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23 p L A P R A neighborhoods. The city's new guidelines, by the local archi- tectural firm of McBride & Kelly, are an effort to ensure that new commercial develop- ment fits in to the historical urban form. The guidelines make distinc- tions between three types of streets: pedestrian-oriented, au- tomobile-oriented, and transi- tional (somewhere in between. The three types are character- ized by differences in land use, architectural styles, building massing, vehicular circulation and access, pedestrian access, landscaping, and signage. For each type of street, the guidelines provide alternative site designs for mini-malls. Sev- eral of the alternatives call for replacing the single mall build- ing with several smaller struc- tures, which will be built to the property line, and relegat- ing parking to the side and the rear. The alleys that are typi- a U `o E 0 6 E E d 0 v N N I C T I cally found in Chicago neigh- borhoods serve as a buffer be- tween the parking lots and ad- jacent residences. The guidelines for the pe- destrian-oriented streets focus on retaining the street wall. New construction is encour- aged to reflect the existing pat- terns-retaining the shop win- dows, for instance, rather than blank walls. Smith says these guidelines, coupled with the city's new landscaping ordi- nance, will help retain the pe- destrianorientation inthe neigh- borhoodcommercial areas "that aren't too far gone already." Bellevue's new district In 1990, Bellevue, Washing- ton, added a new community retail design district to its zon- ing ordinance to deal with just such problems. Guidelines cre- atedfor the district require each new strip center to be archi- tecturallydistinct from the oth- N G C E ern. The difference may be in its color scheme, materials, roof shape, window placement-or something else. The guidelines discourage blank walls facing public streets or adjoining properties. Mini-malls located at the in- tersection of major arterials are the subject of a special provi- sion.. The guidelines recom- mendthat a "visual landmark"- speciallandscaping, afountain, or cupola-be placed at the inter- section, visually suggesting the missing fourth wall of the typi- cal L-shaped corner mall. The district's guidelines also recommend that the mall's side- walks be extended to connect with adjoining properties and with bus stops. They further recommend that walkway pav- ing materials be distinct from those used for parking areas. More to come For the time being, the reces- sion has ended the boom. But the rash of central-city mini- mally built in the 1980s may be just a taste of what's to come as suburban-style devel- opmentcontinues tocreep into the central city. The increased emphasis on the automobile in new development can be seen as well in other types of infill development, from garage-cen- tered single-family housing to gatehouse communities to cam- pus-like office parks. Whether or not such auto-oriented de- velopment inappropriate, given its effect on the architectural and visual character of urban areas, is a question planners and citizens will be forced to deal with once the recession ends and development resumes. Marva Morris Morris is an APA senior research associate. Los Angeles has worked hard to improve the looks of its mini-malls. This two-story mall at Beverly and La Cienega boulevards incorporates office space on the second door. Parking is in the rear.