Urban Design Concepts

Chapter Four:

Urban Design Concepts

DOWNTOWN VILL AGE SPECIFIC PLAN 19

 4 Urban Design Concepts
The purpose of this chapter is to describe the overall urban design 4.1 Village Center
concept for the Downtown Village Specific Plan in the context of
land use, circulation and parking, and public improvements. Figure The heart of the pedestrian-oriented environment of the Specific
4.1 illustrates some features of the Urban Design Concept. This Plan area is the Village Center. The Village Center is a five block
chapter is organized as follows: long, pedestrian-oriented and scaled area located between Angeles
Crest Highway and Rinetti Lane. The length of the Village Center
4.1 Village Center along Foothill Boulevard is approximately 2,400 feet, allowing
one to easily walk its entire length in approximately ten minutes.
4.2 Preservation of Mountain Views
Pedestrian amenities are focused in the Village Center, including a
4.3 Land Use Concept variety of pedestrian pathways, mid-block crosswalks, streetscape
4.4 Circulation and Parking Concept improvements and two public parks. The Village Center is also
4.5 Public Improvements Concept the heart of the retail/mixed use environment.
The Village Center is envisioned as a walkable, outdoor
environment with retail anchors at the west, near Angeles Crest
Highway, and at the east, near Oakwood Avenue. The area in
between is envisioned to be infilled with smaller scale retail stores
Views of the mountains from Foothill Boulevard and Gould Avenue intersection.
20
that will encourage pedestrian circulation between Beulah Drive
and Oakwood Avenue along both Foothill Boulevard and the
North Road.
4.2 Preservation of Mountain Views
An important part of the unique quality of the Downtown Village
Specific Plan area will be the visibility of the mountains and foothills
by pedestrians traversing Foothill Boulevard. The Specific Plan
calls for smaller, infill structures to be generally lower in height
and for larger structures to have stepped back facades and/or
pitched roofs to maintain mountain views from Foothill Boulevard
in all directions. Chapter 7 provides development standards and
design guidelines in greater detail to achieve this approach to
development.
CIT Y OF LA CAADA FLINTRIDGE
 Urban Design Concepts

New New
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Pedestrian Streetscape Treatment S 0

Figure 4.1: Urban Design Concept

DOWNTOWN VILL AGE SPECIFIC PLAN 21

 4 Urban Design Concepts
4.3 Land Use Concept
The following features describe the land use concept for the
Downtown Village Specific Plan:
Five land use districts create the environment for the
Downtown Village Specific Plan. These land use districts are
defined and described in more detail in Chapter 6. These
Land Use Districts are:
Mixed Use 1, which is focused in the Village Center and
allows retail uses on the ground level with office or
residential on the second level.
Mixed Use 2, which allows retail, office or residential
uses on either the ground level or the second level.
Residential, which allows either single family detached
residential development or senior multiple family
residential development.
Parks, which provides for two new parks in the Village
Center.
Institutional, which includes the existing schools, churches,
library and other public uses.
The land use design and zoning creates the potential for
approximately 100,000 square feet of new local serving retail
development and approximately 25,000 square feet of new
local serving office development to meet market demand for
these uses.
The land use design and zoning allows for a new Civic Center
to be located in the Village Center that could be phased in
over time.
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4.4 Circulation and Parking Concept 4.5 Public Improvements Concept
The following features describe the circulation and parking concept Figure 4.2 on the opposite page illustrates the public improvements
for the Downtown Village Specific Plan: concept, which consists of:
A new North Road is located north of Foothill Boulevard Pedestrian-oriented streetscape enhancements.
and serves to:
Create a more interesting Downtown pedestrian circulation Public parks, including the Village Square on the west and
system offering a variety of pathways between the Village Oak Park on the East.
Centers shopping areas, public facilities and open spaces.
Reduce traffic on Foothill Boulevard. Public buildings, including the Civic Center and the existing
library.
Create more pedestrian-friendly, block-scaled development
modules.
Entry point treatments at the intersections of Angeles Crest
Highway with Foothill Boulevard and Gould Avenue with
The potential realignment of Chevy Chase Drive will further Foothill Boulevard.
enhance the pedestrian environment of the Village Center by
reducing the number of auto intersections. This realignment
also has traffic circulation benefits as described in Chapter 5,
Circulation.
The visual quality of the Downtown Village Specific Plan area
emphasizes views of stores, with active display windows,
pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, parks and people. Short-term
convenience parking is located on all of the streets of the grid
system. Longer-term parking is screened from view along
Foothill Boulevard and the North Road by buildings, and
access to the longer-term parking areas is primarily from the
north-south streets. This minimizes curb cuts and parking
access along Foothill Boulevard and the North Road, which
further enhances the pedestrian flow and environment along
these streets.
CIT Y OF LA CAADA FLINTRIDGE
 Urban Design Concepts

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Note: Building shapes are illustrative and not intended to indicate final design.

