Place Types

Place Types are used to help people visualize the various forms that development can take and to help residents describe the future they envision for their community. 

Every place leaves an impression on the people who live there, work there, or visit. Think about popular vacation destinations. Those places typically have a “sense of place” that makes them memorable. They have a strong identity and character that is deeply felt by local residents and visitors. Placemaking is a way to 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.

What makes a place unique, memorable, and loved by the community? Often it’s a mix of natural, cultural, and man-made elements in the landscape. Some key elements that contribute to Chattanooga/Hamilton County’s sense of place include important vistas, the river and its setting within the forested ridges, our diversity of trees, and our historic buildings. Of course, this sense of place can occur at multiple levels - across an entire city, within individual neighborhoods, or on a specific block.

To promote good placemaking, the RPA uses Place Types to influence the form and character of development, and a Centers and Corridors Approach to guide different types of development to the best locations.

 Place Types illustrate a desired character to guide development across a range of community types, from the most urban, to suburban, to the most rural places. This distinction is prominently noted in the names of most of the Place Types, e.g. Suburban Residential, Urban Residential, and Countryside Residential.

 

Each of the following Place Types includes:

• A two-letter abbreviation, and the color, used to identify each on the Place Types map;
• A general description of the typical, or ideal, situation;
• A list of elements that are generally needed to support the intended development form and character of the Place Type;
• Examples of the predominant Primary Use*;
• Examples of the limited, but supportive, Secondary Uses*; and
• Illustrative photos, presented as examples only.

* The Primary and Secondary uses described in these Place Types are not intended to be an exhaustive list, but merely serve as examples of some uses that may be common in a given Place Type.

Once Area Plans are adopted, the Place Type designations within those Plans are used by the RPA to inform zoning decisions. More often than not, rezoning requests are for what is referred to as Secondary Uses. The sections below describe these Secondary Uses and what factors are considered in formulating zoning recommendations.

Whether the community vision and adopted plan identifies the area for change and future transformation, or is it an area to be preserved and will see little change, is a primary consideration when reviewing a zoning request. Place types are designated with future development patterns in mind.  Additionally, multiple factors such as context or existing zoning are considered along with proximity to centers and other amenities such as schools or parks where higher density may be desired. Natural resources and adequate infrastructure are also studied as part of review. Determining a recommendation is ultimately based on whether a specific zone will result in the Place Type characteristics listed and shared HERE.

 

Primary and Secondary Uses

Place Types intentionally promote a mix of uses as a means of providing residents with more housing choices and more access to daily needs and jobs. Each Place Type described below includes examples of potential uses, along with other elements that generally define its character. The uses are divided into:

1. 1. Primary Uses – The most prevalent, most frequently occurring.
   2. Secondary Uses – Less common, but still compatible with the primary uses. 

While secondary uses are less prevalent in any given Place Types, they provide additional services and housing options, while maintaining compatibility with the primary use. However, a proliferation of secondary uses will change the character of an area, and the original intent of the Place Type can be lost.

Examples of supportive secondary uses might be a small corner store within a Mixed Residential (MR) Place Type, or townhomes as part of larger single-family development within a Suburban Residential (SR) Place Type.

 

When requests for zoning changes are reviewed, secondary uses are considered based on several criteria, such as whether the site in question is on a corner, or whether other secondary uses have already permeated a Place Type. One major criteria is whether the site in question is along an “A” Street (as designated in the Area’s adopted plan.) More intense uses are generally appropriate along these “A” Streets because they have higher traffic volumes, and sometimes support transit routes.  

 

Considerations for Secondary Uses 

When requests for zoning changes that include secondary uses are reviewed, the RPA considers them based on several factors listed below. Failure to meet one of these factors does not automatically presume the use is incompatible. All of the relevant factors are considered collectively.

• Do all the secondary uses in the given Place Type account for less than 20% of the total acreage within that Place Type? Are secondary uses beginning to proliferate?
• Is the proposed use located within ¼-mile of a transit route with service frequencies of 30 minute or less?
• Is the proposed use located within ¼-mile of a park or school?
• Is the proposed use located on an “A” Street? 
• Is the proposed use located on a corner?
• Is the proposed building height within one story of those on the same block and both sides of the street?
• Can compatibility concerns (size, parking, access, lighting, noise, truck traffic) be addressed with landscaping, transitional uses, or other buffers?
• Is the use part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that consists predominantly of the primary uses in the Place Type?
• For new residential developments featuring only the secondary uses, is the overall density, within the Place Type’s density range?
• If the proposed use is retail, is it located adjacent to a Center Place Type?
• Is the use consistent with the Area Plan recommendations?

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Note:  Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are not subject to secondary use review in residential Place Types.  While ADUs are considered secondary in some Place Types, they are allowed by right on properties with single-family houses, and their impacts are minimal.

“A” Streets

“A” streets are those where more intense uses are generally appropriate. They have higher volumes of traffic and sometimes support transit routes. They also serve as important connectors that link multiple neighborhoods. Each Area Plan includes a map of the designated “A” streets.