The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission is preparing updates to the comprehensive plans for Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City, and unincorporated Hillsborough County. The Planning Commission engaged Dover, Kohl & Partners and Spikowski Planning Associates to identify approaches for improving the way these plans discourage strip commercial development and encourage mixed-use development.
Strip commercial development in its post-World War II form has been one of the most common patterns for new stores, restaurants, and service businesses. This pattern is often unsightly, it adversely affects adjoining neighborhoods, and it causes congestion on adjoining highways. Better patterns are available for developing land along suburban arterials.
The initial task in this effort was to identify national best practices plus a spectrum of methods that other communities use in comprehensive plans to discourage or repair strip commercial development and to encourage mixed-use development.
Strip Commercial and Mixed-Use Development in Hillsborough County (2014)