South Downtown Orlando: Setback and Streetscape Requirements


South Downtown is a 550-acre area generally bound by the East-West Expressway, S. Orange Avenue, Michigan Street, and I-4.  

Given the area’s proximity to Downtown Orlando, South Downtown is envisioned as the next logical frontier for expanding and supporting the City core. 

A document called the South Downtown Vision Plan was created by the City of Orlando, Economic Development, Department City Planning Division and the Community Planning Studio. Also, a Task Force is currently studying the S. Orange Avenue and Michigan Street corridors and will be responsible for the creation of the Orange/Michigan Vision Plan.
Together, these plans address many topics including:
  1. Turning Industrial Areas into a Residential Urban Core
  2. Transportation
  3. Setback and Streetscape Requirements
  4. Transect Planning
The Task Force Members are Business Owners on Orange Avenue and Michigan Street, Neighborhood Association Members, the Downtown South Main Street association and Property Owners.

They act as the advisory Body on the Future Development of the Corridor and create recommendations for the Municipal Planning Board and City Council 

The task Force is studying Urban Form, Architectural Design, Transportation, and Streetscape techniques to ensure appropriate transitions to lower density neighborhoods and protection for pedestrians.

One thing the plan contains among many (so far) is setback and street requirements.


Setback and Streetscape Requirements

1. Orange Avenue corridor (Orange Avenue is an FDOT road, which means the state sets the standards for improvements and maintains those improvements)
  1. Buildings must be set back 20 feet from the back-of-curb. 
  2. There will 6 ft. landscaped strip, 7 ft. sidewalk and 7 ft. “courtyard.” 
  3. Outdoor dining, outdoor display of merchandise, menu signs, bike racks, outdoor furniture, canopies, arcades, etc. will be allowed in the "courtyards" (private property). 
  4. 13 ft. streetscape section allows for enough room for future streetscapes where trees/landscaping is located between sidewalk and street. 
2. Michigan Street corridor (Michigan Street is a County road, which means the county sets the standards for improvements and maintains those improvements.) 
  1. Buildings must be set back 20 feet from the back-of-curb (13 ft. easement, 7 ft. setback) 
  2. 7.5 ft. landscaped strip, 6 ft. sidewalk, 7.5 ft. landscape strip 
  3. Canopy trees to be staggered in 2 landscape strips (or tree wells) to provide continuous shade  
  4. Greater setback could be permitted to allow a wider sidewalk
3. Side streets
  1. 15 ft. minimum front yard and street side yard setbacks, unless zoning district allows lesser setbacks 
  2. Sidewalks should connect Orange Avenue and Michigan Street to adjacent residential neighborhoods even where they do not exist today 
  3. Generally, residential standards require a 7.5 ft. parkstrip planted with canopy trees and a 5-6 ft. sidewalk
  4. Sidewalks should meet the City’s standards for Residential sidewalks, except where specific street conditions require modifications. 
The proposed plan will prescribe setbacks that will allow flexibility to install streetscapes in the future, and the City will continue to coordinate with the County and FDOT to allow streetscapes

1. Orange Avenue Corridor





2. Michigan Street Corridor



3. Side Streets

Pineloch Ave

Pineloch Ave Potential Redevelopment Scenario with added sidewalks, crosswalks, medians, trees, streetscaping and more dense residential construction