Design Review Program
Applicant's Toolbox: Design Guidelines

Multifamily and Commercial Buildings | Downtown Development | Neighborhood-Specific Design Guidelines

Design Review Guidelines for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings

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D-2 Blank Walls		 next>
D-4 Design of Parking Lots
Near Sidewalks

Guideline D-3: Retaining Walls
Retaining walls near a public sidewalk that extend higher than eye level should be avoided where possible. Where higher retaining walls are unavoidable, they should be designed to reduce their impact on pedestrian comfort and to increase the visual interest along the streetscapes.


Explanation and Examples
The following are examples of methods to treat retaining walls:

  • any of the techniques or features listed under blank walls above
  • terracing and landscaping the retaining walls
  • substituting a stone wall, rockery, modular masonry, or special material
  • locating hanging plant materials below or above the wall

 
<previous
D-2 Blank Walls		 next>
D-4 Design of Parking Lots
Near Sidewalks

 

 

Last Updated: July 15, 2005