Historic Nature

• Pasadena's first locally designated landmark district (1989), Bungalow Heaven was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008; approximately 660 of the 1,100 properties are included in the National Register (521 of which are contributing)
• Bungalow Heaven Conservation Plan a model for citywide restoration policies; plan strives to eliminate unnecessary demolition, stipulate when restoration or modification requires Historic Preservation review, and stimulate the area's economic health
• Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association created in part to preserve district's architectural legacy; administers grant program to low- and moderate-income property owners for restoration; also involved with resurvey project collecting street elevation photographs and important information on each architecturally significant home

Emphasis on Aesthetics

• Exceptional collection of domestic architecture from the early 20th century with modest single-family houses from the Arts and Crafts period most prevalent; other styles include  Queen Anne, and Gothic-, Spanish-, Colonial- and English-Revival
• Most houses clad in similar materials — clapboard, shingles and stucco. Brick and stone, including river-rock boulders, used on foundations, porches, chimneys, and fireplaces; repetition of gabled rooflines and almost ubiquitous presence of front porches contribute to neighborhood's architectural character
• Layout of houses — sited on 50-foot wide parcels with a generally uniform front-yard setback and garages toward the rear — enhances the streetscape
• California live oaks, camphor trees, and Mexican fan palms form a dense tree canopy which, in combination with the rich landscaping in most front yards, adds to the neighborhood's visual appeal; on some streets, trees frame views of the San Gabriel Mountains
• Neighborhood evokes unique sense of time and place; captures handcrafted spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement and the democratic ethic of the early 20th century, which allowed working persons to own a house with rich architectural detail

Engaged Citizens

• Demolition in 1985 of a classic Craftsman bungalow and replacement with generic, stucco apartment building galvanized neighbors; successful effort to downzone the area made it economically infeasible to demolish other bungalows
• Motivated residents pursue historic district designation and obtained signatures from 55 percent of neighborhood property owners; group successfully persuaded city council to designate Bungalow Heaven Pasadena's first landmark district
• Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association provides a range of services and hosts events, such as a summer concert series; association's annual home tour, a neighborhood staple for 20 years, raises funds for the community's home improvement grant program

Environmental Commitment

• Pasadena's first green district, encouraging recycling and reuse activities; the community is considering group purchases of solar installations
• At the heart of neighborhood is a well-used and beloved green space, McDonald Park. Because it is within walking distance of every home in the neighborhood, there is no onsite parking. Was a former water reservoir that has been transformed by the city into an outdoor oasis replete with swings, shade trees, and outdoor recreation, such as soccer
• Landscaping and gardening are neighborhood pastimes; besides conducive to growing Pasadena's famous roses, the weather and rich soil also contribute to an abundance of homegrown fruit and vegetables that neighbors readily share
• Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association allocates funds to purchase large boxed saplings to ensure tree canopy is replaced quickly; also holds workshops on the care of street trees, creating drought-tolerant gardens, and planting edible gardens

Multiple Modes of Transportation

• Compact, walkable neighborhood is a smart growth model; narrow streets with sidewalks and homes with front porches lend an added sense of security to pedestrians
• Bungalow Heaven was the first neighborhood in Pasadena with a Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Plan; plan encourages street improvements that reduce cut-through auto traffic.
• While some of the enhancements have been controversial because of their aesthetic impacts, neighborhood is working with the city to reduce excessive pavement markings
• Bicyclists common; three perimeter streets have enhanced bike lanes
• Six bus routes — each within walking distance — run along the neighborhood's outskirts; at least one bus route on each perimeter street

Historic Nature

• Established as a plantation in 1743, Faubourg Marigny owes its existence to Louisiana Purchase; Bernard Phillippe Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, the plantation's owner, believed the transaction would stimulate demand for new housing and hired Nicholas de Finiels, an engineer, to plan the faubourg. To accommodate a 135-degree turn in Mississippi River, 1805 plan included a rotated grid system to continue streets from the Vieux Carre downriver into the new neighborhood, which allows for continuously unfolding views
• As Americans settled area upriver from the Vieux Carre, immigrants and free people of color populated Faubourg Marigny; diversity remains neighborhood hallmark
• Brightly painted one- and one-and-a-half story Creole and shotgun cottages — often flush with front property line — dominate housing stock; built close together on relatively small lots, define the scale and character of most streets. Outstanding examples of Greek, Italianate, and Craftsman architectural styles also exist
• Faubourg Marigny added to National Register of Historic Places in 1974

