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<br />ing types, parking can be reduced to <br />account for the capture of trips on-site or <br />along the existing block structure. <br /> <br />. Structured parking. Structured parking has a <br />smaller footprint than 'surface parking and is <br />less disruptive to the continuity of a street. <br />But structured parking is also more expensive <br />to build and can deaden a street. Commu- <br />nities can consider density or intensity incen. <br />tives to encourage parking structures or fees <br />in lieu of parking to encourage their use. <br /> <br />PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE <br />The recent code reform efforts of several builtout <br />communities provide examples of how the con- <br />textual and procedural issues of build out were - <br />resolved. The approaches vary widely, from con- <br />ventional, use-based zoning to design-based <br />solutions such as form-based zoning. Their ap- <br />proaches also provide insight into how infrastruc- <br />ture and compatibility issues can be resolved. <br />St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg, Aorida <br />(population 248,232), is a diverse community <br />that operates under statewide growth man. <br />agement statutl;!s. St. Petersburg also has very <br />distinct traditional and suburban neighbor- <br />hoods. The city is the heart of Pinellas County, <br /> <br /> <br />the most densely populated county in Florida. <br />However, the county's average density of 6.4 <br />persons per acre is not high. by urban stan- <br />dards. Its history is characterized by distinct <br />planning and architectural movements and <br />period styles, including a plan developed by <br />John Nolen in the 19205. <br /> <br />TABLE 2. SUMMARY OF TRADITIONAL AND SUBURBAN STANDARDS <br />FOR ST. PETERSBURG'S BUILT UP NEIGHBORHOODS <br /> <br />Traditional <br /> <br />Suburban <br /> <br />Neighborhoods <br />Appropriate lot widths and setbacks to <br />address traditional platting <br /> <br />Maintain wide lots and spacious setbacks. <br /> <br />Allow garage apartments/home occupations. <br /> <br />Design standards will address better <br />contextual design so that garages do not <br />dominate the facade. <br /> <br />Use the alleyways. <br /> <br />Prohibit traditional character developments <br /> <br />with narrow lots. <br /> <br />Corridors <br /> <br />Prohibit traditional character developments <br />with narrow lots. <br /> <br />Zero lot.line buildings <br />Mixing and increasing uses <br /> <br />Parking is secondary. <br />Regain pedestrian scale. <br /> <br />Create a street edge with building and <br />landscaping. <br /> <br />Reduce dominance of parking. <br />Improve architectural design. <br /> <br />Centers <br />Massing and scale <br /> <br />Building base at sidewalk <br />Architectural design <br /> <br />Architectural design <br />Introduce the pedestrian, <br /> <br />Source: Bob Jeffrey, City ofSt. Petersburg <br /> <br />Tame parking lots. <br /> <br />g <br />~ <br />'" <br />o <br />" <br /> <br />In 2002, the city adopted St. Pete Vision <br />2020, a citizen-based plan that calls for more <br />compact, pedestrian-friendly development. The <br />plan divides the city into neighborhoods, corri- <br />dors, and centers. The city has three major cen- <br />ters, including its traditional downtown, a sub- <br />urban shopping mall, and a suplJrban office <br />park. In addition, its residential neigt:lborhoods <br />are facing.the_development of new b~mes that <br />are out of scale with existing homes. <br />In 2002, the city began the process of <br />revising its code to implement Vision 2020 and <br />to provide contextual, compatible, predictable <br />infill. Extensive public comment sessions were <br />held with multiple stakeholders, including <br />both urban and subl,lrban neighborhoods. <br />These sessions included model.building exer. <br />cises that allowed citizens to experiment with <br />ways to resolve scale and mass and to find <br />space for parking, green space, and stormwa. <br />ter management. One interesting result was a <br />strong push by suburban neighborhood partic. <br />ipants to retain their existing built form while <br />improving the function and appearance of the <br />plan's subareas for pedestrians. <br />The updated land development regula- <br />tions established distinct standards for tradi- <br />tional and suburban,built up neighborhoods, <br />which are summarized in Table 2. A new set of <br />zoning districts design standards were <br />adopted. These qistricts do not use the tradi- <br />tional categories of residential, commercial/ <br />business, and ind'ustrial, but rather, "neighbor- <br />hood,"'''corridor,'' and "center, n which are then <br />subdivided into separate districts that reflect <br />their traditional or suburban context. Supple- <br />mental districts and standards apply to artist <br /> <br />ZONING PRACTICE 8.06 65 <br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 5 <br />