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The term mixed use refers to either projects or buildings where more than one land use takes place, for example when apartments are located above or next to businesses. Mixing uses makes it possible for people to live close to where they work and shop, which increases convenience and provides more choices in transportation and housing. It can also make a more attractive and interesting place to live.

The Chadwick Corners project in Hendersonville NC is located a few blocks south of downtown off US Highway 25. There are two office buildings close to the road and several apartment buildings along with a pool behind the offices.

This building is located in the historic Montford neighborhood in Asheville. It has retail and office space on the ground floor, and apartments above. The building is located next to the sidewalk, and parking is to the side and rear of the building.

Access to the apartments is from the rear.

Cornelius NC is in the fast-growing area north of Charlotte. A large textile mill had been built in the early 20th century in the middle of town, right on Main Street. After it closed the town decided to hold a design charrette in 1998 to determine the best use of the property. The charrette generated a great deal of interest in creating a true town center. The decision was made to demolish the mill, build the new town hall shown here and construct a downtown with more retail and “on the street” liveliness.

Pictured here are live-work units on Catawba Avenue just down the street from the town hall. They are constructed so that it is possible to have a small commercial area with access from the street on the ground floor…

…and living quarters on the upper two floors with access from the rear and parking lot.

This building is located on South Boulevard in Charlotte. It occupies most of a block, and has a restaurant and retail stores on the ground floor and offices on the top two floors. The building is built adjacent to the street so there are many opportunities for interaction between those walking by and people shopping or working inside; there is also outside seating available.

There is a parking garage behind the building for tenants and customers.

This development is located adjacent to the trolley, already in operation; light rail will begin service in this same corridor in 2004 to 2005. Condominiums are under construction adjacent to the parking deck.

Pictured here is a manufacturing facility in Davidson NC. Due to changes in production the company no longer needed all the square footage, so part of the building was partitioned off. The new neighbor is a private school, Davidson Day, with grades K through 6. There are no problems associated with this unusual arrangement.

In this section there will be examples of new construction of groups of buildings or shopping centers in rural as well as urban areas. It is essential to incorporate design elements for people walking as well as for people arriving by car.

This picture is from Haywood County NC, where a new furniture store has opened. It is located on US Highway 276, which is a main thoroughfare between Waynesville and Maggie Valley, but it still feels like a rural area.

There are several buildings in the complex and they are all built of red metal siding without windows.

The parking lot is landscaped with berms bordered by large rocks with many flowers and shrubs…

…and the effect is that of several large barns. Along with the landscaping, using red metal siding as opposed to another color helps make the buildings feel like they are part of the rural landscape. We think of barns as not having windows, so the fact that there aren’t any in these buildings doesn’t look odd or foreboding.

Just a few miles away near the western Haywood County line is this antique and outlet mall that has been built in the last several years. The large metal buildings and associated parking lots encompass several acres and the development has required extensive grading to make it level. There is no landscaping in the parking lot and the complex looks out of place in a rural area.

This is a small office complex and shopping center in Davidson NC. The ordinance requires that the buildings be built to the street…

… which creates a streetscape and a more interesting view when walking or driving.

Shown here is a view of the live-work units at one end of the complex; they can be used as offices on both floors or an office on one floor and an apartment above.

Shown here is a new commercial center in Cornelius on West Catawba Avenue. The city’s ordinance requires that new commercial construction be built to the street—in this case, the future right-of-way of the road when it is widened. The sidewalk is separated from the roadway so pedestrians have a feeling of safety. Each storefront has two “front doors”—one that is accessed from the sidewalk along the main road…

…and one from the parking lot, which is located behind the buildings.

This is a view of NC 68 which runs between High Point and Greensboro. The City of High Point enacted corridor protection regulations for this road because it is a “front door” entry corridor from the airport. The ordinance requires that signs be set on the ground and are limited in size.

Another requirement of the ordinance calls for the convenience stores to have the store portion fronting on the highway, while the gas pumps are behind the building. This creates a more interesting and visually appealing scene from the road.

Access to the property is from a service road that runs parallel to the main road.

