Good Main Street Urban Design in Downtown Burbank

There are many great urban design elements in just this one little section of downtown Burbank.

 

 

Nice wide sidewalk, street trees, benches for sitting, narrowed street at a mid block crossing, pergola that calls out the paseo to the parking in the rear. (See the picture below.) The location of the office building on this frontage is unfortunate. Offices are no longer permitted on the ground floor along San Fernando Boulevard in downtown. The other corner of this building at the end of the block has a good restaurant with lots of patio dining so it's not a complete disaster. (Notice the ribbon of bricks. Typical of downtown redevelopment in the past, but Nate Hood of Strong Towns will be happy to know that I have observed workers systematically filling in grout and maintaining the investment rather than letting it decay.)

This paseo is one of a half dozen in downtown Burbank. It makes San Fernando easily accessible from the parking in the rear and it is also a perfect place for a mid block crossing. This paseo is also a great opportunity to inject some excitement and visual interest into downtown. 

 

 

Mid block crossing that narrows the street which slows vehicles and makes the crossing shorter and safer for pedestrians. The street trees are a simple row with a large canopy that makes this the favorite downtown block for many people.

 

The design elements in these photos are repeated throughout downtown Burbank and make it a highly trafficked shopping and entertainment destination in the eastern San Fernando Valley. Some cities have successful spaces like this, but they refuse to implement similar improvements in other parts of their cities. They seem to think it's just fine for the charming little downtown district, but the real money is made elsewhere. The reality is that shopping districts like this generally are more profitable per square foot than the larger big box properties many cities pursue. I'm not sure why more cities don't aggressively encourage the growth of their traditional downtowns.

Simple Urbanism

The building is simple and plain, but it's placed right at the sidewalk and integrates well into the public realm. Four floors of residential above. Simple urbanism. Nothing fancy. Just put the mixed-use building in the right place on the property.  The queen palms are nice accent trees that help define the outdoor room, but they don't provide shade which is important on the north side of the street.  The shade in the colonnade depends on the time of day. (These pictures were taken around 9 AM.) It would make a great place for some outdoor dining without intruding on the sidewalk.

Verdugo Avenue, Burbank, CA

There are two to three blocks of development like this along Verdugo Avenue in Burbank, CA. One and two story buildings built to the sidewalk with parking in the rear. All built before the current very high parking requirements. It immediately abuts duplex and single family residential zones and is within a 1/4 - 1/2 mile walk of many residents. A bike lane runs most of the length of Verdugo Avenue through the city including at this point so it is also easily accessible by bike. This strip of buildings could use some investment - a small mixed-use project was recently approved at the other end of the block - or at a minimum a new coat of paint and some street trees, but it is otherwise a charming and functioning commercial neighborhood. 

The Power of the Food Truck

It's like magic. Quick and easy food and some live music scattered throughout Magnolia Park Burbank and people turn out in droves. Especially on a hot summer evening. With so many people present you can get a feel for what the area could (will?) be like every weekend as interesting shops and restaurants begin to fill more of the buildings. This event is officially called "Ladies Night Out" because it was originally the salon, and boutique owners - mostly women  - who wanted to attract customers beyond the normal closing times of 5 and 6 PM. It now draws women, men, and families. You'll see lots of strollers and lots of people walking dogs. 

I spoke with the owner of Bearded Lady Vintage who explained that he doesn't make a lot of sales on this evening because his stuff is larger and can't be carried around while you're visiting food trucks. He said that many people discover his store and then return on the weekend to buy something. That's the big benefit of evenings like this. People who would have otherwise never walked past these businesses are given a reason to and then discover great alternatives to the often predictable merchandise found in chain stores.

Evenings like this build on the investments the city has made including, wide, well-maintained sidewalks, street trees, built in benches, and attractive and safe crosswalks. The business owners are wisely taking advantage of these investments and creating something very exciting for the City of Burbank. Just looking at these pictures makes you want to be there.

Taming a Stroad

This reconfiguration of Angeleno Avenue in Burbank reduces a four lane stroad to two lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes. The bike lanes connect the lanes on Third Street to future lanes on First Street, A landscaped median would have been ideal, but there are too many driveways on this street for that to be practical. Good job, Burbank Public Works.

 

 

Nice Touch

Beyond the Script Market. Downtown Burbank. This is an example of one small business owner making her business more attractive. Homier. A neighborhood place and a place worth caring about. Planners should see where similar simple improvements can make significant changes in neighborhoods and work to remove the legal or bureaucratic impediments to the sort of quick and simple improvements like the rocking chairs this business owner provides to customers.

Magnolia Park

Magnolia Park is one of several charming neighborhoods in Burbank, California. I like this picture for a couple reasons. First, someone is taking a picture that they likely uploaded to Instagram or Facebook so the other perspective of this shot is online somewhere. Second, rather than placing the tables, chairs, and umbrellas against the window of the cafe the business owner chose to place then in the very generous public right-of-way. This is less of an intrusion into where people walk, but it also brings the action further into the public realm. Notice also how the parked cars provide a protective buffer between the traffic on the street and the people sitting down. The tree well is very large to accommodate the root system of the enormous ficus tree which, although it grows quick;y and provides a dense tree canopy is probably not the best choice for a street tree.

Signs

At first glance cluttered and definitely not code compliant, but for some reason it has its charm. Maybe it's that incredible boot.