URBAN DESIGN

Urban Design seeks to integrate the many goals of Barling into a pattern of land use that is aesthetic, efficient and unique to the place and people of the city. The intent is to accentuate natural and cultural features, to clarify and beautify the city's circulation network, and to conserve or develop the character of individual neighborhoods and districts. The better the city's design, the more purposes the city can serve gracefully, whether they be cultural, commercial, social, or ecological.

In some areas, general urban design considerations are not sufficient. More intensive use of land with more intimate mixture of uses requires more detailed planning to ensure that private and public investments are complementary. Specific area plans are desirable to clarify and coordinate development criteria so that public policy guides private development.

NATURAL FEATURES

The most beautiful feature of Barling is its rural setting. Barling is surrounded by open space, wetlands, creeks, trees and many other beautiful features. To the north of Barling is the Arkansas River which provides a type of aesthetic quality to residents of the city. Fort Chaffee is home to a variety of mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish and bird species. The property identified for disposal has several thousand acres of undeveloped land which is home to numerous species of other common wildlife. The white-tailed deer is very common to the area as is the wild turkey. Both species are actively hunted by local residents during prescribed hunting seasons. The City of Barling is a beautiful, natural city and the residents want to keep it that way.

Located on the Fort Chaffee site are several beautiful creeks and lakes which should be preserved. The Little Vache Grasse Creek Valley forms the central portion of the site with a lower plateau to the northeast. Little Vache Grasse Creek and a tributary to the northwest runs through the central section of the property and drains eventually to the Arkansas River. Grayson Creek, which also runs into the Arkansas River, is east of the site. Both of these creeks add a quality to the City of Barling that is priceless.

Wells Lake and Brown's Lake are also located on the Fort Chaffee site. Wells Lake is a five acre lake and future plans propose that a community park be constructed at the site. Brown's Lake which is in the northern part of the Fort Chaffee site is surrounded by wetlands, and is the proposed spot of a nature center.

CIRCULATION NETWORK

The pattern of streets and other paths is very important to orientation within the city and is very stable over time as can be seen in the early maps of Barling. Changes to improve traffic flow (such as turn restrictions) often encounter strong opposition because of interference with habitual travel patterns. Sensitive groundwork needs to be done when making changes in traffic patterns. But changes which strengthen the urban pattern and improve circulation must be explored. The circulation system should tie the city together as a more efficient, attractive place for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit riders. Visible landmarks, graphic signing and strong directionality of major roadways, and pathways make the circulation system more intelligible and destinations more accessible.

Arterial streets designed primarily for traffic flow can be indicated with greater width, higher intensity of night lighting, and consistent use of one type of street tree at regular intervals to give a sense of order and continuity to the street. Most arterials in Barling are characterized by low, unintegrated development which does not provide an attractive edge for the street. On such streets, consistent large scale planting is especially important. If interposed between curb and sidewalk, tree planting reduces the apparent width of the paving, shelters pedestrians from cars, and provides shade. Lack of trees and narrow sidewalks alienate potential shoppers. Continuous tree planting also serves to lead the eye down the street, creating long, green vistas.

Arterial streets which change direction should have a strong visual element at the turning point. Such landmarks can become pivots in people's mental maps of their city and create a memorable urban form. Parks at the ends of streets greatly extend the sense of open space; while statues or fountains can provide drama.

City entrances should also be noted with suitable landmarks or entry features. Landmarks and/or features at Barling's west entrance would serve to distinguish the city from Fort Smith. Distinctive street signs along arterials would also contribute to city character.

The roadway environment can be made attractive through screening of distracting unsightly elements by landscaping, walls and buildings and reducing the clutter of signs and billboards. Barling's zoning and performance standards could require such landscaping and screening in new development. A sign ordinance could serve to constrain the size, height, and illumination of new signs.

Unsightly poles and overhead wires can be reduced by installing underground wires. All new wires installed in the City are being installed underground.

Streetside parking lots and multiple curb cuts weaken the efficiency of arterials as well as the visual continuity of the street; rear parking or parking under the building is to be preferred. The city could require parking to be screened with landscaping and interspersed with trees.

Even though Barling does not have public transit to date, the future growth and development of the city will eventually require such transportation. Therefore, clarity of routes would be important to people who ride the bus as well as to drivers. Legible and frequent street signs and an ordered roadway environment would assist orientation. Bus shelters, wider sidewalks, and more intensive landscaping and lighting could be used to identify bus stops. Signs at stops to explain routes, and schedules would further invite bus use.

Requiring street trees to be planted on private property with private maintenance could reduce the city's liability and maintenance costs. Local streets, because they have less traffic and less pavement width, may not require trees in the sidewalk strips to shelter pedestrians and shade pavement. Also, the need to create a sense of order with regularly spaced trees of the same species is not as great in relatively homogenous neighborhoods. However, because tree planting can affect the appearance of residential streets more than any other element, it should be considered in residential areas with an unattractive pattern of development. Street lighting which is not as intense or visually prominent as on arterials helps distinguish local street character. Through traffic can also be discouraged by narrowing the roadway at crosswalks and closing or diverting some streets improperly used as thoroughfares.

