Place Types - High Point 2045 Plan

OUR GROWTH FRAMEWORK

Place Types

In addition to the Activity Centers , there are other Place Types that help to articulate the vision for High Point’s future.

Place Types help shape the future of our communities by focusing on the look and feel of places - their form and character - instead of focusing only on land use.

The Place Types listed below are located throughout High Point from the city’s edge to the downtown. They help people visualize the various forms that development can take and to describe the future for the community. The primary and secondary uses listed for each place type description are for guidance and only intended to be examples of possible uses.

View the Place Types Map

Suburban Edge / Rural

Suburban Edge / Rural generally consists of single-family homes and farms on large lots. Scattered clustered subdivisions and developments may be found in some areas. This place type often includes open fields, hedgerows, woodlands, and streams, as well as accessory buildings, such as barns. Single-family houses are situated on lots of 5 acres or more. Roadways are often winding and curvilinear with sensitivity to topography and other natural features such as stream corridors and wooded lots.

Primary uses: large lot single-family detached, preserved open space

Secondary uses: commercial farming activities, cluster subdivisions, religious institutions

Transportation & Infrastructure: curvilinear pattern, sparse road network, limited to no access to transit, trails and greenways

Suburban Neighborhood

Suburban Neighborhood has a predominantly low intensity, single-family detached, residential development pattern with a range of 3-7 single-family units per acre. These areas may also include moderate density residential development, such as small lot houses or attached townhomes, and are typically located on a major street. Multi-family and office development may exist near major corridors and can provide transitions from low to moderate density residential areas to more intense commercial areas. Infill development should generally maintain the existing development fabric.

Primary uses: single-family detached

Secondary uses: townhomes (with limited massing of up to 4 units per building), duplex, triplex, quadplex, accessory dwelling units, multi-family and office along major corridors, public/ institutional uses such as schools, religious institutions, etc.

Transportation & Infrastructure: curvilinear, new development provides for future connections to adjacent streets, limited to no access to transit, sidewalks on both sides of the street connecting to the larger city network when possible

Urban Neighborhood

Urban Neighborhoods have a traditional grid or interconnected pattern that includes a mix of single-family detached to small to moderate-scale multi-family residential development along a well-connected street network. Lot sizes are typically smaller than in the Suburban Neighborhoods and may vary within blocks. Moderate intensity infill development on sites adjacent to existing residential uses should maintain the existing lot width, setbacks, building massing and height. Multi-family and office development may exist near major corridors and can provide transitions from low to moderate density residential areas to more intense commercial areas. Densities generally range from 5–16+ dwelling units per acre.

Primary uses: single-family detached and duplex

Secondary uses: townhomes, triplex, quadplex, accessory dwelling units, multi-family and office along major corridors, public/institutional uses such as schools, religious institutions, etc.

Transportation & Infrastructure: rectilinear street pattern / blocks, variety of transportation modes - auto, bike, pedestrian, access to transit from adjacent corridors, sidewalks on both sides of the street

Campus - Institutional

Campus – Institutional is typically characterized by one major activity such as educational, or medical. Campuses are often very large sites developed based on a master plan that organizes streets, buildings, pedestrian networks, open spaces, and parking in a unified manner. Campuses often have clearly defined edges — delineated with gateways, which might include signs and landscape — that distinguish them from adjacent place types. Buildings and uses on the edge of a Campus-Institutional step down in height and intensity when adjacent to residential areas. Campuses are major employment and activity centers.

Primary uses: educational, medical facilities

Secondary uses: commercial/retail, multi-family

Transportation & Infrastructure: mixed street network and block pattern, large sites with multiple buildings and internal multi-modal facilities for autos, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users that connects to the larger city-wide network

Downtown

Downtown is High Point’s central business district. It is a dense urban area that contains a mix of uses both vertically and horizontally. Compact multimodal streets are the primary public space with trees and amenities to create a quality urban experience for all users. All development is pedestrian-oriented and designed to actively engage streets, parks, plazas, and other public spaces.

Primary uses: office, commercial / retail, entertainment, cultural, government, civic, makerspace, and multi-family residential

Secondary uses: single-family attached and duplex, triplex, quadplex

Transportation & Infrastructure: rectilinear street pattern / walkable blocks, variety of transportation modes - auto, bike, pedestrian, access to transit, sidewalks on both sides of the street, on-street parking

Mixed Use Corridor/Center

Mixed-use Corridors/Centers are commercial corridors, or centers, that are transitioning to a denser and pedestrian-friendly pattern with multi-story buildings, rear or side yard parking, consolidated curb cuts, and a mix of commercial, residential and office uses. Due to their intensity, Mixed-use Corridors/Centers are also usually located along transit routes and are designed to reduce auto trips as a result of the development pattern. New developments provide a network of new streets and sidewalks providing circulation both within the site and to adjacent neighborhoods.

