Building Height Requirements

Yes, the building height requirements seem to conflict with the intent of the credit to provide walkable streets. It does not seem to relate to urban fabric project sites. This needs to be modified in subsequent versions of the pilot credit.

I'd agree with both Andrew and Richard and I'll offer the following potential strategy for improving this credit: Perhaps the proportional requirement between building height and distance of building from the center of the street can be based on the surrounding density of the area. For example, in lower density areas, perhaps the ratio could drop to 1:2. Inversely, for higher density areas the proportions could be increased to 1:1. The density of the surrounding area of a project could be determined similarly to how it is determined in SS credit 2, Development Density & Community Connectivity.

I agree that the building height requirements of this credit don't apply to many urban settings. If you consider the average building heights in Hollywood or Nashville, for example, even those buildings might not be able to achieve this part of the Walkable Sites credit. I also wonder how the building heights make a project site "walkable" and isn't this requirement already covered by the Development Density credit? Street widths are usually designated rights of way within a city, and building heights are regulated by the zoning code, so this part of the Walkable Sites credit disincentives certain projects from incorporating other facets of this credit which might improve the overall walkability of any site.