Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan - College of Humanities and ...

Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan
SWOT ANALYSIS
• Visual clutter. Signage and overhead utilities along the corridor
are visually disorienting and aesthetically distracting. Nearly
every commercial structure uses large signage, but these signs
vary in height, design, and size, resulting in an incoherent
streetscape. Additionally, there are signs remaining from some
commercial buildings that are no longer standing or are currently
vacant. Overhead utility lines on both sides of Hull Street
Road contribute to this visual confusion and distract from the
streetscape.
• Lack of design continuity. This weakness, which is exacerbated
by corridor buildings’ rundown appearance, is particularly
noticeable in the city. There is an overall lack of unifying or
identifying landscaping along the entire corridor. There are
almost no street trees, aside from those found on vacant wooded
lots, which produces a feeling of exposure for both drivers and
pedestrians. There is no apparent architectural style that defines
structures within the study area. Some of the buildings are not
oriented to the street and are often separated from Hull Street
Road with parking lots of varying depths. These parking lots do
not have any screening to soften the view from the street.
• Poor vehicular circulation in the city portion. Gravel shoulders
contribute to poorly defined boundaries between public and
private space. Many parking lots are poorly maintained. The
center median on the Richmond side of the corridor is narrow
and poorly marked. There are also many curb cuts through
the median that allow vehicles to turn, but which also create
dangerous traffic conditions. There are also several “offset
intersections” where minor roads meet Hull Street Road. This
creates potentially dangerous turning situations from these minor
streets, and contributes to automotive congestion.
Figure 6: Large signs contribute to the visual clutter.
Figure 7: There is no common design between Richmond
and Chesterfield sections of the corridor.
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