Douglass Square North
A New Urbanist Site Plan Prepared by Emily Hutchinson December 15, 2019
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Douglass Square North is a proposed new urbanist mixed-use devel- Executive Summary opment in northern Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The development site strattles the municipal boundary between Champaign and Urbana and is comprised of just over 90 acres of land. The development will fea- Introduction ture access to the existing Douglass Square apartment development, commercial space, ample recreational and open park space, and 100 Natural Systems Suitability Analysis, Revisited units of housing.
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Inspired by the New Urbanist movement, Douglass Square North is Socioeconomic and Regional Analysis comprised of relatively small lots, alleys, and central recreational and commercial areas. New Urbanism is a style of urban design that takes queues from the ways cities have formed throughout history. Veering Master Plan away from more abraisive and modern design paradigms, New Urbanism seeks to return character, walkability and the bounties of small- Pro Forma Analysis scale living to today’s cities.2
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Though New Urbanism is the core design paradigm behind Douglass Hydrological Analysis Square North, the development also features a robust stormwater retention plan and a transit-minded street grid. Douglass Square North’s stormwater retention system is designed based on Hydrologic analyses and aims to reduce the potential of flooding to harm homes and ecological aspects of the site. The development’s transit-minded street grid makes use of alleys to reduce traffic on main streets, leaving more room for on-street parking, front yards, service vehicles, and strengthens the potential for social encounters among neighbors.
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The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for this development is projected to be 27%. According to research, this IRR is higher than average, likely indicating greater risk for developers and investors. Such risk is higher for residentially-concentrated investments, but the following document explains why Douglass Square North is a rational and responsible development for Champaign-Urbana and investors alike. Figure 1: New Urbanism design in Fort Wayne, Indiana1
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Introduction
Douglass Square is a neighborhood on the North End of Champaign-Urbana that straddles the border between the two cities. Currently, the neighborhood is home to a cluster of affordable housing units, named Douglass Square Apartments, developed recently. The area is also home to several churches, a cluster of detached, single-family homes much older than Douglass Square Apartments, and lots of empty land. The area is quite well situated spatially. It is within a mile from the north side of UIUC’s campus, interstate connectivity, the Market Place Shopping Mall area and downtown Champaign. However, the immediate surroundings of the site are residential (detached, single-family and affordable housing) and industrial, which do act as hindrances for mobility. The site is proximal to a cluster of light industrial land uses to the north. This could be a barrier to further residential development, and may be affecting current residences due to light, noise or fume emissions. Additionally, directly west of the site are railroad tracks with medium to high traffic. This currently regularly blocks traffic and movement between Douglass Square and several otherwise nearby commercial and recreational opportunities, including the Dollar Store on Market and Bradley, Market Place Shopping Mall and the site’s shortest route to Downtown Champaign. At present, the site is home to about 1,000 residents. About half own their residents and the rest rent. Most of the renters reside in the Douglass Square Apartments cluster. About 70% of the households in the census block group that the site is part of have a household income of less than $30,000 annually, which indicates that residents in this area are likely struggling financially. Additionally, the area is home to no full-service grocery stores, putting residents at risk of malnutrition and ensuing effects. The site is within one mile of Douglass Park, an elementary school and a library branch.2
the two cities formally reconcile differing versions of the site’s future. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats chart below alludes to the suitability of the Douglass Square North site for further residential development, as well as some hinderances to construction and a thriving residential community.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
• The existence of several (and many of the same exact denomination) places of worship is indicative of a cohesive community culture and organizational structure • Ample (and some very new) affordable housing exists nearby and within • Spatially confined by industrial land uses • Socioeconomic barriers to overcome • Isolated from proper grocery store • Contains greenfield land for expanded development • Site of housing opportunity: clusters of affordable housing nearby and within • Several logical routes for expansion of transit connectivity, proximal to local commercial hubs • Light industrial cluster to the north; possible environmental justice issues • Medium-to-high traffic railroad tracks to the west • Encroaching luxury student housing clusters to the east and southeast • Champaign-Urbana municipality split
Affecting the site legally and politically is the fact that it is split between two separate municipalities. This could hinder development efforts as Figure 2: SWOT Analysis of the Douglass Square Site
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Natural Systems Suitability, Revisited
To create the composite map, zones from each natural system designated as having medium and high suitability for development were layered on top of each other. The composite map reveals that central Champaign County has the highest suitability for development, followed by a swath slightly northwest, a pocket directly to the north and a corridor stretching to the southeast. Though these suitability designations were formed with broad strokes, their layering reveals distinct areas most suitable for further residential, commercial and recreational activity.
