10 PRINCIPLES

The 10 Principles were created to cohesively and comprehensively express the community’s goals and vision for Downtown Columbus. These principles serve as the foundation for each of the 12 Ideas for Downtown and will directly inform the resulting policies and strategies that are created as the plan is implemented.

 

1.       Connect uses, districts and people

• Create an interconnected, walkable and vibrant Downtown

• Plan a rich mix of uses that fills in the gaps Downtown to better connect Downtown’s assets, districts and neighborhoods

 

 

2.       Maintain Downtown’s status as the employment center
            of the region

• Expand the role of Downtown as the economic engine of the City

• Create opportunities for new business clusters Downtown that take advantage of synergies between existing firms and emerging technologies

   

  

3.       Embrace transit as a competitive advantage 

• Improve existing transit service

• Construct alternative transportation options to ease parking pressure,
  enable higher density development, and make Columbus and the region
  more competitive

 

4.       Control building form, design and the quality of the

            public realm

• Develop guidelines to achieve a high standard of development and
  quality streetscape

• Protect public and private investment and ensure that Downtown achieves its full potential

 

5.       Increase the amount and variety of Downtown housing

• Plan for a wide range of housing types and styles to meet the space and cost requirements of current and potential residents

• Focus Downtown housing to create dynamic, sustainable and active
  neighborhoods

 

6.       Continue to develop signature parks and public spaces

• Plan an interconnected system of parks, plazas and open spaces that
  provide for a wide variety of leisure activities

• Design additional park space to spark revitalization and become
  neighborhood gathering places

 

7.       Invest in arts and culture

• Ensure Downtown’s place as the preeminent creative hub of Central Ohio

• Create a public art program and establish a network of support for local artists

• Make art prominent and visible in everyday life Downtown

 

8.       Prioritize sustainability and the greening of Downtown

• Establish Downtown Columbus as the green capital of the Midwest by prioritizing sustainability

• Invest in green infrastructure, create incentives for green buildings, and capitalize on green-oriented job growth that can transform the City’s economy

 

9.       Continue collaboration between the public and private sectors

• Target and prioritize new development opportunities that both the
  public and private sectors can act on

• Identify new policies and development incentives that advance desired
  outcomes

 

10.   Celebrate the urban experience that only exists Downtown

• Understand and cultivate the allure of the Downtown experience

• Focus on the strengths and opportunities unique to great urban environments,
  such as density, diversity, walkability, day-to-night activity and the greatest
  attractions in the region