Walkability

This thesis focuses on walkability efforts and implementation challenges in one of the suburbs of North Central Texas, the City of Plano, by exploring two mixed-use walkable developments and conducting interviews with local planners, developers, and academics. While the city has recognized the need for improved development patterns and has allowed higher-density, mixed-use development in designated Urban Centers, there is still a disconnect between the city's objectives and the actual implementation. Site visits to Shops at Legacy and Downtown Plano identified discrepancies including path context and connectivity, segregated uses, quality of the pedestrian realm, continued prioritization of vehicles and minimal density increases. Interviews revealed that one the biggest challenges in the City of Plano is, and will continue to be, the city's urban form. Observations and interviews presented in this thesis reveal that the City of Plano will most likely never be able to achieve walkability on a citywide level, nor would that be the desired outcome. Recommendations are made for potential retrofits throughout one of the sites in order to improve walkability and ultimately create cohesive livability.