University Neighborhoods Revitalization Plan CONCEPT DOCUMENT

A. Plan Context

Planning Area Location and Boundaries: The study area, identified as "University Neighborhoods" is a subset of the University District, a 2.5 square mile planning area approximately 2 miles directly north of downtown Columbus. The District’s 1,500 acres are bounded by Glen Echo Ravine to the north, the Conrail corridor to the east, 5th Avenue to the south, and the Olentangy River to the west. The study area follows approximately these same boundaries but does not include any of the District north of Northwood Avenue, or the area south of King Avenue and west of the alley directly behind High Street. While recommendations are presented primarily to revitalize the University neighborhoods, it should not be assumed similar problems do not exist in other parts of the District..

Current Setting: The Ohio State University is the most visible element of the District, occupying approximately 400 of the District’s 1,500 acres. Consequently, while The Ohio State University in many ways defines the University District, the area is not a uniform campus neighborhood. Rather, the University District is an extremely diverse collection of distinctive neighborhoods with a broad range of residents, incomes, and ethnic backgrounds. With only 1.5% of the City’s land area, the University District has 7% of the city’s population.

Problem Statement: While the industrialized Midwest as a region, and metropolitan areas in particular have been struggling to maintain their population base and rates of employment over the past 15 years, the city of Columbus has prospered. Between 1980 and 1990, Columbus’s population grew by 10.7%. Correspondingly, employment grew by 26%, well ahead of the State’s 5% employment growth rate. Coupled with this impressive rate of growth, a new image of Columbus is fueled by its transition from a producer of goods to a contemporary service provider. Columbus is increasingly viewed as the Midwest’s most progressive and energetic city.

Elements of Decline: A review of past and current conditions in the University District has led to the identification of ten key elements contributing to the decline in the University District’s quality of life:

• A 40-year evolution of the District into a high density, student-residential core without adequate modification or expansion of supporting infrastructure, public services, parks, or open space.
• Deteriorating infrastructure and functionally obsolete building stock along High Street which restrict its economic vitality. Disorganized and insufficient parking; constrained service access; inefficient and poorly maintained retail spaces; and non-existent street maintenance all preclude a vibrant, diverse business corridor.
• Over-concentration of liquor licenses within the south High Street bar district at the High Street – 11th Avenue intersection. The negative image of the area is worsened by the highly visible police patrols required on weekends to manage crowds frequenting the bars.
• The continued rise of crime and illegal drug sales that began in the early 1980s and has escalated to some of the highest levels in the Columbus area.
• The perceptual barriers of Ohio State University that the physical campus and hence the institution's responsibility stops at High Street.
• An extremely low level of home ownership and the highly transient nature of the student resident population which has hindered the sense of pride, commitment, and responsibility witnessed in healthy urban neighborhoods.
• Poorly rehabilitated and ill-conceived adaptive reuse of original single-family housing and neighborhood commercial structures, coupled with development practices that were designed for short-term return only. This has resulted in high levels of disinvestment due to the impact of the 1986 federal tax law.
• A reduction of student housing demand by an estimated 2,000 students, coupled with same price/higher quality and better managed housing choices available in the suburbs.
• The intense concentration of subsidized housing in the area, especially in the southeast corner of the District, and a fragmented approach to human service assistance, delivery, and support.
• A limited but highly visible number of problem landlords whose problem properties and lack of concern for good management have significant impact on surrounding property values and livability.

Opportunities and Assets: Although the University District faces severe challenges, it has significant assets from which successful revitalization effort can be built. First and foremost, the problems confronting the University District are not overwhelming, and the basic housing stock and infrastructure are far above the level of most troubled urban areas. Other current assets include:

• Excellent location and regional access – The University District’s central location, which presents particular residential and commercial market opportunities, is enhanced by its easy regional vehicular access. Four-lane SR 315 and Interstate 71 are located just west and east of the District, respectively. High Street, Fourth Street, and Summit Street arterials provide additional accessibility within the street system of Columbus.
• Clearly defined boundaries, with the University and the Olentangy River to the west, the Conrail tracks to the east, Glen Echo Ravine to the north, and 5th Avenue to the south. The area is well-defined and programs can be targeted to meet specific issues within a confined area.
• Surrounding successful neighborhoods that provide stability and market value. These include Clintonville to the north and the energy of the revitalized Short North, Italian, and Victorian villages to the south and southwest.
• Diversity of both residents and housing opportunities. The broad range of housing structures, historic character, and neighborhood setting provide a variety of opportunities for individuals of different interests and incomes to enjoy a convenient, urban lifestyle in a neighborhood that offers proximity to a major educational and cultural amenity such as The Ohio State University.
• A very strong market for new housing, retail, and office units generated by Ohio State’s 48,500 students, 16,000 faculty, staff, and thousands of visitors, as well as neighborhood residents or the potential of the remainder of the Columbus metropolitan area.
• High Street, which is currently a mixed blessing for the neighborhood, nonetheless offers a strong foundation for retail that will act as a service to the university population, an amenity for neighborhood residents, and potentially an attraction to other Columbus area residents. High Street can also be a desirable location for office, rental apartments, and, in the long run, hotels.
• An involved and concerned community of residents who have fought to protect and conserve the character and diversity of the area for 30-plus years. The enormous energy, knowledge and commitment of this constituency is a major resource that if properly supported and channeled will help effect the critical changes necessary.
• A host of revitalization programs already in place substantially reduces the administrative and policy modifications that might be required as part of any new neighborhood redevelopment initiative. Programs such as the City of Columbus Neighborhoods of Choice and the Columbus Neighborhood Design Assistance Center can play a major role in shaping the University District’s future.
• Existing human and social service programs, both City-sponsored and neighborhood-based, can be enhanced and built upon to improve the long-term conditions and opportunities for University District residents. The District already features a broad cross section of schools, religious groups, and social service centers with considerable experience assisting the District’s population. (Refer to Appendix A for full listing of programs)

