North Charles Village Development Urban Design Guidelines

Design Guidelines for North Charles Village

Urban Design Principles Presented to the Charles Village Task Force on March 31, 2003

Neighborhood Characteristics and Concerns

• Livability
• Community
• Identity
• Safe
• Clean
• Convenient
• Compatible
• Connected

Urban Design Guidelines

1. STREETSCAPE DESIGN

• Create a safe and inviting pedestrian environment.
• Charles Village has a tradition of a strong, active street edges. This character should be continued. The atmosphere should be inviting, intellectual, safe, and clean.
• Create generous (8' min) and well designed sidewalks and cross walks
• Plant and maintain street trees
• Coordinate elements such as paving, pedestrian scaled lighting, trash cans, benches
• Street level building design - windows and doors must face the street and be visually open
• Keep retail and parking entrances off Charles St.
• Allow balconies, porches, and awnings to overhang the public right of way
• Activate the streetscape

2. CAMPUS & CITY CONNECTIONS

• Prioritize pedestrian travel safety and comfort - especially along Charles Street and at major intersections
• Encourage continuous retail activity along the 3100 and 3200 blocks of St. Paul - looping back to Charles at 31st and 33rd Streets
• Strengthen pedestrian connections between existing and proposed retail developments as well as core institutions
• Pedestrian activity between Charles Village and its core institutions is critical. 33rd Street is a particularly important connection - pedestrian activity should be maximized there.
• Site the JHU Bookstore and its entrance to maximize its influence in an overall merchandizing plan
• Maximize the sense of identity and arrival at the intersection of 33rd and St. Paul Streets
• Encourage the use of multiple transportation options - both public and private

3. PARKING

• Provide adequate parking that meets or exceeds zoning requirements
• Be parking neutral - not make the Charles Village parking situation worse
• Minimize the visual impacts of parking
• Create pedestrian friendly garage entrances
• Maximize on-street parking

4. SERVICE

• Minimize the impacts of service access
• Maintain and manage service access points

5. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER & MATERIALS

• Incorporate local design elements. Architectural character should be sympathetic with the Charles Village neighborhood.

6. BUILDING MASSING

• Respond to the scale of the adjacent buildings
• Bookstore Site: 10 stories (Charles = 115')
• 3200 Block of St. Paul St west side: 8 to 10 stories (Jefferson = approx 100')
• 3200 Block of St. Paul east side: 5 stories (Subway = 50')