Mixed-Use Development and the concepts of New Urbanism have been all the rage in urban design for more than a decade. This is truly a “back to the future” movement seeking to reestablish the bustling vitality of American cities from a century ago, prior to the advent of automobile-centric development. Modern thinking has come full-circle to the realization that a compact urban form embracing a balanced variety of land uses within close proximity is the most resource efficient, most economically productive, healthiest, and culturally enriching way to live.

Key elements of the built environment envisioned for UniverCity include:

• New and renovated buildings in the core of Old Town with mass and scale that respect the established historic fabric.
• New districts with taller buildings creating the density needed to support mass transit on the Mason Corridor.
• Multiple focal points which may include a festival marketplace, sports venues, entertainment complexes, and civic plazas dispersed throughout the area.

Housing options that are affordable and appropriate according to one’s means are essential to building and sustaining healthy, vital communities. Children develop greater social skills, perform better scholastically and maintain better health when they are able to grow in a safe, comfortable environment. Adults are more productive at work, more engaged in their neighborhood and enjoy greater financial stability with adequate housing options within their community. Business and industry succeeds where the housing needs of the local workforce are met and adaptive to evolving conditions. Communities prosper when all citizens are afforded the right to live, work, shop and recreate within safe, easily accessible locales. As a primary element of human survival, shelter represents a cornerstone of the UniverCity Connections initiative.

Elements of the study area housing will:

• Encourage development of mixed-use, mixed-income projects to gain economic scale.
• Identify steps to address current housing needs, while anticipating future demand.
• Establish guidelines for delivering units at all stages along the housing continuum.
• Incorporate both student and non-student housing projects where appropriate.
• Develop a model program for promoting economic and environmental sustainability within a comprehensive housing strategy.
• Promote strong connectivity between transit and the transportation grid; post graduate education;medical, health and social services; recreation and enrichment opportunities; employment centers; and, commercial districts.
• Preserve traditional neighborhoods as predominantly owner-occupied housing.
• Identify public-private partnerships that leverage resources without impeding market dynamics.
• Celebrate the community’s historic character by encouraging adaptive reuse of existing structures and materials.

Note: Housing was initially launched as a standalone task group and was subsequently combined with the Mixed-Use Development task group due to the complementary nature of their objectives.