Idea Transcript
Comprehensive Community Planning as a Tool for Neighborhood Revitalization and Crime Prevention Margarita Hill, Assistant Professor Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland Presented to the 3rd International CPTED Conference, Washington, DC. 1998
The City of Takoma Park, MD undertook a collaborative community planning process in 1997 with the Neighborhood Design Center and the University of Maryland that sought to develop recommendations for revitalization to enhance the quality of life for city residents. The process began with a comprehensive community analysis phase in order to identify both problems and opportunities that existed within the community. Since public participation was an integral part of the process, a number of opportunities for community input were structured into the information gathering phase. This included a neighborhood survey and a series of workshops and focus groups, which brought together neighborhood residents, representatives of community organizations, business owners, political leaders, city staff and representatives of law enforcement agencies. The information gathered was used to develop a series of re-design strategies that included the improvement of streetscapes, parks, public spaces, commercial areas and housing environments. Community Analysis The community analysis phase included an inventory of community patterns and conditions that generated opportunities for crime. These included historical and demographic patterns, mapping of crime data, existing land uses and zoning, neighborhood conditions, transportation patterns, as well as, an analysis of the use of existing parks and open spaces. An analysis of the 1990 census showed that the population in Takoma Park had decreased about 10 percent over the last 20 years, even though the population in the county had grown by more than 50 percent in the same period of time. This led to a significant increase in the number of unoccupied housing units, which currently total 331 in the community. The population tends to be younger than in the county and they have lower incomes. Nearly half of the population, or 47 percent, is composed of renters. This has an impact on crime since renters are less likely to invest in neighborhood improvements and are less likely to report or identify criminal activity. The housing stock is much older than the county and landlords often cite rent control as a reason for not improving properties. The residents of Takoma Park are transit oriented with 28 percent taking public transportation to work; 43 percent do not own a car. This is striking when compared to the county where over 60 percent of households own 2 or more cars. Using the GIS (geographic information system) capabilities of the University of Maryland, landscape architecture students created a series of maps that illustrated the relationship between crime data and neighborhood conditions and patterns. A map of the crime blotter data revealed that robberies and burglaries occur more than any other type of crime in Takoma Park. Robberies, assault and battery, and weapon possession crimes tend to be concentrated in three areas. One is along Carroll Avenue between the METRO station and Old Town. This is of particular concern to the community since so many rely on public transportation to get to and from work. The other two areas with a concentration of crime are the predominantly renter occupied or commercial areas on Maple Avenue, Lee Avenue and Flower Avenue. Drug trafficking also existed along Lee Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue. The crime blotter data was confirmed in a series of workshops which sought to identify crime and perception of crime by working with neighborhood residents. An analysis of the streetscape environment was also conducted and maps prepared to summarize some of the major issues and forces. This included an analysis of major automobile and pedestrian patterns including an inventory of major routes, destinations, volumes, and points of conflict. An analysis of major transit routes and an examination of the impact of local traffic versus drive through or
visitor traffic was included. Eight major areas were further defined in terms of how the design of the streetscape environment affected the quality of life in the neighborhood. Specific problems were identified in these areas, such as, the lack of defined walkways and crosswalks, the lack of uniformity and definition of the streetscape environment, the deterioration of the public environment, the need for vehicular control, and the need for additional lighting. Land use and zoning maps were also prepared and these were used for comparison with other inventory data mentioned above. These maps showed areas in the community zoned for residential, commercial, open space, public or institutional as well as the "transit impact area" resulting from the location of the Takoma Park METRO station. Locations of the National Register Historic District, floodplain, schools, municipal center, police station, library, community centers, hospital, and important historical or religious buildings were also indicated. Other elements that were mapped included areas that are owner-occupied or renter occupied as well as locations of public phones and establishments which sell alcohol. Opportunities for redevelopment, infill development or revitalization were identified. An inventory and analysis of the parks and natural spaces in Takoma Park revealed spaces that were well utilized and those in need of redesign or renovation. Opportunities to develop new parks and open spaces were identified as a means to increase legitimate activities in underutilized spaces, as a way to provide for recreation and to provide a sense of connection to the natural world. Since public participation was an important component of the comprehensive community planning process, the analysis phase included interviews, the distribution of a community survey and focus group meetings which brought together neighborhood residents, representatives of community organizations, business owners, political leaders, city staff and representatives of law enforcement agencies. The focus group meeting utilized the "Design for Safety" program developed by the Neighborhood Design Center in order to educate the community about CPTED strategies and to identify community safety issues. These meetings provided another mechanism to identify the types, incidences and locations of criminal related activities occurring in the community. They also allowed for the development of strategies to address the problems identified. Community Re-design Strategies The information collected during the community analysis phase was used to outline a number of neighborhood improvement strategies. These strategies included schematic design ideas that were presented, along with the community analysis, to stakeholders at a community workshop. After review and discussion of the schematic design ideas, eighteen sites were identified as having unique opportunity for design development. Specific redesign strategies were developed for these sites. They included: Design for Safety Redesign Plan for Lee Avenue A re-design strategy for "hot spots" to encourage safe activities in unsafe locations. These include a redesign of the space behind the apartment buildings as community gardens creating terraces that utilize the change in topography to provide natural barriers. It also included a redesign of the parking lot along Lee Avenue to accommodate a children's playground, in order to provide a requested amenity, to decrease the size of the underutilized lot and to discourage loitering. It also proposed redirecting traffic as a one-way street in order to remove a common escape route for drug traffickers and to assist in community policing. These design suggestions encompass CPTED strategies of access control, natural surveillance and territoriality. Carroll Avenue Streetscape Redesign Suggestions for a unified streetscape treatment from Takoma Junction to Old Town including sidewalks for pedestrians, street tree plantings, lighting, benches, trash receptacles, pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices. The re-design strategy limits access to Carroll Avenue between Park and Philadelphia to improve safety, slow traffic and improve territoriality. Bus stops were made more visible and attractive and thus safer.