Mixed Uses

• Faubourg Marigny features land uses compatible with its residential character; for example, 2002 Residential Diversity Overlay District has brought commerce back to street corners
• City adopted Arts and Cultural Overlay District in 2004 to address neighborhood concerns as live entertainment venues emerged (along Frenchmen Street, for example); legalizing live music in many establishments mandated compliance with entertainment-related safety and building codes
• Washington Square is Marigny's outdoor living room; shaded benches, open central field, and children's playground attract residents and visitors; numerous events and festivals occur here throughout year
• Relocation of New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the state's high school for the arts, to the faubourg in 2000 resulted in restoration of three historic warehouses and creation of a striking architectural monument

Planning and Preservation Commitment

• To stem neighborhood's post–World War II decline, Preservation Plan for Faubourg Marigny was completed in 1971 by graduate students at Tulane University School of Architecture
• Specialized zoning approved in 1971 for triangular area adjacent to the Vieux Carre, limiting commercial uses in historically residential buildings; Historic Marigny Zoning extended to rest of neighborhood in 1977
• Historic structures demolition prohibited in 1978 when Faubourg Marigny became local historic district; city's Historic District Landmarks Commission approves design of all new structures
• Streetcar loop one of many improvements proposed in a 2001 neighborhood master plan by the Tulane School of Architecture and Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association, an influential group founded in 1972; since Hurricane Katrina, the Improvement Association has maintained Washington Square
• Improvement Association involved with a revitalization effort along St. Claude Avenue and development of New Orleans Master Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to correct land uses and zoning residents deem incompatible with neighborhood character

History of Diversity and Affordability

• Since the first lots were sold in 1805, Faubourg Marigny has embraced people of all cultures; French-speaking Haitian refugees took up residence in 1809. Three decades later, large numbers of Germans were found in neighborhood; remains a cultural melting pot
• Relatively low property costs provide homeownership opportunities; affordable units mixed fairly evenly throughout the neighborhood (individual residences and small apartment buildings)
• Products, tastes, sights, and sounds of dozens of cultures found in the businesses, restaurants, and nightclubs peppering the faubourg
• Diversity evident in recently erected AIDS monument in Washington Square; made of concentric bronze circles framing inspirational multicultural cast-glass faces; monument serves as a memorial and sanctuary for victims' friends and family

Mixed Uses

• Developed between 1880 and 1920 as a wholesale and manufacturing district, Haymarket today accommodates residential, recreational, cultural, and entertainment-oriented uses. The 1983 Haymarket Redevelopment Plan encourages rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.
• Choices of eating and drinking establishments are plentiful and include a longtime locally owned coffee shop that roasts its own beans and Nebraska's first brewpub. Several restaurants occupy ground floors of converted warehouses and offer dining al fresco on former loading docks.
• About 125 dwelling units enliven the neighborhood. They include luxury lofts and townhouses as well as market-rate and subsidized apartments. Two warehouses have been renovated into large apartment buildings that include units designed for mobility-impaired residents.
• Retail and antique shops and art galleries occupy storefronts and the occasional upper floor. Offices are housed in converted warehouses. The quaint Iron Horse Park at the train station features a brick mural by Jay Tschetter of Lincoln, a nationally known brick artist, and is a favorite gathering spot.

Historic Preservation

• Maintaining and enhancing historic character central to Haymarket's redevelopment; adopted principles focus on design, organization, promotion, and economic restructuring. This approach has led to a quarter century of steady, incremental progress wherein no single project could make or break the neighborhood
• Designated Lincoln's first commercial historic district in 1982, two years after adoption of the city's preservation ordinance. A landowner's lawsuit kept Haymarket off the National Register of Historic Places; in response, city followed the uncommon but equivalent route of federally certifying the local designation by making a six-block section of the neighborhood eligible for federal funds and tax credits for historic rehabilitation
• District's architectural gem is the handsome and deftly restored Lincoln Station, a 1927 neoclassical structure that anchors a fine ensemble of late 19th and early 20th century warehouses and industrial buildings
• Connections with past abound. Most buildings feature bronze plaques that provide historical context; ties to the city's past strengthened by public art, such as 50-foot brick mural on the north wall of the Lincoln Station that shows an old locomotive pulling the first train into Lincoln in 1870 or the reinstallation of a fountain in Iron Horse Park that once used to provide drinking water for horses, dogs, and people via separate spouts