B. Planning Principles

Community Concept - Building Community From the Inside Out: The University District is a complex community whose defining social characteristic is diversity. This asset has been consistently championed by the residents and leaders of this planning effort, and is clearly endorsed as an essential component of the community’s vision. To sustain this diversity, the Plan advocates building the community from the inside out and maximize the contributions of community partners such as its residents, Ohio State, and the city of Columbus. These same community stakeholders have formed an active and important partnership throughout the process. Their input has shaped and refined every element of the Revitalization Plan, and will continue to guide the implementation process as the District becomes a model for university-community relationships.

Planning Concept – A Neighborhood Whose Time Has Come Again: The University Neighborhoods original plan of gridded streets, mixture of housing types and stock, distribution of local commercial structures in each neighborhood, and a community main street that provides day-to-day goods and services is a living example of the traditional town planning principles that formed the basis of American community development in the early 1900s. Following WWII, many of these concepts were lost as more and more Americans left urban settings for the perceived convenience and status of life in the suburbs. Recently, however, increasing traffic congestion, a recognized lack of community and diversity, and the monotony of many new suburban communities has focused new national attention and market interest on a revival of these traditional planning principles.

• amongst a richly textured setting of history and diverse neighbors;
• close to employment opportunities and a variety of retail and neighborhood services;
• within easy driving or walking distance to the emerging urban center that is downtown Columbus; and
• next to a major cultural and educational amenity such as The Ohio State University.

Land Use Concept – A Self-Contained Community: The land use concept for the University Neighborhoods is to develop as a self-contained community, providing employment, education, recreation, retail, and residential opportunities within its well-defined boundaries. A highly developed community of this caliber can rely on its rich mix of uses and variety of densities and housing types to create a vibrant and diverse set of living and activity opportunities for residents and visitors.

Commercial Concept – High Street as Main Street: As the heart and soul of the University Neighborhoods, High Street will act as both ‘main street’ and the focus of the entire community. The traditional main streets of small cities and towns were a location for both commerce and social interaction. With High Street’s ideal position at the center of the District, it is the one place where all residents and visitors will meet, mingle, and interact. High Street can also be the most common image that integrates all land uses. While linear in nature (traversing the community from north to south) it should not be a monotonous corridor of similar uses, building scale, and identity. Instead, as one progresses north along High Street, they should pass through a series of "rooms" each with a theme that unites building form, uses, and tenants. However, each room should be urban in nature and respect the basic principles of an active, vital street scene: identifiable and inviting building entries; transparent and exciting storefronts; an urban street wall that is either constructed or inferred; a common design of street furnishings; unique signage; well-maintained landscape; and wide sidewalks that line both sides of the street.

Residential Concept – Neighborhoods of Choice: On either side of the High Street corridor is a rich texture of distinct neighborhoods, each defined by its residents, housing stock, and unique focal points. Even Ohio State, which is typically seen as an intruder to the Neighborhoods, is really a neighborhood of its own, providing the majority of the community’s employment and a large proportion of its daytime population. Viewing the community as a series of distinct neighborhoods instead of a singular land use of housing establishes the basic premise for how planning concepts should be tailored for each area. Some of these ideals include:

• Seamless Edges – A major component of revitalization should be the University-community interface. Streets such as Lane Avenue and West 10th Avenue are traditionally viewed as the points where the campus ends and the community begins. While it is important to define the boundaries of the University from a jurisdictional and operational standpoint, it is the land uses that line the edges of the north and south campus that can facilitate a more harmonious relationship with the surrounding community. These residential areas should not stop at the centerline of the adjoining street, but should instead bridge these rights-of-way. While property ownership on each side of the street will vary, the land use, intent, and character should not. Consequently, one could argue that the South Residential Campus really begins at 12th and ends at 8th Avenue, and the area surrounding Lane should really begin at Woodruff Avenue and end at Northwood Avenue.

Student apartments should be viewed as part of a single neighborhood, regardless of whether they are privately or publicly developed.

