Prepared for the Citizens of Forsyth County by the City-County Planning Board Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building 100 East First Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336.727.8000 www.cityofws.org/planning www.legacy2030.com Adopted by: City-County Planning Board August 9, 2012 City of Winston-Salem November 5, 2012 County of Forsyth November 26, 2012 Village of Tobaccoville November 1, 2012 Town of Bethania January 10, 2013 Town of Lewisville January 10, 2013 Town of Rural Hall January 15, 2013 Town of Kernersville February 5, 2013 Village of Clemmons February 11, 2013 Town of Walkertown February 28, 2013 Publication Date: August 2013
Introduction...1 The 2001 Legacy Plan...2 Why Update Legacy?...2 Themes...3 Organization...4 1. Legacy Vision and Goals...5 Growth Management Plan...6 Transportation Alternatives...7 Regional Planning and Development...8 Economic Vitality...8 Environmental Quality...9 Open Space, Parks, and Greenways...10 City and Town Centers...10 Building Better Neighborhoods...11 Community Character...12 Community Life...13 Active Citizenship...14 2. Updated Trends...15 Regional Growth Trends...16 Forsyth County Population Projections, Density and the Demand for Land...17 Future Employment Opportunities and Trends...21 Population Diversity...23 Conclusion...24 3. Growth Management Plan...25 Goal...26 Introduction...26 The Development Continuum...28 Growth Management...29 Compact Growth in Appropriate Areas...32 Limited Public Investment in the Rural Area...34 Conclusion...34 4. Land Use...41 Goal...42 Introduction...42 Strategies Worked?...43 Design and Compatibility...48 Mixed-Use Development...51 Increase Infill Development/ Redevelopment...53 Land Use Regulations...55 Area Plans and Land Use...56 Land Use Map Maintenance...58 Conclusion...58 5. Transportation...59 Goal...60 Introduction...60 Strategies Worked?...61 Land Use and Transportation Coordination...64 Integrated Multimodal Transportation Network...67 Street Design...69 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation...71 Public Transportation...74 Regional Transportation...76 Commuter Rail...77 Freight Transportation...78 Air Transportation...79 Travel Demand Reduction...80 Transportation Funding...81 Transportation Planning Process...82 Protection of the Environment...83 Healthy, Active Transportation...84 Environmental Justice...84 Conclusion...84 6. Economic Development...85 Goal...86 Introduction...86 Strategies Worked?...86 Economic Vitality and High-Technology Industries...89 Education...92 Business Sites...93 Revitalization of Older Business Sites...95 Conclusion...96 TABLE OF CONTENTS
7. Environmental Quality and Sustainability...97 Goal...98 Introduction...98 Strategies Worked?...98 Land Preservation, Open Space, and Critical Habitats...99 Water Quality and Conservation...103 Environmentally Sensitive and Sustainable Development...106 Air Quality...107 Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Alternatives...108 Light and Noise Pollution...110 Waste Management...111 Environmental Regulations...112 Environmental and Sustainability Awareness...112 Conclusion...114 8. Healthy, Complete, and Equitable Communities...115 Goal...116 Introduction...116 Strategies Worked?...117 Promote and Protect Health and Equity...118 Design for Active and Healthy Living...120 Health Equity...122 Age-Friendly Communities...123 Food Access...126 Parks, Recreational Facilities, and Open Space...130 Greenways...131 Educational Facilities...133 Safety and Security...134 Conclusion...136 9. Community Character...137 Goal...138 Introduction...138 Strategies Worked?...138 Design and Development...140 Public Art...143 Community Pride and Appearance...144 Support Historic Preservation...145 Government Coordination and Historic Resources...149 Community Awareness of Historic Preservation...150 Conclusion...152 10. Downtown and the Center City...153 Goal...154 Introduction...154 Strategies Worked?...156 Existing Planning in Downtown and the Center City...157 Design and Development...158 Housing...160 Retail and Office Development...161 Streetscape Character...163 Transportation...164 Parking...166 Conclusion...168 11. Neighborhoods and Towns...169 Goal...170 Introduction...170 Strategies Worked?...171 Urban Neighborhoods Complete Neighborhoods...173 Urban Neighborhoods Preservation, Revitalization, and Adaptive Reuse...174 Urban Neighborhoods Infill...176 Urban Neighborhoods Commercial Areas...178 Suburban Neighborhoods Livable and Sustainable Neighborhoods...180 Suburban Neighborhoods Aging Shopping Centers...181 Activity Centers...183 Growth Corridors...185 Forsyth County Towns...187 Conclusion...192 12. Rural Character...193 Goal...194 Introduction...194 Strategies Worked?...196 Farmland/Agricultural Enterprises...197 Open Space/Scenic Vistas...200 Development Recommendations...201 Recreational Opportunities...202 Historic Rural Area Resources...203 Conclusion...204 13. Area Plans...205 Goal...206 Introduction...206 Accomplishments since 2001...206 Plan Content and Focus...207 Plan Document...208 Plan Participation...208 Internal Plan Process...209 Area Plan Strategies and Policies from other Legacy 2030 Chapters...211 14. Key Public Investments...213 Goal...214 Introduction...214 Strategies Worked?...215 ii LEGACY 2030
Strategic Infrastructure Improvements...215 Economic Competitiveness...219 Overall Quality of Life...221 Conclusion...222 Glossary...223 Awards...238 Acknowledgements...239 Figures 2-1. Winston-Salem Population/ Population Density by Decade, 1920-2010...18 2-2. Forsyth County Serviceable Land Allocation, 2010...19 2-3. Future Land Threshold Scenarios...20 2-4. Future Population Capacity Scenarios...21 3-1. Urban to Rural Continuum...27 3-2. Growth Management Areas...35-40 5-1. Transportation Affordability...63 6-1. Business/Industry Cluster Targets for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County and the North Carolina Metropolitan Regions...88 6-2. Forsyth County Job Composition by Employment Sector...92 8-1. Community Design Research...120 9-1. Historic Designations...146 9-2. National Register Districts Created Since Adoption of 2001 Legacy...146 9-3. Local Historic Studies...147 14-1. Net Tax Value per Acre, 2011...216 Maps 2-1. North Carolina s Piedmont Crescent...16 2-2. Piedmont Triad Region...17 2-3. Piedmont Triad Development Patterns, 2010...17 2-4. Municipal Boundary Expansions, 1980-2010...18 2-5. Muddy Creek Basin...19 2-6. Developed Land Outside the Rural Area...19 3-1. Growth Management Areas Relationship to Muddy Creek Basin...29 3-2. Growth Management Plan...30 4-1. Forsyth County Existing Land Use...46 4-2. Forsyth County Proposed Land Use...47 5-1. Winston-Salem Urban Area MPO...62 5-2. Road Projects of Areawide Significance...68 6-1. Future Industrial Opportunity Areas..94 7-1. Environmental Features...101 8-1. Accessibility to Fresh Food...127 10-1. Downtown Winston-Salem and the Center City...155 11-1. Winston-Salem Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area...171 11-2. Forsyth County Towns...187 12-1. Growth Management Area 5 Rural Areas...195 12-2. Western Rural Area Study...196 13-1. Area Plan Boundaries...210 Tables 2-1. Selected Demographics, Forsyth County and United States, 1990 and 2010...22 4-1. Existing and Proposed Land Use...45 14-1. Sample Costs of Local Municipal Services...217 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii