Updated 08/2011

Mixed Use

Introduction
Mixed Use Examples
Mixed Use Parking Requirements or Parking Reduction Provisions
Live Work Units

Introduction

Mixed-use development is an important component of successful transit-oriented development, traditional neighborhood development, and smart growth/livable community development schemes. Mixed use developments contain a complementary mix of uses such as residential, retail, commercial, employment, civic and entertainment uses in close proximity - sometimes in the same building. Compatibility issues are addressed through performance standards, transition tools, careful site layout and building design, rather than by separating uses into single use zones.

When a wide variety of uses are located in close proximity to each other, walking and cycling become practical means of travel. For mixed-use development to succeed, varied land uses must be within convenience walking distance of each other (one quarter mile, 5 - 10 minutes) and there must be direct, safe, and convenient connections between the uses. Residents in mixed-use developments can take care of many daily needs without having to drive elsewhere. Mixed-use development allows convenient access between work, home and other uses and services. In addition, mixed-use development can contribute vitality and interest for residents, additional customers for neighborhood businesses, and a variety of housing choices. This webpage points to additional information and resources for accomplishing successful mixed-use development.

Mixed Use Development in Plain English - MRSC's one page explanation of the concept
Commercial and Mixed Use Development Code Handbook (), Oregon Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program, Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) - Policies, best practices, model code
Mixed-use Development in the Twin Cities: Issues and Best Practices, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Neighborhood Development Center, 10/2003 - A guide for community developers interested in creating neighborhood based mixed-use development projects
Colorado Springs Mixed Use Design Manual ()
Mixed Use Development Implementation (), Community Choices Quality Growth Toolkit, and Executive Summary (), Atlanta Regional Commission
Tools for Mixed-Income TOD, by Douglas Shoemaker with Center for Transit Oriented Development, 07/05/2006
Lakewood, CO Transit Mixed Use, 2007 - Including link to Transit Mixed Use District Zone Manual. This manual focuses on design and amenities throughout a mixed use district; also contains links to code.
Mixed Use Development/Transit Oriented Development (Finance Programs) - Interesting set of financing programs compiled by the State of Massachusetts
Mixed Feelings about Mixed-use, by Bryan E. Powell, Urban Development 2004, Daily Journal of Commerce, 10/07/2004 - The Portland experience; challenges and questions to ask
Mixed-use Key to Making Density Work, by Doug Hofius, Urban Development 2000, Daily Journal of Commerce
Smarth Growth, Smart Choices Series: Mixed-Use Development (Whitepaper) (), by Edward A. Tombari, National Association of Home Builders, 01/2005
Travel and the Built Environment, by Reid Ewing, Journal of the American Planning Association, Volume 76, Issue 3, 2010 - Study quantifies the effect of various factors in reducing car travel, or in encouraging transit use and walking. Accessibility to destinations, street network design and land use diversity were more important than density.
South Bay Mixed Use Guidebook (), prepared for the South Bay Cities Council of Governments with funding from the Southern California Association of Governments, 07/2007
Building Vibrant Sierra Communities: A Commercial and Mixed Use Handbook, Sierra Business Council - Emphasis on historic downtowns
Internal Trip Capture Estimator for Mixed-Use Developments (), Texas Transportation Institute, 12/2007 (published 02/2010) - Tool for estimating trip generation for mixed-use developments, accounting for internal trip capture
Smart Growth in Demand: Google asks Mountain View, CA for mixed-use development, posted by Alex Goldschmidt, Smart Growth America, 03/16/2011

Mixed Use Examples

Washington Large/Medium-Sized Cities

Bainbridge Island Municipal Code Ch. 18.40 - Mixed Use Town Center/High School Road Commercial Zones, and Sec.18.41.030 - Mixed Use Town Center and High School Road zoning districts (Design Guidelines)
Issaquah Municipal Code Sec. 18.07.370 - Residential Mixed Use Developments
Redmond Community Development Guide Sec. 20D.40.125 - Town Center Mixed Use Area
Tacoma Municipal Code Sec.13.06.300 () - Mixed use center districts, Ch. 13.17 () - Mixed Use Center Development, and Tacoma Mixed Use Centers Complete Streets Guidelines Project
Vancouver Municipal Code Sec. 20.430 - Commercial and Mixed Use Districts

