Neighborhood Character and a Sense of Place on Rice Street June 2007, Ann Forsyth Metropolitan Design Center

Neighborhood Character Contents 1. What gives a neighborhood its design character? 2. Rice Street in North End

1. What Gives a Neighborhood its Design Character? Physical Dimensions: Natural features and designed landscapes Individual buildings Settings or districts Livability Dimensions (American Institute of Architects) include: Human scale Transportation options Activity choices Public spaces Identity

2. A. Natural & Designed Landscapes Green Streets and Plazas

2. B. Buildings Visual Interest, Variety, and Detail Image ©2003 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. Used with the permission of Design Center for American Urban Landscape.

Rice Street has many well-used 1 and 2 story buildings

The area has many historic buildings of 2-3 stories

Finally, are a number of larger buildings of to 3 or 4 stories or taller

Rice Street includes a variety of housing types: apartments, lofts, duplexes, and single family

2. C. Settings Settings form the immediate surroundings of a project

2. Livability Rice Street Has Many Assets Livability Dimensions (American Institute of Architects) include: Human scale Transportation options Activity choices Public spaces Identity

Human scale, activity, choices, public spaces, identity

2. Livability Identity of Rice Street is From Signage

2. Livability Human-Scale Signage

Physical Dimensions Natural features and designed landscapes Individual buildings Settings or districts Livability Dimensions Human scale Transportation options Activity choices Public spaces Identity Rice Streets Neighborhood Character