Exterior Premises
CLEAR PEDESTRIAN PATH
Provide a clear 8’-10’ path for travel parallel to the facade. This should be maintained even through the planning of outdoor seating and spill-out.
STREET TREES
Contrary to what some believe, street trees improve retail business (particularly food + beverage) by giving people a comfortable ambient environment to enjoy while shopping, dining, or simply going for a walk. Street trees also offer an added layer of perceived protection between pedestrians and traffic. Provide plantings and trees in low-elevation stormwater capture zones. Provide a spigot on the exterior of a building for cleaning the sidewalk and watering planters and trees. Add a small fence around a tree bed, and/or proper messaging, to discourage dog owners from allowing their dogs in those spaces.
BIKE FACILITIES
Provide bike racks and/or bike share facilities in areas that are convenient to retail. Locate the bike facilities in a secured area with good visibility and lighting. Also provide simple bike repair stations. *Inside, provide showers if possible.
LOUVERS
Create a uniform band of louvers across storefronts. The design should be integrated within the rest of the building. Work with architects and contractors to see where these are most appropriately located. Consider base building versus retail use of louvers. Types of exhaust (dishwasher, toilet, kitchen, etc.) or intake (fresh air, make-up air, etc.) should be evaluated across the ground floor with multi-tenant considerations.
EXTERIOR UTILITIES
Provide exterior outlets that lock and ensure they are secured properly. These are extremely useful for outdoor programming, lighting, and art, and should be planned for early on. Also plan for exterior access to water/drainage, and gas.
RECYCLING + TRASH + COMPOST
Locate trash and recycling collection areas out of view from the sidewalk and main building entrances. Provide ample storage space (conditioned with water/drainage options is preferred) or solutions like compactors and/or more frequent pick-ups. Evaluate uses and capacity early in the design process.
LOADING
Locate trash and recycling collection areas out of view from the sidewalk and main building entrances, while maintaining convenience for retailers. Understand that designated retail loading times may be difficult to adhere to within normal business hours, particularly for restaurants.
BATHROOMS
Public bathrooms are a key amenity for mixed-use districts and should be celebrated vs. hidden. This means conveniently located, well signed, and appropriately managed/cleaned.
