They are located in areas that are urban or suburban in character. These centers are designed to cluster a mix of retail, office, residential and civic activity in close proximity to serve surrounding residents, to allow people to live close to where they work and to support walking, bicycling and transit service as transportation choices. Accommodating commercial development in these centers can be an alternative to spreading out development as a continuous strip along major highways. Open space refers to the different types of natural and recreational lands in a community that are not subject to private development. Open space includes parks, greenways, protected natural areas and any permanently protected rural lands, such as farms or forests preserved through conservation easements or other means.
Objectives are specific statements that define what is to be achieved.
They are detailed enough to provide clear guidance for developing implementation actions. Pedestrian facilities include sidewalks, walking paths, and associated facilities such as crosswalks. Pedestrian-friendly means ensuring that development standards and decisions maximize the ability of people to safely walk between locations. Performance standards are one of three types of standards included in the plan. They establish thresholds for the impacts that the user of a property may have on one's neighbors and the natural environment.