      Commitment to Planning

• The 1983 Haymarket Redevelopment Plan continues to guide public and private efforts that contribute to the district's unique sense of place
• Multiple funding sources used to revitalize Haymarket, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds, federal Community Development Block and Urban Development Action grants, industrial bonds, historic rehabilitation tax credits, tax increment financing, and private grants, either separately or as part of a package
• Sign criteria for Haymarket revised in 1990 to allow neon and other types of signs that are otherwise controlled or prohibited in other parts of the city
• Enhancements and improvements made to Eighth Street corridor; also rebuilt overpass at southern edge of district
• Businesses and residents involved with planning and redevelopment efforts for an adjacent brownfield; called West Haymarket, the development will feature an arena, hotels, shops, and residences designed to complement Haymarket's strengths and character

Public Amenities

• Iron Horse Park, built on a former gravel parking lot, features a brick mural, a restored 1900 steam locomotive, a replica 1890s water tower and reflecting pool, and a railroad-themed children's play area.
• Public art includes the life-sized bronze "Watchful Citizen" at Lincoln Station and other sculptures. Mosaics abound on walls and even on the floor of the entrance porch to the Burkholder Project artists' colony.
• The popular Saturday Farmers Market draws 150 vendors and as many as 10,000 shoppers to the district each week. Haymarket's "outdoor living room" — the brick-paved Seventh Street — comes alive with music, art, food, flowers, and fun.

Sustainable Neighborhood

• Adapting existing buildings instead of demolishing them makes Haymarket one of Lincoln's greenest neighborhoods. Increasing housing density, a mix of uses, and proximity to the University of Nebraska and downtown combine to create a live-work-play environment that gives residents an option of meeting basic needs without automobile trips
• The historic Lincoln Station is home to an Amtrak station and is just two blocks from Lincoln's downtown transit hub. The neighborhood maintains a "comfortable congestion" that allows vehicular access but favors pedestrians. Eighth Street serves as major north-south bicycle corridor

Pedestrian Orientation

• Kenmore's commercial streets feature short blocks and wide sidewalks. While 20th-century buildings dominate the streetscape, it's the combination of architectural styles and current uses that encourage people to walk, gather, and socialize. Building facades are human in scale and frequent doorways and windows capture the attention of shoppers.
• Known as the horse path, this mile-long non-vehicular corridor runs perpendicular to the east-west oriented residential streets connecting residences in the western portion of the village with Mang Park.
• Recently completed $1.6 million Delaware Avenue streetscape project addressed both aesthetic and pedestrian safety concerns. In addition to new curbs and sidewalks, the project included enhanced lighting and street furnishings.
• Virtually every residence is within walking distance of stores, which provide basic goods and services, and bus service.

Housing Options

• First house dates to 1889, 10 years before the village's incorporation; majority of residential structures were built through 1925; in 1983 neighborhood's third house, a Richardsonian Romanesque-style mansion of Medina sandstone, added to National Register of Historic Places
• Neighborhood boasts Victorian, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare architecture; many two-story homes feature stunning leaded and stained-glass windows, natural hardwood accents and floors, and welcoming front porches
• From small 900-square-foot single-story houses to stately homes with carriage houses, Kenmore accommodates singles, couples, and large families; more than half of village's 7,500 housing units are single family, 30 percent are two-family, and 12.5 percent are within multi-unit buildings
• Median single-family home price is $111,049; duplexes sell for a median price of $108,850; median rent is $667 per month; three buildings provide affordable housing under the federal Section 8 housing voucher program