Green Infrastructure
Soil
Slope
Water
The composite map shows areas suitable for development in Champaign County. These areas are circled with a dotted line. Water: In Champaign, the need to drainage facilitation and water management has been expressed through decades of flooding in the city’s Campustown neighborhood. Recently, the city landscaped a detention pond in Midtown to enhance its ecosystem services. Douglass Square North would feature one retention pond to responsibly manage stormwater and protect residents and visitors from flooding. The retention pond, like the one in Midtown, would provide ecological and recreational services.3 Soil: The dominant soil types in Champaign County are moist and clayheavy, which doesn’t bode well for any type of structural development. Soils rich with clay have poor internal drainage, only allowing water to drain away slowly over the course of several days. Soil at the Douglass Square site would need to be supplemented with a more construction-suitable soil.3 Green Infrastructure: Champaign County features ample green infrastructure and potential for more, but none located within the Douglass Square North site.
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Slope: Slope in Champaign County is low overall, but permits development in the areas circled on the composite map (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Natural systems maps (top) and composite map (bottom)
Socioeconomic and Regional Analysis
Socioeconomic context: Douglass Square is home to cohesive and dedicated community members as evidenced by the numerous places of worship in the area, as well as one community center, one library and one elementary school. Additionally, the area exhibits a few current affordable housing developments, which would help facilitate diversity and accessibility in the event of a new development. For a site-wide development such as Douglass Square North, measures must be taken to ensure synchrony and transparency between the two separate municipalities, Champaign and Urbana, on which the site is located.
no full-service grocery stores, putting residents at risk of malnutrition and ensuing effects. The site is within one mile of Douglass Park, an elementary school and a library branch.
Built environment context: Over half of the site’s area is already greenfield/vacant land, which will increase ease of new construction efforts. Additionally, the site offers opportunities for greater transit connectivity due to its proximity to several local commercial and recreational hubs. Currently, one bus route runs along the southern perimeter of the site on Bradley Avenue. This bus line offers connectivity to downtown At present, the site is home to about 1,000 residents.4 About half own Champaign and other citywide hubs via transfer at Illinois Terminal. The their residents and the rest rent. Most of the renters reside in the Dou- Douglass Square North development would include two new bus stops glass Square Apartments cluster. About 70% of the households in the in order to bolster traffic management and to accommodate a higher census block group that the site is part of have a household income volume of riders and destinations without transfer. of less than $30,000 annually, which indicates that residents in this area are likely struggling financially.4 Additionally, the area is home to Interstate 74
Industrial Residential Champaign
Open space
Urbana
N Oa
k St
Commercial
Bradley Ave
North Figure 4: Existing Conditions Around the Douglass Square North Site
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Master Plan
The Douglass Square North site is influenced by the New Urbanism important goals of the Douglass Square North Project; it was made design paradigm. When finished, this site will foster recreational oppor- sure that all access to water was left public and not existing on private tunities, easy transportation and walking paths, commercial vibrance property. and healthy residential density. Values: The goals of the site plan are to foster walkability, provide an abun- • Recreation dance of recreational opportunities, include an optimal commercial • Walkability space for a grocery store, encourage walking and utilize alleys in areas • Translatability of high residential density. Public space and resource sharing are also • Commercial vibrance • Health • Comfortable density • Community • Mixed-income
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Benchmarks: • Residents use walking paths • A grocery store thinks the commercial site is worthy • Other shops move into the commercial area • Traffic doesn’t get congested • Most lots occupied within 5 years The New Urbanism design paradigm was chosen for this development because it matches the downtown designs of both Champaign and Urbana while weaving in its own modern themes, such as an abundance of open public recreation space with water. It was also thought that other design paradigms would be difficult to implement given the angular and awkward shape of the site.
Residential
Water
Open space
Street
Commercial
Walking path
Figure 5: Master Plan of Douglass Square North
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The development’s street pattern and design includes a mixture of arterial streets, small and medium collector streets, and alleys. Alleys prevent garages from being the focal point of the front of a home, they calm traffic by separating street parking from driveway traffic and garbage/recycling pickup, and they provide relatively safe spaces for children to play.