Washington Small Cities

Battleground Municipal Code Ch. 17.122 - Mixed Use Districts
Gig Harbor Municipal Code Ch. 17.91 - Mixed Use District Overlay
Mukilteo Municipal Code Ch. 17.25 - Design Standards for Mixed-Use Development
Port Townsend Municipal Code Ch.17.18 - Mixed Use Districts and Ch. 17.40 - Mixed Use Developments
Snoqualmie Municipal Code Ch. 17.30 - MU Mixed Use District Regulations
Sumner Municipal Code Ch. 18.26 - Planned Mixed-Use Development (PMUD)
Tumwater Municipal Code Ch. 18.20 - Mixed Use Zone District
Yelm Municipal Code Ch. 17.45 - Mixed Use Planned Development

Washington Counties

Clallam County Code Sequim Mixed Use - Zoning Code Summary
Clark County Code Sec. 40.230.020, and Appendix A: Mixed Use Design Standards
Thurston County Code Ch. 21.23 - Mixed Use High Density Corridor and Ch. 21.22 - Mixed Use Moderate Density Corridor (Lacey UGA)
Snohomish County Amended Ordinance No. 09-079 ()

Outside of Washington

Atlanta Regional Commission Community Choices Model Ordinance: Mixed Use Development ()
Austin, TX Design Standards and Mixed Use Subchapter () - See Sec. 4.3
Boulder, CO Mixed Use Zoning Districts - Includes data and illustrations of projects, and 2003 survey of residents of mixed use developments
Cambridge, MA Zoning Ordinance Article 14.000 (), Mixed Use Development District, Cambridge Center
Eugene, OR Mixed Use Development - Program description, examples, useful documents.
Fremont, CA Mixed Use Development Ordinance ()
Hillsboro, FL Zoning Code Sec. 48A - Mixed Use Districts - Includes floor areas bonuses for green development, noise reduction design, and gathering places
La Mesa, CA Municipal Code Ch. 24.18 - Mixed Use Overlay Zone and La Mesa, CA Urban Design Program Report and Design Guidelines for Properties in the Mixed-Use Overlay Zone ()
Vancouver, BC Zoning and Development Bylaw - See commercial districts C-5, C-6, C-2, and C-2C1, and Section 11 - Additional Regulations

Mixed Use Parking Requirements or Parking Reduction Provisions

Local Government Parking Policy and Commute Trip Reduction Information: 1999 Review (), WSDOT Commute Trip Reduction Office - Summarizes shared parking reduction provisions of Washington jurisdictions, in Ch. 2, pp 54-57. Also see Appendix A: Jurisdictions Parking Matrices.
San Diego, CA Municipal Code Ch. 14, Article 2, Division 5 () - Parking Regulations - See Table 142-05D in Sec. 142.053 and Sec. 145.0545 on shared parking
San Diego, CA Shared Parking Agreement ()
Scottsdale, AZ City Code Vol. II, Appendix B, Article IX, Sec. 9.104(E)
Township of Lower Merion (Montgomery County, PA) Zoning Code Ch. 155, Art. XVIIB - Mixed Use Special Transit District (MUST), Sec. 155-87.23 - Parking and loading requirements - Includes formulas for parking at various peak hours by type of use

Live Work Units

Live-work units are a type of mixed-use development, combining commercial or manufacturing space within the same structure as a residential living space for the business owner. They have similar benefits to mixed use development and eliminate altogether the need to commute to work. In addition, they can provide affordable work and housing space, meet the needs of special groups such as artists, and serve to incubate new businesses. Both large and small cities, such as Seattle and Sumner, have provided for live-work housing. Tacoma is proactively recruiting artists to the community as a part of its economic development strategy and offers help with finding artists' live-work spaces. Some communities, such as San Francisco, are trying to work out problems including keeping its artist lofts affordable.

