Extending walkability and land preservation one mile outside of the current town limits
How does a college town with a walking and biking ethic expand its urban core and create large swaths of farmland and open space? For two decades, the Town of Davidson has attempted to preserve half of the 3,780 acres of land outside its current town limits in the face of increasing growth pressure.
Using an interactive public planning process and development framework focused around sustaining walkability, our team helped create consensus on a future-growth rural area scheme. The plan? Activate a long-delayed extension sewer to manage growth direction, identify two new neighborhood centers to serve as walkable destinations for surrounding areas, protect cultural and ecologically important lands and waterways, and create compact, walkable neighborhoods that extend the built form of the town by one mile (in all directions).
The plan will preserve half of the town’s available land as protected space while still allowing for needed growth.
At a Glance
- Offices
- Client
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- Town of Davidson
- Awards
- 2017 Marvin Collins Planning Awards, North Carolina Chapter of the APA, Outstanding Planning Award
- 2017 Sustain Charlotte Awards, Winner (Land Use)
Ashley Thompson, Urban Designer
We cannot fall into the trap of innovating for innovation’s sake—we must ensure as technology advances, it is to the benefit of everyone.
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