Open Space and Recreation

• Rapid growth at turn of 20th century leaves little in way of open space; Mang family, after selling portions of its farm for development, donated 10 acres of deed-restricted land to the village for use as a park. Mang Park, a year-round recreational facility, is home to tennis courts, baseball diamonds, two municipal pools, one wading pool, basketball courts, and outdoor ice rink; community and cultural centers also at park
• Mile-long linear park connects Kenmore Middle School with Charles Lindbergh Elementary; has basketball and tennis courts; also football, baseball, and soccer fields
• Triangular Village Green outside Kenmore's Art Deco Municipal Building is a central gathering place and bustles with activity; purchased in 1913 by village for $55, the parcel is a community focal point and site of numerous events and activities, including farmers market and several war memorials

Commitment to Planning and Revitalization

• To preserve "The Village Beautiful," Kenmore adopted zoning code in 1922; Kenmore Planning Board, established in 1964, developed first master plan when village faced competition from newer suburban communities
• Kenmore Commercial and Industrial Development Authority encourages reinvestment in specific zones; allows tax assessment increases to be phased in over 10 years, not one
• Incentive zoning allows higher-density and more permissive development in exchange for community amenities
• Revised zoning ordinance promotes mixed-use development to enhance character and generate additional street activity; proposed redevelopment of two-block vacated car dealership to add nearly 21,000 square feet of retail storefront and office space

Engaged Citizenry

• Established in 1916, the Kenmore Civic Association helped bring a public library to the village; today, Friends of the Kenmore Library fighting to keep the library open
• Ken-Ton Historic Preservation Committee formed in 1977, responding to demolition of Louis P.A. Eberhardt mansion, a twin to the building now on the National Register; committee continues to strengthen community support for preservation
• Several groups, including Commission to Enhance the Environment and Kenmore Garden Club, enhance business districts with plantings; year-old Kenmore Village Improvement Society has replaced more than 160 street trees and instituted a Brokers Day to showcase available commercial properties
• Annual Kenmore Days at Mang Park, Memorial Day Parade along Delaware Avenue, and Ken-Ton Garden Tour are among events that draw neighbors together

Commitment to Planning and Revitalization

• Having spurred 180 projects, the renaissance zone exempts new development from property and income taxes for five years; commercial tenants receive five-year state income tax exemption. Building values in the zone have risen 110 percent — from $103 million in 2000 to more than $218 million in 2009. Among the $93 million in renaissance zone projects is the $18-million Cityscapes Plaza, a newly opened retail and student-housing project
• Broadway, the zone's commercial and retail spine, received $10-million facelift, including more pedestrian-friendly street design — decorative pavers in street and sidewalks, ornate light poles, iron street furniture, bicycle racks, trees, planting beds
• Many strategic investments recommended in 2002 Downtown Fargo Redevelopment Framework Plan implemented; plan updated in 2007

Bicyclist, Pedestrian, and Transit Rider Friendly

• Broadway is downtown's official Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Zone, although bicyclists are welcome on all streets; Broadway features a shared-path, also on-street bike racks and bike lockers;  4,000 North Dakota State University students attending classes downtown significantly boost number of bicyclists
• Sidewalks and tree-lined streets welcome pedestrians; mostly low-rise buildings are human in scale and many feature ground-floor retail with commercial and owner-occupied residential above. Ordinances changed to encourage outdoor dining, street performers and sidewalk marketing; promotional activities — including art walk and "cruising night" — dramatically increased pedestrian activity
• Metro Area Transit ridership doubled during past five years to nearly 1.7 million; nine of transit service's 23 routes pass through Downtown Fargo; new downtown circulator in 2010 proposed budget; will optimize use of remote parking locations

Historic Preservation

• Added to the National Register in 1983, the 14-block Downtown Fargo Historic District contains 147 contributing properties plus an additional 16 properties listed individually; most structures built after 1893 when fire destroyed the central core. The few commercial buildings that survived, most were in Gothic or Italianate styles; much of post-fire construction done in Classical Revival style using higher-quality materials
• State income tax credits, amounting to 25 percent of the cost of renovation, are available to property owners within renaissance zone; federal tax incentives apply to renovations within historic district
• City's storefront and downtown rehabilitation program uses federal Community Development Block Grant funds to provide 50 percent matching grant (up to $15,000) to refurbish building exteriors; Fargo Historic Preservation Commission reviews renovations

