Page 29 - Northville Township

Community Character Framework for Land Use Planning

This Master Plan focuses on an approach to land use planning and growth guidance that builds on the concept of
community character. This approach looks beyond the basic use of land – residential, commercial, industrial, etc. – as
only one factor that determines the ultimate compatibility and quality of land development within neighborhoods, non-
residential areas and along roadway corridors. It also promotes the ongoing integrity of open space areas intended for
minimal or no development.

The community character approach to evaluating and
planning for land use emphasizes the variation in physical Character Emphasis
conditions experienced along a spectrum from natural
and rural landscapes at the edges of a community to its Community character accounts for the physical traits
most urbanized environments, usually found in a core one can see in a neighborhood, on a busy roadway
downtown area. A character-based approach focuses on corridor or along a recreational trail or country
the intensity and design of land uses, which encompasses: lane which contribute to its “look and feel” relative
– The density and layout of residential development; to areas of the community with much different
character.
– The scale and form of non-residential development;
and Nearly any land use can occur in a range of settings

– The coverage of land surfaces by buildings and paving within a community, from the most rural and
suburban to the most urban, provided the use is
relative to the extent of open space and natural designed to match the character of its surrounding
vegetation or landscaping.
area.

Approved August 17, 2023 27