General Live-Work Information

The Live-Work Institute, non-profit founded by architect Tom Dolan - Basics, 10 Truths of Live/Work Planning Policy, Live Work in Plain English Glossary, and An In-Depth Look at Planning and Building Codes
Differences between Live/Work and Work/Live, from Live-Work in Plain English website created by architect Tom Dolan Washington Live-Work Examples
Live-Work Arrangements (), City of Sumner Urban Design Concept and Design and Development Guidelines - See p. 72/p. 78 of online document
Vancouver Artists Awarded Studio Live/Work Space Through City Program, News Release, Vancouver, WA Clerk's Office, 06/15/2005 - Program gives local artists the use of a City live/work space where they can develop their art.
Artspace: Properties - Examples of artist lofts including Everett lofts and several Seattle lofts
Creative Class: Yes, it is About the Artists: The Tacoma Story, by Sarah Kavage, The Next American City, Issue 7, 01/2005
Live/Work Building Issues, from the Live-Work Institute website created by architect Tom Dolan

Seattle Live-Work Codes

Artist Housing, and Live/Work Spaces, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs
Establishing an Artist's Studio/Dwelling in an Existing Building (), Seattle Client Assistance Memo No. 114
Seattle Municipal Code Ch. 23.46 - Residential-Commercial - In particular, see sec. 23.46.004 - live-work units permitted outright in residential-commercial zone)
Seattle Municipal Code Sec.23.47A.004 - Live-work units permitted in commercial zones
Seattle Municipal Code Sec. 23.49.008 - Height in live-work structures
Seattle Municipal Code Sec. 23.73.010 - Development Standards
Seattle Municipal Code Sec. 23.84A.024 - Definition of "live-work unit"
City Council Approved "Live-Work Unit" Legislation, Seattle Department of Planning and Development News, 06/23/2003 - Live-work units are allowed in residential-commercial zones and commercial zones.
Artists at the Top: A rejuvenated Wallingford landmark shepherds a new flock, Seattle Times, 2002

Portland Live-Work Information

Portland Zoning Code Sec. 33.583.280, in Ch. 33.583 - St. Johns Plan District
St. Johns/Lombard Plan, Portland Bureau of Planning, 2004 - Mentions live/work spaces as desirable in neighborhood and includes zoning code changes, new St. Johns Plan District zone, and proposal to allow residential uses in the EG1 zone, Sec. 33.583.280
Portland Municipal Code Ch. 24.85.040(C) - Occupancy Change to Live/Work Space - Facilitates conversion to live/work use

Vancouver, B.C. Live-Work Best Practices

Best Practices in Housing: Ground-Oriented, Medium Density Housing (GOMDH) (), Greater Vancouver Regional District Housing Task Group, Vancouver, B.C., 2003 - City of Surrey

San Francisco Live-Work Code and Issues

How Live/Work Units Fit into the Affordable Housing Crisis, (San Francisco) Urban Action, 2001
Industrial Protection Zones, Live/Work Projects and Community Plans, San Francisco Budget & Legislative Analyst - Problems with Live/Work displacing Industrial
San Francisco Planning Code Article 8 - Mixed Use Districts - Tables point to location of live/work provisions in other parts of the planning code; see Sec. 813, 815, 816, 817, and 818 and related tables.
Interpretations by Code Section - San Francisco Planning Code
San Francisco Planning Commicssion Resolution No.17525, 2008 - Discourages conversion to certain other uses including live/work, in portions of industrial protection district: Encourages mixed use in housing zone

Live-Work in Other California Cities

Berkeley City Code Ch. 20E.20 - Live-Work Provisions