These next several pictures are of a shopping center in Mt. Pleasant SC. The first thing we notice is that the buildings are set close to the street and there is a sidewalk with landscaping along the road. Pedestrians would feel safe walking along this road, and the windows encourage interaction between people inside and outside the building.

The entrance driveway is paved with a material of a different color and texture so pedestrians are aware that traffic will be turning here. The buildings form an edge and strongly define, architecturally, an entrance to a shopping plaza rather than a gap between two parking lots.

The trees planted along the building provide shade to the people walking by and make the buildings cooler. You will see that each store has an entrance from the sidewalk, so it’s possible to enter from the street…

…or parking lot.

This is the outside seating area for the Starbucks coffee shop, which is located across from…

…the grocery store.

The bank, which is part of the shopping center, is also a part of the streetscape because the parking is located in back and there are trees and sidewalks that frame the building. The driveway in front leads to…

…the drive-through area at the back of the building.

There is a major new shopping development in Huntersville, NC, which is adjacent to the towns of Davidson and Cornelius. It is actually two shopping centers located side by side. Notice that the buildings are set close to the road, and have roof lines and awnings that vary within the same building as well as within the groups of buildings; this is all required by the zoning ordinance and design regulations.

There are trees and a sidewalk along the road frontage. In addition there are buildings…

…or a low wall all around the perimeter of each shopping center, which creates a feeling of enclosure and gives the project a defined edge.

This is the road between the two centers; it continues on past the stores towards a large residential development.

At the first major intersection in the commercial area is this restaurant, which is two stories tall, built to the street with outside dining. The building “anchors” the corner and provides an edge for the street.

And yes, it is a street, not a private internal driveway. The internal streets are designed for pedestrians and cars, not just for vehicles. The streets are publicly maintained…

…with parallel parking and sidewalks and trees. All of these elements work together to create a friendly and inviting atmosphere for both pedestrians and motorists reminiscent of traditional downtowns.

The parking lot is separated from the stores by the public street and a row of trees on either side of the sidewalk.

While the grocery store is the largest tenant in this development, there are other stores along the street as well. The facades are visibly different from one another so there is no overwhelming, monolithic building that dominates the view.

Within the parking lot are clearly delineated landscaped bays. As the trees grow, they will create an overhead tree canopy and provide substantial shade. Because the parking lot is in a courtyard with the other stores right there, it is possible to “park once” and visit several places at the same time without having to move the car.

We see the major intersection between the developments is marked with pavement of a different color and texture than that of the street itself so it is obvious where motorists and pedestrians can expect to see one another.

There is another grocery store in the adjacent development, with a well-marked pedestrian crossing to the internal parking lot.

Other groups of buildings in this shopping center are close by, again forming an inner courtyard for the parking with the opportunity to “park once.”

This Wal-Mart super center in Shelby NC has a totally different feel. The parking lot is enormous…

…barren and overpowering.

The other stores that are part of the development are located across a vast expanse of asphalt, and since there are no marked pedestrian areas or sidewalks within the parking lot, chances are most people would not feel safe walking that distance. The “park once” concept wouldn’t work here—people are much more likely to get in their cars and drive the few hundred feet in order to avoid the dangers of the parking lot.

In conclusion, good design, like a good building, doesn’t just happen—it takes effort and time by civic leaders, property owners, developers and the community as a whole. Good buildings relate to the street, to neighboring buildings and to the wider community. Each building that is well designed adds an element to the built environment that we would miss if it weren’t there.

Older buildings are a key part of our cultural heritage and are an economic resource. Historic preservation helps to connect us with our past and has been shown time and time again to benefit the economy.

Successful infill construction continues the existing community fabric, reduces sprawl and uses resources efficiently. Attention to the surrounding area’s character ensures the new development fits in and gains neighborhood acceptance.

Combining uses in a sensitive way makes it possible for people to live close to where they work and shop, which increases convenience and provides more choices in transportation and housing. It also adds vitality to a community.

It is particularly important in large developments to design places that meet the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists—in other words, places that people and cars can share.

It is important for communities to be aware of “good neighbor” architecture, aesthetics, the environment and the needs of people walking and driving. We can respect the past and also do our best to make new development fit within the fabric of the community.