Housing Options

• Downtown quiet zone went into effect in 2007, eliminating dozens upon dozens of ear-splitting train whistles each day from two sets of railroad tracks that pass through  downtown
• Single-family detached housing in downtown neighborhood located on perimeter; more than 60 condominium and apartment projects — both adaptive reuse and infill development — have been completed in the renaissance zone
• Of the 559 units of deeply subsidized housing in the downtown, 249 are conventional public housing units; five buildings containing 195 units under the federal Section 8 program and another 115 units of affordable housing are located in four buildings and made available through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program; ratio of affordable to marketplace units is in balance

Environment

• Downtown Fargo is home to four buildings with green roofs, including new public library that opened in April
• North Dakota's first LEED certified building is in downtown; erected in 1903, the 70,000-square-foot building was rehabbed and upgraded by university to house Visual Arts, Architecture and Landscape Architecture Departments
• Fargo transit buses use a blend of up to 20 percent biodiesel fuel to decrease costs and reduce emissions and odor; city uses energy-efficient and long-lasting LED traffic signals

Commitment to Planning

• Platted in 1891 by William S. Ladd, a Portland mayor and businessman, the neighborhood is a monument to the City Beautiful movement; design departs from city's traditional rectilinear grid, using radial streets that converge at five formal gardens; neighborhood has formal symmetry reminiscent of Renaissance cities and gardens
• Support for Portland's first citywide zoning ordinance was strong in Ladd's Addition in the 1920s where, after the area's restrictive deed covenants lapsed, local protests failed to stop the construction of a market at the circular park in the heart of the neighborhood
• Residents rallied in the 1970s to stop the proposed Mt. Hood Freeway along the southern edge of Ladd's Addition; defeat led to development of Portland's light rail system and triggered revitalization of several blighted southeast neighborhoods
• To preserve community character, residents successfully included in Portland's first comprehensive plan in 1980 a downzoning of much of Ladd's Addition — from duplex to single family 

Historic Preservation Emphasis

• Portland's first residential historic district in 1977, Ladd's Addition served as a model for new urbanism developments — including Seaside in Florida and Fairview Village and Orenco Station in Oregon
• Ladd's Addition Conservation District Guidelines, adopted in 1988, used during the review of proposed construction and restoration projects, govern changes to the street open space system, along with new buildings and exterior rehabilitation
• Community and street design, architecture, landscape architecture, and social history are among reasons Ladd's Addition listed on National Register of Historic Places

Innovative Street Design

• Hierarchy of streets within radial street plan creates framework for neighborhood; two boulevards, with 80-foot rights of way, run diagonally through Ladd's Addition, intersecting at the central park. The street's 12-foot planting strips contain American elms and serve as buffers for pedestrians; narrow local streets, which converge on four diamond-shaped rose gardens, discourage cut-through traffic. These streets, just 24 feet curb to curb, supplemented with alley system that eliminates driveways and curb cuts
• Original street and sidewalk details reinforce historic character; many sidewalk corners are imprinted with the original date of construction and street names. Horse tethering rings line curb fronts; buggy wheel curb protectors found on some street and alley corners
• Neighborhood has been a test case for transportation enhancements including traffic-calming, signal prioritization, traffic diverters, and bicycle boulevards; since 1990s average daily traffic volumes at Ladd Circle have dropped from 6,000 to 1,500 
• Ladd Avenue, one of the two boulevards, has been a primary southeast bike route for 20 years; bicycle traffic continues to increase — daily ridership reached 3,975 during the summer of 2008
• Streetscape improvements in commercial corridors are a priority; in 2007, the City of Portland enhanced bus stops, improved pedestrian safety, provided covered parking for bicycles, and added street trees along Hawthorne Boulevard

Environmental Stewardship

• Original plan for Ladd's Addition included rose gardens, each one block away from the central green at one of the four compass points; the parks,  part of Portland's 1903 Olmsted Parks Plan, were designed by Olmsted associate Emanuel T. Mische. Today Ladd's Circle — a 200-foot diameter open space with large rhododendrons and azaleas — is used for gatherings and informal recreation; rose gardens contain some 3,000 bushes
• As the neighborhood's development started from 1907 to 1910, the Ladd Estate Company planted 1,600 street trees (mostly American elms, Norway maples, littleleaf lindens); Ladd's Addition Street Tree Plan governs tree selection and replacement; Ladd's Addition Conservation District Guidelines provide protections for the 1,300 existing deciduous street trees
• Neighborhood first in Oregon to implement community-based tree inoculation program in response to Dutch elm disease, since 1995 under Save our Elms, since 1986 volunteers have planted 600 new street trees to maintain cathedral-like tree canopy

