Within a city, zoning laws for commercial, residential and mixed use areas facilitate land use and impact the aesthetics of an area. Spaces around college campuses can pose unique issues for planners due to density, the transient nature of student residents, and the need for specific types of commercial businesses. Student populations have a greater demand for lower income housing options, fast food restaurants, and budget retail outlets.
Real Estate Company Difference north and south of Lane Ohio Stater Apartments
Residential housing areas are rather uniform along Neil Avenue between Lane and Norwich with the exception of a single real estate company. The company may have wanted a close proximity to the properties they manage and rent. At the end of Norwich moving onto High Street there is a drastic shift from residential to retail establishments. However, this transition is softened by locations north of Lane having housing above lower level retail outlets. Lane Avenue serves as the dividing line for primarily residential neighborhoods to mixed use properties. The area north of Lane Avenue houses small businesses with brick facades. In stark contrast to the old brick fronts, at the intersection of Lane and High there is a tall modern building. The east side of High Street opens the way to a stretch of chain-restaurants opposite the University area. The Ohio Stater Apartments and similar developments currently under construction stand out against the surrounding retail spaces. Given the high demand for housing it is reasonable to have apartments above retail establishments.
Duplexes 2-2.5 stories Stucco versus siding
Appropriate spacing between houses Narrow spacing on Norwich near High Street
Structures give character that define areas around campus as being adjacent to campus, near campus, or a part of their own neighborhoods. Structural characteristics can go hand in hand with the building spacing. Shops can be pressed together while houses and duplexes tend to stand alone on their lots. Along the walk, houses/duplexes were consistently two or two and a half stories tall. The architecture began to vary along Norwich where one side of the street had consistent horizontal siding, standing juxtaposed to the stucco houses opposite. Housing remained on separate plots up until apartment buildings came into the picture. As we moved closer to High Street spacing became more cramped, but houses remained stand-alone. (Pictures of spacing are from Google Maps)
Difference in sidewalk width
Setbacks for properties can give areas character while also being a more subtle descriptor of neighborhoods. On Norwich, sidewalks become more narrow than those on Neil so that only two could fit abreast. More narrow sidewalks can give the area a residential feel. Neil feels less residential because of its wider sidewalks and less crowded appearance. Norwich being a one-way street also creates a more intimate city neighborhood environment because of the limitation on through traffic and the shift towards parking being a priority for residents. Within the different zones, it seemed that the setbacks were rather consistent, and it was noticeable when a shift from one zone to another occurred. This had an impact on how the property was viewed, and gave houses with larger setbacks a feeling of importance or increased comfort, while the housing that was closer to the sidewalk felt cramped. (Picture above is from Google Maps)
Parking on Neil Avenue
Parking is essential for both the residential areas and businesses. Residents, commuters, and business guests must be able to stay in a location. Small parking lots are characteristic of apartments along the route, and are extremely necessary. The street parking along Neil and Norwich were completely full during our walk. The fact that Norwich was a battle for parking speaks to the crowded nature of the neighborhood considering again that it is a one-way street. Opportunities for more parking are limited considering the building use and structural characteristics in the area. It also seemed that the majority of the parking was designed for locals (permitted or designated parking zones), which makes it hard for visitors. This makes sense in the primarily residential areas, but it is easy to imagine someone circling for a long time trying to find a spot.
Overall, the area surrounding the university is very clearly sectioned off into zones. We walked through obviously academic, residential, and commercial zones, with relatively little mixing. Additionally, these districts had distinct characteristics that made it apparent which one you were in. Given the high priority of these types of areas to university students, it makes sense that each would have a clearly defined space in the greater campus area.