EXISTING LAND USE CHAPTER 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA. The Downtown

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1 CHAPTER 2. EXISTING LAND USE DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA The study area comprises Downtown Berkeley, the University of California, Berkeley, and the area south of campus known as the Southside. Each of the three areas within the study area is unique and distinct from the others, yet the study area functions as one large destination spot for tens of thousands of daily trips. For the purposes of this analysis, the study area is focused on the area roughly bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. to the west, Hearst Avenue on the north, Dwight Avenue to the south, and the eastern edge of the UC Campus/Prospect Avenue to the east. The entire study area is compact, approximately 11 blocks by 11 blocks. As a result, this analysis treats the study area as a single unit, but recognizes geographic and institutional distinctions where appropriate. The study area is located nearly two miles from any major highway, but is served directly by the Downtown Berkeley BART station. This is the only known Central Business District of its size on the West Coast located this far from freeway access. Transportation issues and the impact of trip generation cannot be isolated by boundaries. Trips are made within, to, from and through the study area, impacting contiguous neighborhoods and all of Berkeley. This study focuses on the Downtown, University and Southside, because the major trip-generating institutions, businesses and organizations are located in this compact area. In addition, many transportation and parking resources jointly serve the trip-generators located within the area. It is recognized, however, that trips generated by the study area impact a much broader region and that the lack of freeways and the location of the University reduce through traffic in the study area. This, combined with spill-over traffic from congested arterial avenues, further impacts the neighborhoods surrounding the study area. The Downtown Downtown Berkeley comprises Berkeley s central business district, government center, and institutional and retail land uses. The main access points to the Downtown area include Shattuck Avenue, University Avenue and the Berkeley BART station. Retail is concentrated most heavily along Shattuck and University Avenues. Downtown also features theaters, cinemas, museums, restaurants and music venues that attract trips during the day and evening. NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-1 APRIL 2000

2 MAP 2-1 STUDY AREA NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-2 APRIL 2000

3 The University One block east of the Shattuck Avenue central business district lies the University of California, Berkeley. The University is one of the City s most significant economic and cultural asset as well as its largest single employer. The University has influenced the physical, social and economic development of Berkeley. The Southside The Southside is one of the most dense, dynamic and diverse areas in Berkeley. It is a mixeduse area housing 10% of Berkeley s population. In addition to 9,000 student residents, the area borders established middle and upper-income neighborhoods. The Southside is a hub of university activity. The University s southern gateway the main campus entryway for foot traffic abuts the Southside neighborhood. The Telegraph Avenue shopping district located in the Southside is characterized by businesses catering to the niche student and youth markets. University students, faculty, staff and visitors also shop, grab lunch, and attend cultural and social events on the Southside. TRIP ATTRACTIONS The study area contains many trip attractions, including two of Berkeley s most vibrant retail centers, city government offices, the University of California, museums, theaters and other employment centers. Map 2-2 shows zoning in the City of Berkeley. The study area is zoned for more dense residential and commercial land uses than are other parts of the city. The keyroute transit system that connected Berkeley to San Francisco and other parts of the East Bay in the early 1900's ran its trolley cars along the College, Telegraph, Adeline/Shattuck and University Avenue corridors. These corridors, which connect to the study area, are traditional transit corridors, featuring mixed use development and higher densities. The study area is the hub from which all these corridors radiate. NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-3 APRIL 2000

4 MAP 2-2 CITY OF BERKELEY ZONING NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-4 APRIL 2000

5 The Downtown As with many cities, Berkeley is attracting more retail and entertainment uses to its downtown urban core. Several vacant buildings have been revitalized in recent years, and the City aims to continue to find productive uses for vacant Downtown locations. Since 1993, several new residential, mixed-use buildings have been constructed in the area. The City s 1990 Downtown Plan identified approximately 3.8 million square feet of floor space, broken out as shown in Figure 2-1. Since then, residential and office space has expanded while autorelated uses have declined. FIGURE 2-1 DOWNTOWN FLOOR SPACE Source: City of Berkeley, 1990 The City is currently revising its General Plan. The most recent draft issued in October 1999 includes a policy to establish the Downtown as an economically vital residential, commercial retail, business, entertainment, and cultural transit oriented district. To facilitate this, the draft plan recommends establishing a minimum height limit of at least three stories to encourage residential development above ground floor retail, establishing building guidelines to maintain a compact, pedestrian oriented Downtown center, and eliminating existing residential parking requirements for new housing units in the Downtown TOD area. The Southside The Southside is a dense, mixed-use neighborhood containing housing, offices, retail shops, schools, churches, social institutions, parks, recreational facilities and parking. The Southside represents just 2.5% of Berkeley s land area, but houses 10% of Berkeley s population. UC NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-5 APRIL 2000

6 Berkeley owns approximately 30% of the land area in the Southside (excluding streets.) The Southside is zoned for multi-family residential and commercial uses. The Telegraph Avenue commercial zone is unique in that it is one of just two areas in Berkeley where new developments are not required to provide parking. In addition, zoning policies encourage housing (as opposed to commercial) development above ground-floor retail uses. Approximately 20% of Telegraph Avenue commercial buildings have residential units in their upper floors. The maximum height allowed for new or expanded buildings is four stories, and the minimum height allowed is two-stories, so that residential above retail is encouraged. There are two residential zoning distinctions in the Southside. The area east of College to Prospect allows for a maximum 3-story building height. The larger residential area on either side of the Telegraph Avenue commercial district between College Avenue and Downtown allows buildings up to six stories and requires one parking space for each new apartment. In the Southside, 57% of the land (excluding streets) is dedicated to residential housing. Ninetysix percent of housing in the Southside is renter-occupied compared to a city-wide average of 56% (1990 census). The University UC Berkeley, the oldest campus in the highly regarded University of California system, is world renowned for the quality of its students, faculty, libraries, research and publications. The University estimates that it attracts approximately 30,000 faculty, staff, students and visitors to the campus each day (LRDP, 1990). As a thriving learning institution, it attracts trips throughout the day for a broad range of purposes. In addition to students, staff and faculty making routine, daily trips to campus, the University attracts visiting faculty and guests from throughout the world. Both faculty and students might travel between on-campus jobs and classes to off-campus professional responsibilities and research posts. As a 24-hour institution, staff arrive on campus throughout the day and evening. The campus is also a community cultural and entertainment asset, drawing people from throughout the Bay Area to performing arts and sporting events. NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES 2-6 APRIL 2000

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 2. EXISTING LAND USE Description of the Study Area Trip Attractions TABLE OF FIGURES Page Map 2-1 Berkeley Southside/Downtown Study Area Map 2-2 City of Berkeley Zoning Figure 2-1 Downtown Floor Space NELSON\NYGAARD CONSULTING ASSOCIATES APRIL 2000

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