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Design Manual for Small Towns
—Executive Summary
Introduction
Design Manual for Small Towns: Transportation and Land Use Strategies for Preserving Small Town Character is a practical "how to" handbook for residents of small towns, their elected officials, and the local government staff who support them. It is organized in a fashion that shows the community how to work together to better understand the existing conditions, identify current transportation problems, and articulate desirable solutions.
Community Process
Citizens in small, rural towns can use several tools to promote strong transportation and development decisions in their community. The community process is important to inform citizens and allow residents to participate in the planning process. The street inventory, neighborhood audit, and town charrette allow citizens to plan, preserve, and guide the future of their town
Identifying Existing Problems
Each small town faces individual, but similar issues that threaten vitality and character. The Manual discusses several existing transportation issues associated with small, rural towns. These deal primarily with traffic through the downtown and nearby residential areas.
The Toolbox
The toolbox presents a variety of progressive, practical transportation techniques and roadway treatments to solve identified problems. Pictures and diagrams provide residents and local officials with an idea to take to consultants or designers.
Future Land Use Choices
As small towns continue to grow, following traditional land use principles can help preserve the character and history of the place. Appropriate land use policies guide the development of an expanding transportation network, new physical growth, the creation of new residential areas, and maintaining the integrity of the downtown. Future land use choices can accommodate growth with an awareness of natural surroundings
Implementation
Most towns can identify more problems than there are funds to implement. Clearly the town must set priorities for implementation by identifying, and periodically reexamining, phased approach to implementation. Once high priority projects have been identified, specific planning and design documents and construction plans should be completed. For large scale projects, environmental review and right-of-way acquisition may be necessary. In the design phase, designers should prepare plans that are compatible with the town's history and architectural character.
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