Design for Safety Redesign Plan for Carroll Avenue A re-design strategy for the streetscape along Carroll Avenue from the METRO to the downtown area and an infill development strategy for a large vacant lot. This re-design strategy extends the boulevard treatment from downtown Takoma Park to the METRO station and suggests a unified streetscape environment with brick sidewalks, lighting, street trees, trash receptacles and bus stops. It suggests the addition of police phones and a new community entrance sign. The infill strategy recommends the addition of a multi-use three story building with a public plaza to strengthen the downtown core. Recommendations are made to clear signs and open shades in retail windows in order to increase opportunities for natural surveillance. Piney Branch Rd and Flower Ave Business District and Carroll Ave and University Blvd Business District Concepts for reducing clutter and fragmentation in the business district and improved safety or security. Suggestions for parking lot redesign, unified facade treatment and unified streetscape treatment including widened sidewalks for pedestrians, crosswalks, street tree plantings, unified signage, lighting, trash bins. New Hampshire Avenue Streetscape Redesign Suggestions for a unified streetscape treatment from University Avenue to Erkshine Drive including sidewalks for pedestrians, street tree plantings, lighting, benches, trash receptacles, bus shelters and pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices that included a change of paving pattern at major intersections (shown in the diagram at right). New Hampshire Center Revitalization Plan Suggestions for a unified streetscape treatment, parking lot redesign & facade improvements. These included suggestions for street tree plantings, unified signage on the building facade, improved lighting, provision of a bus shelter, clear entry and exit points into parking lot and a 10 ft. buffer between the parking lot and the public space on the sidewalk. Recommendations from the study were summarized into a report and provided to the City of Takoma Park. As a result, the City introduced three bills to the Maryland State legislature (Senate Bill 718/House Bill 211, Senate Bill 773/House Bill 1082, Senate Bill 103/House Bill 152) requesting $2,500,000 worth of funding to implement physical improvements suggested in the study. Takoma Langley Crossroads Shopping Center Parking Lot Redesign Redesign of large parking lot creating a better public face, a more pedestrian friendly environment and improved safety or secuirty. This included design strategies to slow automobile traffic, delineate walkways for the safe passage of pedestrians, the planting of trees to reduce the scale of large expanses of asphalt, increased lighting to create a feeling of security and suggestions to improve visibility to public areas through the use of unobstructed windows in the retail stores. Lee Avenue Streetscape Redesign Suggestions for a unified streetscape treatment including sidewalks for pedestrians, street tree plantings, lighting, strategies to deal with drainage problems, buffers for parking lots and trash receptacles. These design suggestions encompass CPTED strategies addressing issues of territoriality. Redevelopment proposal for city owned lot on Carroll Avenue Suggestions for the re-use of a vacant, city owned lot at Takoma Junction as a "community village" to include small scale commercial and public spaces. Uses included 3500 sq. ft. of retail space, 2400 sq.
ft. of restaurant space, and 4700 sq. ft. of office space along with parking and public spaces. A public space outside the restaurant allows seating to spill outdoors creating increased natural surveillance and strengthening the Takoma Junction core. University Boulevard Streetscape Redesign Suggestions for a unified streetscape treatment from Carroll Avenue to New Hampshire Avenue including improved sidewalks for pedestrians, street tree plantings, mural design on large blank wall, lighting, benches, trash receptacles, bus shelters and pedestrian crossings. Design for Safety Redesign Plan for Old Town Neighborhood A re-design strategy that proposes ways to deal with "hot spots" that are located in Old Town. These included recommendations to prune back selected landscape material with hedges maintained at four feet high and trees legged up to eight feet for increased natural surveillance and improved territoriality. Suggestions were made to slow vehicular traffic, create a safer environment for pedestrians, and define the edges of public and private environments.