori-
ented centers where the minimum density should
again be 16 dwellings per acre (104 persons per
hectare). Urban open space, as always, should be
designed as ‘urban rooms’ – squares, greens or small
parks – with their edges defined by buildings. While
vertical mixed-use (offices or housing over retail) is
encouraged, it is likely that the different uses in a
neighborhood center will be mixed horizontally, that
is, located on adjacent parcels of land within the
development. Figure 6.37 illustrates a typical small-
scale urban village.
Rural Village Centers
Rural Village Centers comprise
mixed-use activity centers in rural settings, consisting
of scattered, small buildings – typically less than
6000 square feet (557 square meters) each – with
retail and other commercial components totaling not
more than 25 000 square feet (2323 square meters).
The buildings, like those illustrated in Plate 13, are
most usefully clustered around a central public
space or prominent intersection to create a focus for
community events such as a farmers market. This
space should be informal in layout and generally not
exceed one acre in size. If appropriate, new housing
at between two to six dwellings per acre (13–39 per-
sons per hectare) should be constructed in the vicin-
ity of rural village centers.
Districts
Districts generally comprise a special, single use like
large industrial facilities and airports, which, because
of their technical requirements and impacts, must
stand apart from the urban fabric. They should
however be connected to the network of other city
elements. This category also includes large office
and research campuses, which may evolve over time
into more pedestrian-friendly setting. The North
Carolina State Centennial Campus in Raleigh (see
Figure 6.38) shows how this might be achieved.
To achieve this greater integration into a walkable
and transit-supportive environment, offices and light
DESIGN FIRST: DESIGN-BASED PLANNING FOR COMMUNITIES