Page 57 - Greensboro, NC-GSO 2040 Comprehensive Plan

MAPS OF EXISTING CONDITIONS

Map 1: Existing Built Form

The Existing Built Form map broadly categorizes Greensboro into areas with Campuses
distinctly different types of development. In Greensboro, as in most cities, Greensboro has five major higher education campuses, each with a distinct
development patterns vary based on proximity to the city center and the era in building style and with the potential to influence growth on its periphery. The
which development occurred. regional Four Seasons Mall and Koury Convention Center and the Cone Health
medical campus are also large-scale land uses with distinctly different character
Downtown than their surroundings.
Downtown has the most urban character in Greensboro, with the highest
residential densities, the most varied uses, and a building pattern that emphasizes Reserves
access for pedestrians, cyclists, and the use of other transportation options. It is These are parks, areas designated as open space and drainage ways, and areas near
the center of the community and belongs to all of Greensboro, even though it has our watershed lakes. These areas are designated to remain as open, green space.
its own merchants’ and residents’ associations. Downtown is also referred to as the
central business district, which refers to its primary zoning designation, although Water and Sewer Service Area (WSSA) and Exurban
the Plan does not recommend all areas inside this boundary be rezoned to Central This area is outside of Greensboro’s incorporated city limits, but is where the city is
Business District unless a zoning application or small area plan makes the case that able to extend water lines, sewer lines, and other services in cases of annexation.
such a change is merited. The cost of these extensions varies widely, so the WSSA is categorized into three
tiers, as shown on the Growth Tiers Map on page 59. This area is less developed
Urban Central than in the Downtown, Urban, Suburban, and Campus areas, with many larger
These are generally older areas of the city or newer areas developed in the style of tracts used for agricultural and industrial uses.
traditional neighborhoods. These areas are characterized by:
• Short blocks and a grid-based street pattern;
• Fine-grained zoning designations with a wide variety of uses close to each
other;
• A range of residential building types, from detached, single-family houses to
mid-rise apartment buildings in close proximity to each other;
• Buildings on lots that are close to the width of a residential lot, rather than a
uniform building along the entire blockface;
• Buildings close to each other and to the street; and
• Connected sidewalks that form a walkable network.

Urban General Willow Oaks neighborhood is an example The image above illustrates a urban
The bulk of this area was built after World War II and has a development pattern of a urban central neighborhood. general neighborhood.
based on:
• Street systems that feature cul-du-sacs and long, looping roads;
• Large lots and street setbacks;
• Fewer sidewalks and neighborhoods separated by high traffic streets; and
• Uses segregated on large parcels with generous buffers.

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