Sustainability

• Neighborhood residents have joined the larger Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development Association to develop "Green Teams" to share information about sustainability initiatives and reducing the neighborhood's carbon footprint
• Residents also working with City of Portland to establish solar panel use standards for historic neighborhoods; community exploring bulk purchases of solar panels
• Abernathy School in neighborhood runs "Garden of Wonders" program — parents and student grow food crops and cook and serve homegrown food in the cafeteria; school also participates in the Safe Routes to School program that encourages walking and biking 

Best Planning and Smart Growth Practices

• Franklin Land Use Plan adopted by city in 2004 calls for mixed-use, traditional development in downtown Franklin; the Central Franklin Area Plan is adopted the same year, focusing on downtown Franklin improvements and historic building preservation
• In 2008 the city adopts a new zoning ordinance creating a Character Overlay District for downtown Franklin, which focuses on traditional neighborhood development, diversity of land uses, historic preservation, and residential infill that includes a variety of residential housing types
• City encourages higher-density development in downtown neighborhood, allowing  townhouses and apartments to be built above street-level retail shops

Historic Preservation

• Federal tax credits and city conservation easements provide incentives to protect late 19th century architecture and today the neighborhood is part of a protected local historic district
• Neighborhood has the oldest public building in Franklin — the  Gothic Revival Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 7 built in 1823; building listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Winstead House is an Italianate structure built in 1870
• Neighborhood represents one of the finest concentrations of historic buildings in Tennessee; structures built mostly during 19th century and represent Federal, Middle Tennessee, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian architectural styles

Prosperous Main Street

• Successful downtown revitalization receives award in 1995 from the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Neighborhood's public square in center of downtown helps calm traffic along Main Street and 3rd Avenue; 70 boutiques, antique shops and restaurants located in commercial area
• Neighborhood investment in reaches $3 million in 2002
• Family friendly festivals and events held downtown, including Main Street Festival that attracts more than 100,000 visitors to downtown annually and includes concerts, carnivals, and merchandise from 200 artisans and craft persons

Neighborhood Amenities

• Major streetscape improvements along Main Street completed in 2001 including street tree plantings, brick sidewalks, improved pedestrian crosswalks, parking improvements, and burying utility wires underground
• Office, retail and commercial uses allowed within neighborhood; drugstore, medium-sized grocery store, library, and elementary school within one-half mile walking distance; Bicentennial Park and central square provide green space
• Sidewalks are wide and street rights-of-way narrow to better accommodate pedestrians; attractive landscaping helps beautify residential and commercial areas
• Grid street pattern facilitates walking throughout neighborhood and connections to rest of central Franklin
• Neighborhood is next to a spectacular vista of Harpeth River, a unique waterfront adjacent to downtown

Committed City Officials and Engaged Citizens

• Initial planning effort started in 1988 by then-Mayor Jerry Sharber, Planning Commission Chairman Lynn Hallum, and Planning Director Bob Martin
• Current Mayor Tom Miller leads public and city council support and adoption of  both 2004 Franklin Land Use and 2004 Central Franklin Area plans
• Franklin joins National Park Service's Certified Local Government program in 1990; program recognizes communities where citizens are proactive for historic preservation efforts

Historic Heritage 

• Original neighborhood made up of Montrose Place Addition, a planned community platted in 1911 using traditional street grid; four north-south boulevards became magnificently landscaped esplanades; developer put in $1 million in improvements
• Has five city-designated historic districts: Courtlandt Place (1996), Westmoreland (1997), Avondale East (1999), Avondale West (2007), and Audubon Place (2009); Courtlandt Place and Westmoreland on National Register of Historic Places
• Architectural styles include Victorian, Queen Anne, Prairie, American Four Square, Craftsman, Bungalow, Mission, Colonial and Tudor Revival. The landmark Link-Lee House (1912) is exceptional example of Neo-Classical architecture with Arts and Crafts influences; listed on National Register of Historic Places, it occupies an entire city block and since 1947 has served as administrative offices for University of St. Thomas
• Boyhood home of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes (now University of St. Thomas's Modern Language Building); Montrose also home of Lyndon B. Johnson when he taught high school in the 1920s

