OKC Plan, 2000-2020 - City of Oklahoma City

Private Development
Enhance the appearance of older metal buildings and other large structures (including grain
elevators) by painting with a palette of earth tones or other pleasing colors, retrofitting with more
attractive exterior finishes, or by extensive landscaping of trees between buildings and streets.
Review parking regulations and design standards and adopt changes as needed to improve the
appearance of the city’s business areas. Excessive parking requirements and the need for
increased landscaping in parking lots are two concerns that should be addressed in such a
review.
Require hard surfaces for paving for church and business parking lots in the Downtown,
Traditional Neighborhoods, and Urban Growth Areas as designated on the OKC Plan
Development Areas map.
Require landfills to be aesthetically pleasing by contouring the tops and sides into natural shapes
with some areas of lesser height and grass landscaping required.
Change regulations to encourage less parking in front of commercial buildings and more in back
or on sides.
Change regulations to reduce the number of parking spaces by allowing part of the land
necessary to meet the required number to be landscaped instead.
Natural Assets
Identify areas having natural beauty that are deserving of preservation.
Continue planting of native plant material, grasses and wildflowers and seasonal color beds in
profusion along gateway highways, in thoroughfare medians, and along the rights-of-way of
arterial streets.
Explore the possibility of City acquisition of property to preserve special and unique natural
assets for public use.
Immediately identity the areas of natural beauty visual from the gateways and develop policies
to preserve naturally beautiful areas along the gateways.
Develop and implement a tree preservation ordinance consistent with the Tree Master Plan
(page 19).
Beautification Plans
Work with civic, business, neighborhood, City, and state organizations to develop and
implement a Comprehensive Beautification Master Plan for the city (see page 91) in which all
entities take part and have ownership.
Work with building and property owners, businesses, and community groups to create and carry
out a downtown appearance improvement plan focusing on property maintenance, streetscaping,
increased open space, improved public spaces and litter control.
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