Primary uses: pedestrian-oriented commercial/retail, multi-family residential, office, restaurants

Secondary uses: live-work units, recreation, and entertainment

Transportation & Infrastructure: rectilinear street pattern, walkable blocks, variety of transportation modes - auto, bike, pedestrian, access to transit, sidewalks on both sides of the street

Suburban Corridor/Center

Suburban Corridors/Centers are located along major commercial streets and differ from Mixed-use Corridors/Centers. Adjacent development tends to be spread out and businesses serve a large geographic area and are primarily accessed by car. Buildings tend to be single-story and use with deep setbacks from the street. Sites are well landscaped and often include convenience parking near the front of the buildings with large lots to the side or rear. Types of businesses found along Suburban Corridors / Centers range from stand-alone restaurants / stores to shopping centers with multiple tenants, to medical centers, to multi-story office buildings and hotels.

Primary uses: auto-oriented commercial, multi-family residential, offices, restaurants, personal services, lodging

Secondary uses: commercial/retail, self-storage, recreation, and entertainment

Transportation & Infrastructure: rectilinear street pattern, typically 3–5 lanes with no on-street parking or bike facilities, sidewalks on both sides, crosswalks at major intersections

Mixed Employment Center

Mixed Employment Centers often consist of sites with large footprint buildings and surface parking lots that accommodate warehousing and distribution, manufacturing, light industry, and flex office space. Distribution centers and industrial parks are generally located adjacent to major highway and freight facilities to capitalize on distribution and delivery efficiencies. Open space is generally dedicated to surface parking, circulation, and stormwater management. Truck-loading bays / docks are common.

Primary uses: distribution, warehousing, wholesaling, light industrial, offices

Secondary uses: multi-family residential, commercial/retail

Transportation & Infrastructure: mixed street network, large block pattern, large sites with multiple buildings often have an internal network of streets, access to highways and interstates, may include internal sidewalks, bikes routes, greenways, and transit stops.

Transitional Industrial

Transitional Industrial are former active industrial districts that are transitioning to mixed-use. Older industrial structures have been or will be adaptively reused for new purposes. They tend to be live-work districts where housing and workplaces are near each other, providing residents with convenient access to employment. They typically include a mix of makerspace, light manufacturing, assembly, and design-oriented services, along with multi-family residential and commercial uses. Industrial facilities in these areas do not include uses that handle hazardous materials or cause pollution, odors, excessive light, or heavy truck traffic. The Transitional Industrial areas typically have smaller buildings than the Mixed Employment Centers and Heavy Industrial place types. Parks, plazas, and neighborhood-serving retail enhance the character and livability of the area.

Primary uses: live-work, light industrial, makerspace

Secondary uses: multi-family residential, commercial/retail

Transportation & Infrastructure: rectilinear street pattern, walkable blocks, variety of transportation modes - auto, bike, pedestrian, access to transit, sidewalks on both sides of the street, access to greenways and trails

General Industrial

General Industrial supports a variety of processing, production, and manufacturing uses. Unlike the Mixed Employment Center and Transitional Industrial place types, General Industrial includes warehousing, industrial parks, and light manufacturing, as well as heavy industrial production. The latter are not located near residential areas. Lot sizes are typically greater than 2 acres and buildings are often larger than those in the Transitional Industrial place types.

Primary uses: light and heavy industrial

Secondary uses: commercial/retail, offices

Transportation & Infrastructure: mixed street network, large block pattern, access to highways and interstates, may include internal sidewalks, bikes routes and transit stops.

Parks - Green Space

Parks – Green Space includes areas that are intended to remain as parks or public green space in perpetuity. These places make significant contributions to the quality of life of residents and visitors by providing places to gather and recreate, and further the environmental quality of our city. These include, but are not limited to wooded lots, waterways, trails and greenway corridors, watershed protection and wildlife habitats.

Primary uses: parks, recreation, preserved open space, greenways,

Secondary uses: plazas, trails

Transportation & Infrastructure: trail and greenway systems, large stormwater management facilities, watershed protection

Place Types Map

The place types map illustrates the recommended pattern for development in High Point based upon the planning principles and growth framework presented in this comprehensive plan. While adherence to this map is important to carry out the vision of the plan, there may be site considerations related to topography, the environmental conditions, or the type and/or quality of adjacent infrastructure that necessitate a more detailed review to determine whether a proposed use or zoning designation is in conformance with this comprehensive plan.

When considering a proposed use or zoning designation, the following conditions must be addressed:

The proposal must be consistent with the comprehensive plan’s overall vision and policy direction.
The use or designation being considered must meet the planning principles outlined in the comprehensive plan.
The proposal should support one or more of the comprehensive plan’s fifteen strategic initiatives.
The proposed use or designation should be included within the primary or secondary uses for the place type in that location on the map.
All designated overlay zoning districts and associated land use and/or design requirements shall take precedence.
If the proposed use or designation does not specifically meet the primary or secondary uses defined for the mapped place type, and is located on the edge of a mapped place type, do the benefits of the proposal outweigh any potential impacts? Consideration of the following is required:
1. - Is the use or designation more intense than what is typically allowed in the place type? If so, what mitigation measures are necessary to ensure nearby uses are protected?
  - Does the proposal address a compelling community interest?
  - Would the proposed use or designation negatively alter the character of the mapped place type?