Planner’s Portfolio: Character Areas

The first issue in the Planner’s Portfolio series focuses on defining the Character Areas identified in Delaware County 2035.

The Planning Department is developing a Planner’s Portfolio series, an easy-to-read information series on a range of planning-related community topics. Each issue covers a unique topic and provides strategies to achieving common community goals.

The first issue focuses on defining the Characters Areas that are identified in Delaware County 2035, the County’s comprehensive plan. It organizes the diverse place types of the County into Character Areas and Central Places. The County has four Character Area types, which are broad areas with similar development patterns and characteristics. Most communities have a spectrum including all four Character Areas and any individual location includes characteristics of multiple Character Areas.

The four types of Character Areas are: Mature Neighborhoods, Growing Suburbs, Greenways, and Open Space. There are also four types of Central Places; all are community focal points that reinforce or establish a sense of place and character. The four types of Central Places are: Urbanized Centers, Town Centers, Neighborhood Centers, and Activity Corridors.

The Planner’s Portfolio series will focus on Mature Neighborhoods, Growing Suburbs, Central Places (Urbanized Centers, Town Centers, and Neighborhood Centers), and Activity Corridors. This issue emphasizes the unique characteristics of these areas to give a better understand of the issues and opportunities they face.

For more information, check out the Character Areas issue or the entire Planner’s Portfolio series.