Amenities and Community Resources

• Vibrant retail and entertainment destination, from high-end boutiques, upscale spas, and antique merchants to second-hand furniture stores, thrift shops, and tattoo parlors; some 200 eateries including ethnic restaurants, tea and coffee shops, delis and bakeries, and fast-food restaurants; dance clubs, dive bars, and alternative lounges add to artsy feel that is present 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Art galleries and museums include the diverse and extensive Menil Collection that represents many world cultures and thousands of years of human creativity; also the Holocaust Museum Houston and Art League Houston, a $560,000 origami-inspired gallery and educational building that opened in 2007
• Parks including Buffalo Bayou, Houston's premier greenbelt; Cherryhurst, which serves as a village square; Ervan Chew, the first neighborhood park in Houston to allow dogs to legally run off-leash; Mandell has organic community garden
• Several public and private primary schools, a public magnet school, the city's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and St. Thomas University, a small college

Transportation Choices

• Nearly a dozen bus lines connect to downtown and several light rail stations
• Mix of short and long blocks offer alternative pathways throughout neighborhood; streets and buildings are on a human scale
• Recent planning efforts focus on enhanced accessibility and connectivity; "Walkable Montrose," a plan developed by the Montrose Boulevard Conservancy in 2008, seeks to reestablish this street as Houston's grand boulevard
• Houston-Galveston Area Commission's "Montrose Pedestrian & Bicyclist Plan" recommends more than $1 million in improvements for neighborhood

Engaged Community

• Montrose is the heart of Houston's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community, long an economic and political force in neighborhood; Urban Institute reports neighborhood has 10th highest U.S. concentration of same-sex couple households

• Nearly 20 active neighborhood and business associations; First Montrose Commons focuses on historic preservation efforts. The Neartown Association, an umbrella organization, is spearheading development of a Super Neighborhood Action Plan; the Museum District Business Alliance has been active since 1982
• Two management districts in neighborhood — East Montrose (2005; originally named Harris County Improvement District #6) and West Montrose (2009); approved by state legislature; districts assess local businesses to fund area improvement and services plan involving security, business development, transportation planning, amenities
• Several annual festivals and events, the most prominent being the Houston Pride Parade in June; the Westheimer Colony Arts Festival occurs in April and October; Houston Greek Festival, more than four decades old, takes place the first week in October

Patterned After British "New Towns"  

• Designed and planned by landscape architect Henry V. Hubbard, architect Joseph D. Leland III, and engineer Francis H. Bulot following  English Garden City concepts that separated residential, recreational, and commercial areas from industrial uses
• Four blocks by 11 blocks in size, the original plan  had plots for four churches, an elementary school, parks, and public spaces; a commercial area with service-type businesses was located along Warwick Boulevard; a library and fire station were added later as part of the historic district
• Planners used modified grid iron street pattern; streets were purposely made narrow (20-50 feet) to discourage automobile traffic in residential areas of village
• English, Dutch Colonial, and pre-Georgian architectural themes emerge in the design of the neighborhood's 500 houses that vary in style and size to avoid a "tract house" appearance; lot widths vary between 25 and 40 feet; houses are 1½  to 2½ stories

Unique Sense of Place

• Complete neighborhood with easily accessible recreational activities within walking, and biking distances: a long pier that provides fishing, a beach, a library, schools, and a small park that runs along the ravine of the banks of the James River
• Streets are narrow to enhance the vista of green areas and to discourage an expected surge of automobile traffic through the neighborhood stemming from increased car ownership during the 1920s; today, the narrow streets help calm area traffic
• Commercial area includes a library, an Art Deco performing arts theater, restaurants, an art gallery, antique, jewelry, and gift shops; commercial area is mostly made up of row houses and duplexes intermingled; commercial activities on ground floors with residential units on upper floors of many buildings
• City secured a $2.2 million matching grant for streetscape improvements along Warwick Boulevard corridor commercial area between 1995 and 1997;  patchy concrete sidewalk replaced with decorative special Hilton blend concrete pavers; other amenities include widened street median with trees, decorative planters, racks, benches, trash receptacles, period lighting, and specially designed signs for the businesses to complement the historic theme of the commercial area

