Urban Design Guidelines - Employment Areas - Town of Ajax

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EMPLOYMENT AREAS URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES5.6 Variety of UsesThese guidelines are primarily concerned with morewidespread employment uses such as warehousing,manufacturing, and offices; however, a wide varietyof employment and ancillary uses are permittedwithin employment lands, including financialinstitutions, restaurants, banquet and conventionfacilities, athletic clubs, and hotels. These types ofuses bring variety to the streetscape, provide apedestrian scale to buildings and the spaces aroundthem, and generate activity. It is appropriate thatsuch developments follow the general guidelines inthis document that achieve a high-quality builtenvironment (e.g., locate buildings close to thestreet with well-defined entrances and strongpedestrian linkages). The following guidelines applyespecially to the variety of uses that help achievevariety and animation in the streetscape.• Locate buildings in prominent locations, at thestreet edge.• Encourage the location of uses and the siting ofbuildings at ‘four corners’ locations.• Consider a vehicular drop-off function inassociation with a main front entrance facing thestreet, provided it is located and landscaped tosupport the goals of the broader streetscape.• Encourage an employment/industrial vernacularfor buildings and landscapes, consistent with theemployment area as a whole.• Encourage prominent signage, provided it meetsother signage goals of these guidelines.5.7 Alternative Approaches to SitePlanningThe intent of these urban design guidelines is toestablish an image for employment areas in Ajaxbased on high-quality, pedestrian streetscapesdefined by articulated built form. This represents theprimary approach to site planning.There may be unique situations, however, thatrequire a different approach to site planning, forinstance:• large, single users where multiple buildings areproposed in a campus setting;• large corporate headquarters making a dramaticstatement with architecture and landscaping;• areas with significant site constraints such asgrading; and,• special functional needs for access, servicing,and/or operations.JULY 2006 61
Alternative proposals will be evaluated on a case bycase basis, for appropriateness and for design merit.The focus on creating high quality streetscapes andenvironments is paramount. The followingguidelines set out alternative requirements wherethe general goal of the guidelines cannot beimplemented.• Provide enhanced amenities with a strong visualpresence such as historical references in thebuilt form or landscape, well-defined pedestriangathering spaces, or pronounced public identityelements. The Town of Ajax is working towardsestablishing elements of built form, streetfurniture and/or landscaping that will establish aunique identity for Ajax.• Provide a spacious landscaped setting for thebuilding, parking and other elements of a publicnature. Landscaping may incorporate grassareas, landforms, trees, shrub beds anddecorative materials.• Provide a landscaped pedestrian and vehicleroute from the street to the main front entrance,with a landscaped drop-off court, and directaccess to visitor parking.• Where the building is set back from the street,provide elements at the street edge the definethe street in lieu of the built form, such as lowwalls, a strong landscaped edge, or publicidentity elements.• Provide wayfinding for the site, includingcorporate signage/identification, directionalsignage, clear site organization, and buildingcues such as pronounced entrances.• If parking is located in front of buildings, anappropriate landscape treatment that diminishesthe impact of vehicles is required, such as:o parking areas are broken intosmaller areas by landscapedislands;o hard and/or soft landscape elementsact as a screen; and,o additional pedestrian amenities orlandscaping is provided.• For sites with multiple buildings, createpedestrian amenity areas such as seating areas,patios, walkways and plazas that link all thebuildings and the street. Locate main entrances,staff, entrances, cafeterias, lounges, and otherareas of high activity, to have a directrelationship to pedestrian amenity areas andsimilar functions of other buildings.• Where appropriate, extend natural features intosites. Provide an adequate size of planting tocreate the perception of a natural area. Provide62
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interchange will make a large area
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2.0 Guiding Principles2.1 Official
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Urban Design Guidelines - Employment Areas - Town of Ajax

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