Pro Forma Analysis
The residential portion of the site will be comprised of 25 low-density, space is proposed, approximately equal in acreage to the proposed desmall houses and 75 medium density small houses, which would take veloped acreage. In short, of the approximate 91 acres that comprise up 39 acres of space when combined. the site, approximately 42 acres would remain as open space. If the development is successful, open space acreage could potentially be Of those houses, 25 would have two bedrooms and one bath, 25 would reduced to build more residential space, but the commercial space have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, 25 would have three bed- would be fixed since there is already a lot of it and this area is proximal rooms and two bathrooms, and 25 would have three bedrooms and to other commercial spaces. three bathrooms. Based on the site context analysis, residential land use (specifically As for the retail space, a mix of one large store (preferably a grocery mixed-income housing) is a good choice for the site because the site store) and a few smaller storefronts is proposed. Together, they would is already home to several affordable housing clusters, but is also adtake up 290,400 square feet of space and have a combined FAR of jacent to links to wealthier and commercial-rich regions of Champaign. 1.5. The purpose of the retail space would not be to serve as a retail hub for the entire city, but rather to serve the basic needs of the residents of the Douglass Square development. Simple retail uses such as grocery, creative space and small-scale medical would be prioritized. The full site is comprised of approximately 91 acres of land, discounting the light industrial cluster just north of the site that abuts the interstate. Since there would be 100 total residences at the site and the area is relatively closed off from other green spaces, a large amount of open
MF for Lease
Total Units
1bd/1ba
0
2bd/1ba
25
2bd/2ba
25
3bd/2br
25
3bd/3ba
25
Total
100
Total Acres Developed
49.23
Total Acres Acquired
91.00
Open Space Acres Remaining
41.77
Figure 6: Residential and general pro-forma information
Low Density Small Houses
25
Medium Density Small Houses
75
Total
100
Density
3.2%
Infrastructure Factor
25%
SF Acres Needed
39.06
Figure 7: Residential pro-forma information
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Hydrological Analysis
The unit and flood hydrographs reveal that green development is reliably a more sustainable choice than conventional development methods. Of course, pre-development is the most sustainable mode for managing runoff from rain events. However, it was surprising to see that, in the flood hydrograph, green development was the second-most sustainable mode, even more than farmland. To arrive at these models, the hydraulic length and average slope were left at default levels (6,000 and 2, respectively). Storm frequencies were also left at default rates. For the pre-development model, it was estimated that 40% of land at the site was meadow (good condition) and the other 60% was wood or forest (good cover), since it is known that much of this area was forest and the rest prairie before agricultural developments. For the farmland model, it was estimated that 100% of the land at the site was cultivated, without conservation treatment. For the conventional model, it was estimated, based on the land use mix proposal from previous assignments, that 10% would be pasture or range land (good condition), 10% would be open space (fair condition), 30% would be residential, 2% would be paved with curbs, 5% paved with gravel, and 3% would be dirt. For the green development model, it was estimated that 15% would be cultivated land with conservation treatment, 5% would be open space (good condition), 15% would be residential, 2% paved with curbs, and 5% would be covered with gravel.
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Unit Hydrograph
Discharge (CFS)
500
0
Time (hours)
5
Flood Hydrograph
700 Discharge (CFS)
The site engineering analysis for the proposed Douglass Square redevelopment reveals the efficacy of green development in managing stormwater runoff. The soil type at the Douglass Square site is primarily Flanagan-Drummer-Catlin, according to data from the Illinois Resources Conservation Service. The Drummer soil series is known for its poor facilitation of drainage, which doesn’t bode well for stormwater management efforts at the site. However, it can be assumed that much of the natural soil has been replaced by more development-appropriate soil, since much of the site and the site’s surroundings are developed and have been for a while.
0
Time (hours) Conventional
Green development
Farmland
Pre-development
Figure 7: Unit hydrograph (top) and flood hydrograph (bottom)
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Conclusion
Douglass Square North promises to be a responsible, healthy and vibrant place to live, influenced by the New Urbanism desgin paradigm. The neighborhood will feature an arterial street on the eastern portion, bringing residents and visitors to the development from elsewhere in town. A commercial zone will separate the arterial street from residential and recreational areas. Parking will be concentrated at the center of the highest-use areas of the site, and alleys will calm traffic and improve accessibility in residential-heavy portions. New Urbanism seeks to revive and build upon design paradigms of cities before suburbs, high speed limits, commercialization and corporate downtowns gained popularity. Douglass Square North emulates the core principles of New Urbanism in a beautiful, simple and responsible design.
References
1 Karcher, R. L. R). A look at New Urbanism in the Midwest. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from https://www.inputfortwayne.com/news/ new-urbanism.aspx. 2 Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved from https:// www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/il/soils/surveys/?cid=nrcs141p2_030697 3 Bsummers. (2019, May 21). What is New Urbanism? Retrieved from https://www.cnu.org/resources/what-new-urbanism. 4 Social Explorer - Champaign County, Il. Retrieved December 12, 2019, from https://www.socialexplorer.com/.
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