Community Engagement and Future Model  

• Residents defeated a proposal by Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation to widen Warwick Boulevard travel lanes by narrowing sidewalks to accommodate increased traffic
• City of Newport News recently adopted Framework for the Future 2030, a comprehensive plan that includes a section on historic preservation; citizens participating in development of the plan expressed preferences for many of the Garden City principles embodied in Historic Hilton Village, including compact neighborhoods with sidewalks, bicycle trails, and nearby parks
• In 2000, Historic Hilton Village made changes to its standard regulatory processes to allow a smart growth approach to development; changes included establishing a special zoning overlay district, and changes to both the site plan and subdivision ordinances  

Natural Environment Emphasis

• Offers spectacular views of the confluence of two rivers and distant mountains; waterways provide opportunities for swimming, kayaking, rafting
• Both coniferous and deciduous trees, many of exotic stock, found throughout  neighborhood as recommended in 1907 by Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects of Brookline, Massachusetts
• City's first public park located here; 10-acre Coeur d'Alene Park features a replica of its original gazebo where residents gather for summer concerts. Upcoming renovations to Overlook Park with expansive river views from neighborhood's west end, to include cliff-side trail repairs
• Near hiking trails and a bicycle path that extends to Idaho

Diverse Housing Stock

• Practically every residential style fashionable in the Pacific Northwest from 1880 to 1930 is found here; many stately mansions have carriage houses and expansive gardens. Architect Kirtland Cutter's design for the exotic Patrick Clark home is based on palaces of Islamic Spain and stands out among surrounding English Tudors and Queen Anne–style homes. Many houses have been restored although some previously converted into apartments exist as condominiums.
• Several low-rise apartment buildings erected following 1958 rezoning;  condominium development mini-boom occurred during past five years
• Browne's Addition offers a variety of housing opportunities at nearly all income levels; apartments rent from $300 and new condominiums sell for more than $600,000. According to 2000 U.S. Census, 90 percent of the neighborhood's 1,200 housing units are renter occupied

Historic Nature

• All but 43 acres designated a National Historic District in 1976; accounts for five percent of the city's locally registered historic buildings and 16 percent of its nationally registered ones; neighborhood currently has 239 historic buildings
• Historic structure renovation began in earnest in the 1980s as private funds became  available; significant tax incentives offered through  national Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 spurred interest in restoration
• Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, located in Browne's Addition, offers classes on home restoration and local history given neighborhood's commitment to restoring historic houses and maintaining area's historic integrity

Commitment to Planning

• Spokane's first neighborhood, Browne's Addition consists of a 160-acre homestead claimed in 1878 by John J. Browne upon his arrival from Portland, Oregon. Platted in 1880s, the land's level terrain is well suited for a conventional grid pattern
• Community Development Block Grant used in 1980 to fund neighborhood design planning process in order to reverse nearly five decades of decline;  resulting plan gives rise to public-private partnership focused on revitalization
• Special overlay zoning is adopted in 1984 as part of the plan; helps define and protect  community's physical characteristics. Other regulations put into place to encourage  revitalization of neighborhood's commercial area
• Victorian-style street lights, signage, sidewalks, and bus shelters consistent with  neighborhood's historic character are installed as part of implementing design plan; county's first traffic circle, which surrounds a flower garden, is constructed in center of retail area

Strong Sense of Community

• Browne's Addition Steering Committee, formed in 1976, is leading force in neighborhood revitalization; initiated community improvement activities, including development of 1984 design plan
• The Vintage Faith Community and All Saints Lutheran Church actively engage residents, regardless of religious affiliation. The Vintage Faith Community hosts a Halloween carnival, Easter egg hunt, and neighborhood barbecues and block parties; All Saints Lutheran Church provides a free meal to the homeless each week, sponsors a small food bank, and hosts an annual spaghetti dinner and neighborhood yard sale
• Browne's Addition is the site of numerous events including the annual ArtFest and summer concerts at Coeur d'Alene Park, Elkfest, and monthly historical walking tours;  annual Lilac Bloomsday Run sweeps through neighborhood