The City of Hilliard Sustainability Plan

Hilliard Sustainability PlanDescriptionThe 2011 Comprehensive Plan evaluated half-mile and one-mile distancesfrom public parks, which roughly translate into a 10 minute walk or threeminute bike ride for a half mile and a 20 minute walk or six minute bike ridefor a mile. Our calculation of the percent of households within a quartermile of parks and public places showed that 35.1% of Hilliard residencesare within a quarter-mile of a park or public place and 78.5% are within ahalf-mile. Additionally, 8.8% of residences in Hilliard within a quarter-mileof a school, and 42.3% of residences are within a half-mile of a school. Thisanalysis, which can be seen in Map 3.3, also includes public spaces locatedoutside of Hilliard that are within a quarter mile of households locatedwithin Hilliard.Access to RetailBackgroundThe planning literature is supportive of the argument that people maketheir choices about whether to walk places or not based on a number oflocal factors including the mix and density of land uses, connectivity, attractivenessof the area, safety, and quality walking infrastructure such assidewalks. 19 An important feature of mixed uses is proximity of residentialuses to commercial and retail uses. One of the main factors contributingto neighborhood-centric development is whether or not it is possible forresidents to access retail options without the use of a car. People need toaccess a variety of different services, including retail. If that retail is in walkingdistance, contributing to a local mix of uses where necessary servicesare nearby, residents will be able to walk or bike there. If the only practicalway to get to retail centers is by car, then a great opportunity for vehicle tripreduction is missed. 20MeasureThe access to retail indicator provides insight on how easy it is toaccess retail in Hilliard. Specifically, this is a measure of the percentof households that are within a quarter mile of a retail center of anysize. As noted previously, this distance is often used as an industrystandard for the distance that most people are willing to walk forerrands and to transit stops. 21 By discovering what percentage ofhouseholds are within a path distance (distance along the road, notas the crow flies) of a quarter mile to retail centers, one can judgeECON. EXECUTIVELAND DEV. USESOCIAL SUMMARY& URBAN EQ.ECOLOGY» Map 3.4: Retail Accessibility Data Source: City of Hilliard, 201153