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ANALYSIS : AFRAMEWORK FORDOWNTOWNBLACKSBURG

CHAPTER 2

TOWN IDENTITY

Accommodating future growth will mean aligning land use and transportation policies to reduce single-occupancy vehicles as the primary means of transportation. If we continue on this trajectory, with housing becoming less affordable and traffic congestion increasing in the Downtown area, local companies who are not tied to Downtown may find it more bene ficial to move closer to where their employees live— outside of Downtown, and potentially outside of Blacksburg. The resulting job loss, particularly of non-university jobs, will stunt Blacksburg’s ability to diversify and strengthen its economy. Furthermore, fewer non-university employees will mean a less diversified Downtown, with uses focused more on the needs of the university community, rather than providing for the non-university community as well.

Density and Sprawl

Multifamily housing can be built on 93%

Thoughtfully designed, greater density can improve transitions and connectivity Downtown, as well as attract new growth to what is already the employment and activity center of Blacksburg. In best practice urban design, the center of a community is its densest area, becoming a vibrant place where residential and commercial uses co-exist and residents, visitors, and workers can access different amenities in close proximity. The more housing, retail, and office space that is available close together, the less there is a need for such development to happen on the peripheries of a community. This reduction in sprawl is beneficial to the environment, to reduced traffic congestion, to infrastructure, and to living costs. Downtown Blacksburg today is fairly low density and low intensity relative to comparable downtowns. As a result, much of the new housing, retail, and office development has occurred outside of Downtown, along South Main, down US-460, and into Christiansburg. Yet, Virginia Tech’s Campus and Downtown are still the employment centers of the region. Nearly 16,000 workers commute into Blacksburg each day, while just 5,350 employees both live and work in town, and 4,700 commute out of town. The resulting traffic congestion has been highlighted through this strategic process as the number one concern of Blacksburg residents. Given the town’s existing street grid, Blacksburg is unable Traffic and Employment

less land area

Close-in, multifamily housing can cut

31%

traffic by

BLACKSBURG HOSTS 21,000 EMPLOYEES EACH DAY

= 1,000 employees

37 Downtown Blacksburg Strategic Plan

15,900 COMMUTE INTO TOWN

5,350 BOTH LIVE AND WORK IN TOWN

4,700 COMMUTE OUT OF TOWN

to expand its road infrastructure to accommodate increased traffic.