Developing Downtown Design Guidelines

Pregliasco, Janice

From "Before You Begin": "Design guidelines are recommendations for the improvement of visual quality. They are an analysis of what is special about an area, developed into a plan toward enhancing those qualities. Guidelines are: flexible, otherwise they promote excessive conformity; a result of public participation, or the community will not accept them; an identification of the most characteristic design elements; minimum standards of compatibility. Many small communities are adopting downtown design guidelines as a way to halt visual deterioration and protect the special identity of their commercial cores. For guidelines to be successful, to be used and supported, the nature of this revitalization tool needs to be understood. Design guidelines can: Improve the quality of physical changes; protect the value of investment; protect existing architectural character; act as a base for objective decision-making; increase public awareness of architectural quality; prevent incompatible new construction. Design guidelines cannot: regulate growth; control non-exterior changes; guarantee good design; be law. This handbook is an attempt to de-mystify the process of developing clear and workable design guidelines for new and existing buildings in commercial downtown areas. Each chapter is summarized by a series of steps needed before continuing to the next stage. " Funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the California State Historic Preservation Office and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Developing Downtown Design Guidelines

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