• Recognizing the Larger Campus Community – Looking to the east, the planning concept proposes that the area between Pearl Street and Summit Street be considered Ohio State’s East Campus. Similar to the concept of student areas spanning Lane Avenue and West 10th Avenue, the East Campus concept incorporates the center of the area currently known as the ‘Student Core’ which actually provides more student housing than the on-campus residences. The combination of an newly defined ‘East Campus’ with the concept of an expanded North and South Campus provides a larger view of the relationship between the University and the community. While the East, North and South Campus Neighborhoods are primarily private sector owned, the University has a responsibility to provide amenities and resources that will improve the quality of life for its students within these neighborhood.

The community and the University should view the student neighborhoods east of High Street as an extension of the campus.

Urban Design Concept - Connecting It All Together: The distinct enclaves that provide focus and identity are connected by a larger fabric of streets and open space connections. The framework plan recommends that while it is important to create identifiable neighborhoods and precincts that can take control of their destiny at a grass roots level, it is also important to have a connective fabric that unites the entire community of neighborhoods and leads them to the main street - High Street. Therefore the existing grid of streets should remain with minor modifications as required to improve circulation, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, or to implement defensible space concepts. Secondly, the street wall needs to be maintained and enhanced on all major corridors using simple techniques such as minimum building setbacks, inferred edges of landscape, low fencing, or grading techniques.

C. Revitalization Plan Framework

District Circulation: District Circulators provide efficient access to major destinations within the University District, including The Ohio State University campus and major commercial destinations such as High Street. They also route traffic through the University District with minimal disruption of the neighborhood’s quality of life. The streets that compose the District Circulation system include Summit Street (one-way southbound), Fourth Street (one-way northbound), 5th Avenue (two-way east/west), Hudson Avenue (two-way east/west), and Dodridge Avenue (one-way east). Gateway streets will be the major entry corridors into the neighborhood, and include Lane Avenue from SR 315 to High Street (two-way east to west) and 11th Avenue from I-71 to High Street (two-way east/west). High Street will continue to serve as a major north-south link but will take on a more defined role as the community’s primary transit corridor.

Neighborhood Circulation: The second system for vehicular circulation provides internal movement within each neighborhood. These "neighborhood collector streets" form the primary circulation route within each neighborhood, while also providing a connections to the District Circulation network. Important Neighborhood Circulators include Woodruff Avenue, 15th Avenue and 12th Avenue, 10th Avenue, 7th/King Avenue all in the east/west direction, and Neil Avenue and Indianola Avenue, in the north/south direction.

Transit Options: Concepts include enhancing and expanding The Ohio State University’s transit and shuttle service to key areas of the University District and better service from COTA to improve broader use of mass transit and reduce the need for automobiles in the District. Long term route expansions for the North and South Campus Neighborhoods are proposed to be implemented only when new resources become available.

Bicycle Routes: In addition to the vehicular system and transit improvements are recommendations to enhance bicycle accessibility within the Neighborhoods, and primarily to and from the Ohio State campus. An important component of these improvements is the use of the Neighborhood Circulator as the community’s bikeway system

Neighborhood Structure Land Use: The overall land use concept strives to locate residential and commercial uses so that the highest level of activity and diversity will occur around The Ohio State University campus. From this center, levels of activity and mixed use should taper off as one moves east, south and north into areas that are predominantly single family residential. This is to be accomplished by intensifying rental residential and commercial development along High Street (between East 9th Avenue and 16th Avenue), Lane Avenue (between the Olentangy River and High Street), along 11th Avenue (between Summit Street and High Street) and on the north side of West 10th Avenue (between Neil Avenue and High Street). New market responsive housing should be developed where problem properties have been removed closest to key commercial and activity centers (such as the campus) to reduce dependence on automobiles

For more detailed explanation of these concepts, refer to Chapter 5.0: Land Use and Zoning.

Figure 5:  Land Use Concept

Planning Areas: The primary circulation system, along with other natural and cultural boundaries defines the edges of eleven distinct Planning Areas. While many neighborhoods within the University District have commonly used names or active community groups, the purpose of defining a set of Planning Areas is to facilitate the development of framework solutions and a connected system of grass roots organizations that represent all areas of the District. Through the identification of Planning Areas of relatively equal size and bound by similar concerns, recommendations and actions can be implemented to achieve revitalization specific to that Area’s unique issues.

Greenways and Open Space: The Greenways and Open Space layer is designed to connect existing, expanded, or new parks and open space features with enhanced streetscapes. This historic approach to linking parks with "greenways"—streets that include a coordinated street tree program, improved sidewalks, and bike lane or bike route improvements—will greatly increase the perception of open space within the District. The connections will also provide a viable alternative to automobile-based transportation and increase both the area's property values and attractiveness to new homeowners. When fully implemented, these improvements alone will add more than 12 acres of new park to the University District.

Quality of Life Improvements: Improving the quality of life in the University District will come not only from the physical framework described in the first three layers, but also from creating a social infrastructure that supports and sustains human interaction. This includes the informal and formal associations of individuals, but also their relationship with the institutions and agencies in the area. These proposals are designed to build upon the community’s existing base of strength. Rather than creating a new array of programs and organizations, the Plan’s major recommendations rely on stronger partnerships and improved community relationships with committed participation from individuals. Residents confirmed their belief in this approach through the identification of the nearly limitless human resources of the University District.

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