Walkable Design Standards

What does a walkable community look like?

A walkable community looks like a neighborhood where it is easy to chat with friends and neighbors when out for a walk or running an errand A walkable community means there are direct and convenient ways to get to where you want to go so you can ride your bike to the store, jump on a bus when you need to, or your kids can walk to a friend’s house easily and safely.

Walkable design helps connect people and places and prioritizes the experience and safety of people on foot, bicycle, or using a mobility device. Walkable design includes elements like how buildings are oriented; how easy it is for people to access and walk across a site; how streets are laid out to ensure direct and convenient routes; how pathways and trails complement the street system; and how facilities and amenities are provided to make it convenient to use transit.

Walkable Design Standards complement designated Climate Friendly Areas by ensuring all neighborhoods are safe and comfortable places to walk, bike, and use transit.

By designating Climate-Friendly Areas and updating regulations on the type of development that can occur in those neighborhoods, the City is taking a key step to creating a more walkable community. However, all neighborhoods across the city should be walkable. The goal of the Walkable Design Standards project is to ensure new development across the city is more pedestrian-friendly. This project will build on Ashland’s work to reduce pollution and promote equitable housing and transportation choices. 

Ashland’s regulations promote walkable design but improvements are needed.

The zoning code sets the rules for how land can be used and developed in support of the long-term goals of the community. Ashland already has many regulations in place that promote walkable, pedestrian-friendly development. 

• Design guidelines for Downtown Ashland preserve our historic Main Street.
• Street design standards promote a connected network of healthy, livable, safe streets for everyone. 
• Land use regulations limit the total number of drive-up businesses permitted and prohibit them downtown.

As part of this project, the consultant team is performing an audit of land use regulations and evaluating changes needed to comply with the new statewide rules based on guidance from the State’s new Walkable Design Model Code. Here are some key things to know about the project:

• Ashland is required to make these changes to comply with state rules under the Climate-Friendly & Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules.  
• The project looks at regulations in all zones citywide, except those areas with industrial or rural character.
• The code updates will address a range of issues, including building orientation, building design, drive-up uses, and the treatment of garages.

By adopting walkable design standards, Ashland will be healthier, safer, and better connected.