(View Map Full-Size HERE)
One of the largest urban planning and development projects ever undertaken by the City of Orlando is the Southeast Orlando Sector Plan. The 19,300 acres east of the Orlando International Airport include Lake Nona, Medical City, East Park and other neighborhoods.
From Chapter 68 (View HERE):
- The purpose of these land use and urban design guidelines and standards is to create a sustainable and balanced community in the Southeast Orlando Sector Plan area with the characteristics of traditional "Orlando": where streets are convenient and comfortable for walking, where parks are a focus for public activity, and where the life and vitality of a mid-sized town can be enjoyed by its residents and visitors.
Highlights from the Plan Guidelines: (View full Guidelines HERE)
- Identity and community are often lost in the faceless growth of many suburban areas. Typically, each developer works on a separate track to build and market their property. Public facilities and civic spaces are often placed on the left over, least expensive land. The result is a disjointed series of subdivisions, rather than a community of people and places.
- the trees planted along major boulevards and the scale of local streets
- the pattern of residential districts that focus on village and neighborhood centers
- the design of homes and commercial buildings
- the proximity to nature
A sense of community can be nurtured through the town’s physical structure.
- Each residential district should be scaled to the pedestrian, making casual interactions among neighbors possible.
- Schools and parks should be focal points for neighborhood activities, rather than anonymous institutions and large no-man’s lands.
- Commercial districts should integrate public facilities and spaces, creating a civic atmosphere typical of more traditional downtowns.
Rail Service:
Rail service, most likely an extension of an airport connection, is a long term prospect that has the potential to link Southeast Orlando’s Town Center to other regional destinations.
The mix of uses at commercial centers should encourage “trip linking” so that several errands can be accomplished in one stop. Rail service, most likely an extension of an airport connection, is a long term prospect that has the potential to link Southeast Orlando’s Town Center to other regional destinations.
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