5th/6th Street Livability & Circulation Study
Land Use
Based on land uses, 79% of the 5th/6th Street corridor is residential. 9% is commercial, 7% is used for public/institutional uses, 4% is vacant, and 1% is industrial. Of properties fronting 5th/6th Street, more than 60% is residential. The CCAG felt that the residential nature of the corridor must be preserved. It was also observed that there is a strong educational presence in the corridor. There are 12 public schools in the corridor, of which 11 front 5th/6th Street. They serve as meeting places, their schoolyards server as neighborhood parks, and these schools contribute to the livability of the corridor. The “Education Corridor” thee will be carried forward and developed in Phase III.
There are 10 registered National Historic Districts and many historic buildings in the corridor, plus four more potentially eligible districts. The CCAG felt that in addition to the residential character, the historical integrity of the corridor must he preserved. Mansfeld Middle School, an historical structure built in 1929, where the CCAG met every month, is a striking example of the construction during a time when public buildings where designed to inspire civic pride.
One of those 12 public schools in the “Education Corridor” is the University of Arizona (UA), and the streetscape along this segment of 6th Street has been strongly influenced by the UA’s presence.
The UA made a presentation to the CCAG on March 8, 2001, which covered the University Comprehensive Campus Plan, other related plans, and UA projects in design or under construction along 6th Street. The UA projects along 6th Street promise to bring an improved presence to the street. A 1,750-space parking garage at 6th Street and Fremont is due to open in Fall 2002, and another is planned for the longer term to be located across from the UA football stadium.
The CCAG spent considerable time assessing how well the “urban village” concept fits within the corridor. While definitions vary from community to community, the “urban village” concept generally describes a small, compact core of mixed-use development with a pedestrian scale and orientation, surrounded by residential uses. Several locations within the corridor already meet some definitions of an urban village, notably, 6th Street/Tucson Boulevard and 6th Street/4th Avenue. The pedestrian orientation appealed to the CCAG, as did the idea of offering services within walking distances. The CCAG wasn’t certain, however, whether an urban village would draw more traffic onto 5th/6th Street. Neither were some CCAG members sure whether supporting the urban village concept might be construed as supporting increased densities for the corridor. In the end, the group decided to step back from full acceptance of the urban village concept, and instead preferred “multiple uses/small business development” for 5th/6th Street, while at the same time maintaining the residential character.