Entry Point Treatment Auto-Oriented Streetscape Enhancement Public Buildings E

0 50 100 200 300

Pedestrian-Oriented Streetscape Enhancement Public Parks 1 Civic Center W

S

Public Parking Structure

2 Library

Figure 4.2: Public Improvements Concept

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 4 Urban Design Concepts

Entry points should include paving of the entire intersection, i.e.,

the crosswalks and the area between the crosswalks. This will help
create a dramatic sense of arrival to the Village Center. The entry
points should also provide landscape elements as right-of-way space
permits. Finally, the entry points should feature pedestrian-oriented
streetlights that are of a design related to, but taller and more
articulated than the predominant pedestrian-oriented street lights
in the rest of the Downtown Village Specific Plan area. Public art
at the entry points may also be appropriate.

Entry point enhancements at Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway

24 CIT Y OF LA CAADA FLINTRIDGE


The Village Square with edges activated by the Civic Center, retail and outdoor dining.
The Village Square, located on the western end of the Village
Center, provides a setting for the Civic Center. As illustrated in
the perspective above, it is suggested that the Village Square have
a somewhat formal pattern of walkways and landscaping. A
fountain and outdoor seating areas are suggested. The entire edge
of the park should be activated by a combination of civic and
retail uses, especially restaurants with outdoor dining.
DOWNTOWN VILL AGE SPECIFIC PLAN
Urban Design Concepts
Oak Park, located on the eastern end of the Village Center, should
have a more informal character featuring preserved oak trees. Oak
Park provides an enhanced setting for the public Library, and
would be connected to the bicycle path along the North Road via
a bike path either to, or through, the park. The park could feature
a small outdoor amphitheater for outdoor events, as well as terraced
levels stepping down to Foothill Boulevard and Commonwealth
Avenue.
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 4 Urban Design Concepts

Proposed public improvement concepts are further illustrated in

typical cross sections. Figure 4.3 is the typical Foothill Boulevard
cross section for the Downtown Village Specific Plan. This figure
illustrates recommendations for:

Retention of the existing medians and the recently planted

deciduous trees.

Retention of the four moving lanes for traffic.

Landscaped bulbouts at corner and mid-block crossings.

Use of deciduous trees along the existing curb lines, spaced

to protect views of signage and mountains.

Note: Illustrative only actual dimensions will be determined during the City's design
process for public improvements.

Figure 4.3 - Typical Foothill Boulevard Cross Section

The public improvement concept for both Foothill Boulevard

and the North Road feature intersection bulbouts. As illustrated
in the adjacent photograph, these bulbouts greatly enhance the
pedestrian environment. First, bulbouts decrease the actual and
perceived distance of pedestrian crossings at the intersection.
Second, they provide areas for landscaping, lighting and street
furniture, such as benches and trash receptacles.

Intersection bulbout

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 Urban Design Concepts

Figure 4.4 is the typical North Road cross section for the Downtown
Village Specific Plan. This figure illustrates recommendations for:

Two travel lanes with a turning lane.

Landscaped bulbouts at corner and mid-block crossings (south

side of street only).

Utilization of a medium-sized deciduous canopy tree, such as

London Plane, along the sidewalk lines.

Striped bicycle lanes along the length of the North Road.

Note: Illustrative only actual dimensions will be determined during the City's design
process for public improvements.

Figure 4.4 - Typical North Road Cross Section

The public improvements concept for both Foothill Boulevard
and the new North Road also features bulbouts for midblock
crossings. These crossings also increase the ease of pedestrian
street crossing by shortening the curb to curb distance.

The combination of corner bulbouts and midblock crossings work

together to create a pedestrian friendly environment and calm
traffic.

Midblock crosswalk

DOWNTOWN VILL AGE SPECIFIC PLAN 27