Another type of street which Barling does not currently have, but would be a great asset to the city is pedestrian streets. The design of a pedestrian street entails wider sidewalks, protection of pedestrian crossings, and finer landscaping. Benches, public art, sidewalk displays, and eating areas engage pedestrian interest. Warm lighting, closely spaced on low standards, should signal a pedestrian area at night. Signs should also be pedestrian oriented with large freestanding and projecting signs prohibited. Continuous retail frontage, access to transit, adjacent medium or high density housing, restaurants, entertainment and cultural facilities are also ingredients for successful pedestrian streets. In addition, pedestrian paths which offer attractive "short cuts" between major destinations attract use.

When landscaped, streets and paths are part of the open space network. Streets which lead to important open space resources could reflect some landscape feature of open space by means of distinctive trees, shrubs, flowers, rockery, or ground cover in the streetscape.

Ideally, districts and neighborhoods are linked to larger open spaces by pathways. Connecting open spaces expands the appearance and functions of open space. It encourages recreational and transportational walking and cycling, brings connection with open space closer to more residents, and may provide ecological corridors (as along creeks). Privacy of adjoining properties and maintenance expense must, however, be considered in the design of such connections.

A well landscaped circulation network evidences a sense of care and continuity in the city which tends to be reflected in property values. Noise is softened, shade and wildlife habitat provided, pedestrian and cycling use encouraged, and seasonal interest interjected in the cityscape. The potential assets of street trees need to be considered; the public circulation network could benefit from more street trees.

DISTRICTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Within the framework of open space and the circulation network are the districts and neighborhoods of the city. Each can become more distinctive elements of the city. Neighborhoods and industrial park districts will generally seek to retain their single use, homogeneous appearance based on their original development while some commercial districts will derive interest and commercial vitality from a mixture of uses. Zoning and other land use regulations must be made compatible with the desired function and character. Downzoning may need to be considered to maintain the character of interesting or congenial districts while greater intensity use is to be sought around activity centers; spotty unrelated development is not consistent with the enhancement of neighborhood or district character.

Neighborhood design must be based on neighborhood planning and selection of features to be accentuated. Street landscaping can be used to establish a special theme for each area. Planting for public open spaces and on private properties can also follow established themes. Distinctiveness can also be imparted by preserving buildings which are neighborhood landmarks, by highlighting architectural features common to the area, or by using characteristic materials and colors. For example, there are several buildings at the Fort Chaffee site that are eligible for inclusion in the National Registry of Historic Places. These buildings could serve as a way to distinguish the different parts of the new development site. Recognition of neighborhoods by their prominent features, their boundaries and their centers for activity may stimulate local pride and social interaction. Public facilities will be better used and maintained if planned with neighborhood participation.

There are many architectural and landscaping devices whereby infill development can incorporate some of the character of the neighborhood or district. Rooflines, building materials and set backs are obvious considerations. Multi-family buildings can be articulated into units which relate to adjoining single-family development. Alternatively, multi-family buildings can be designed as a strong attractive edge for large open spaces in neighborhoods or as a supportive adjoining use for commercial centers.

Even though Barling does not currently have a downtown area, future plans propose one, or some type of focal point or center point of the city. Therefore, it is advantageous to include a section discussing the downtown area.

Commercial activity centers must be designed in finer detail than more homogeneous areas, necessitating specific area plans for such developing areas or proposed developing areas as the downtown. The downtown district should become a well-articulated visual focus for Barling. Currently, the only structure even related to a downtown area is City Hall. However, a new City Hall and the future downtown area of Barling is being considered for the new development at the Fort Chaffee site.

The City of Barling would like to create a downtown area that is considered the focal or center point of the city. The area would consist of shopping areas, cultural attractions as well as commercial and industrial buildings. With planning and thought, the downtown area could be a vital, entertaining and interesting addition to the city.

Activity centers should incorporate pedestrian shopping, transit connections, offices, restaurants, and multi-family housing above or adjacent to the other uses. A greater mixture and intensity of use should generate more variety in retail offerings and provide stimulating focal points for different areas of the city.

In order to concentrate community commercial uses into more attractive and compact centers suitable for pedestrian shopping and social gathering places, some conversion of underutilized commercial strip to mixed residential and commercial use is desirable. The extent of commercial strip signage containing oversized, blatant images and messages oriented to automobile traffic would then be reduced. Arterials which have commercial or public centers (such as an intensely developed Auto Row), separated by uses which provide visual relief, (like apartments and schools) become more interesting pathways. They connect discrete places instead of being an unending string of signs and random development. Such centers are more suitable for pedestrian, bike, and transit access and need to be planned to include attractive pathways.

Conscious development of activity centers in Barling recognizes certain shifts in life styles toward smaller households with a greater interest in a variety of retail, cultural and recreational offerings. Providing more adult, urbane environments within the city increases the variety of residential options available to Barling residents and generates a more interesting cityscape with strong contrasts between low density neighborhoods and high intensity centers.

Also important to the richness and variety of the city is integration of existing distinctive elements with new development. Continuity is very important to identification with the city.

In addition to maintaining connections with the past and thereby an orientation in time and history, the design of Barling should be oriented to the sun. A future with less consumption of fossil fuels (and less pollution) could be built with buildings and landscaping that make use of passive solar heating and summer shading. Attention to solar access for both buildings and public spaces will pay long and increasing dividends. Combined with strategies to make future development more serviceable by alternative transportation, solar orientation turns Barling's face towards the future.

Policy: Principles of urban design will be used to guide development into compatible, attractive patterns.