Welcome back! If you are new to this blog series, stop here and go check out our first two posts to get caught up and in the know. Anyways let’s get back to it:
After all the community engagement sessions and precedent studies, we dove into defining the types of spaces and uses West Newport wanted to thrive. We identified that the community needed more green spaces, more residential options, more commercial business, smaller scale industrial facilities and a community center. Let’s elaborate more, shall we?
What we mean by green spaces:
An outdoor space to gather, especially those filled with grass, trees, and plant life, improve air quality and positively affect mental health.
What we mean by residential:
Residences come in many forms, shapes, and sizes, and families/residents come from many backgrounds. It is important to consider a wide variety of each for a community to thrive.
Housing Strategies:
Density can enhance affordability by spreading site development costs across a greater number of units. There are several ways to increase housing density in West Newport, including renovations, additions, and new construction. Additions can create accessory dwelling units by building above garages, expanding into open yard space, or adding second stories for duplexes. New builds and infill make use of vacant lots or open areas behind existing homes for new houses or accessory units. Renovations can convert unused spaces like attics, garages, or basements into dwellings, or reconfigure existing houses through horizontal or vertical splits to create multiple units within the same structure. These strategies provide flexible, small-scale approaches to expanding housing options while maintaining neighborhood character.
What we mean by industrial:
We don't mean heavy, loud, messy manufacturing sites. We mean light or small-scale production offices or facilities—businesses that can safely be in urban or residential environments without disrupting the quality of life. These areas serve as job centers for the surrounding community and provide goods useful to nearby residents.
What we mean by commercial:
These commercial uses contribute to the economic vitality and social fabric of urban areas. They also serve as additional job centers for the surrounding community.
What we mean by a community center:
A vital hub for a variety of activities and services that enhance the quality of life for residents. Community centers play a crucial role in fostering community engagement, promoting physical and mental well-being, and providing essential services to urban residents.
We’ve only begun to scratch the surface here. In the next post, we’ll explore our site development ideas, and we’ll walk you through our final design (featuring some cool renderings), so stay tuned!