City of Upper Arlington, OH 
Neighborhood Study

Planning NEXT previously completed the City of Upper Arlington’s (UA) Comprehensive Plan. Since the plan’s completion, Central Ohio has continued to experience significant population growth, and UA is a very desirable city within that region. The River Ridge neighborhood is an intact post WW2 (1950s) community with relatively modest, single family houses, and Kingsdale West includes multifamily housing, which provides an important housing option for the community. Planning NEXT helped the City take a closer look at this extremely important residential district by conducting a neighborhood study.

Unique Character District

Planning NEXT helped the City look to make sure they are providing an appropriate policy framework that supports the district’s unique character. The UA community is anticipating to experience significant development pressure in the decades to come, and the River Ridge/Kingsdale West Study will help determine what kinds of policies UA can adopt to shape future development for the benefit of neighborhood residents and the City as a whole.

Community Engagement

The River Ridge/Kingsdale West Study included two community workshops attended by nearly 300 people total. Workshop 1 asked participants what they like about the character of the area and what they see as opportunities and threats. Workshop 2 tested out the study’s draft recommendations. Online participation was also important in this process. Three online surveys were conducted after each workshop, which generated over 1,000 responses.

Exciting Possibilities

A culminating Open House took place in January 2018, and the project was completed in April 2018. Implementation could take many forms, including zoning ordinance changes, new planning policies and new plans and strategies such as Complete Streets or aging-in-place plans. Other initiatives that have generated enthusiasm include creating a rental permit program and a more user-friendly system of reporting code compliance issues.

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Tags

Project Type: neighborhood study
Community Type: city
Client: Upper Arlington, Ohio
Services: public engagement, neighborhood study