Principles

of Development Excellence

About

The Center of Development Excellence recommends the following Principles of Development Excellence as a guide to cities, counties, school districts, other public agencies, and the private sector as they plan and create future development and redevelopment in the region.

  • Activity Centers
  • Development Diversity
  • Educational Opportunity
  • Efficient Growth
  • Efficient Mobility Options
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Healthy Communities
  • Housing Choice
  • Pedestrian Design
  • Quality Places
  • Resource Efficiency
  • Implementation

Activity Centers

Create mixed-use developments that are centers of neighborhoods and community activities and serve as hubs of non-automobile transportation systems.

CLIDE Award Examples: Sundance Square, Plano Urban Centers, Spring Valley Station District/Centennial Park, Addison Circle, Plano Transit Village, Southlake Town Square

Development Diversity

Meet the needs of changing markets by providing a mix of development options and land use types in communities throughout the region.

CLIDE Award Examples: Plano Urban Centers, Fort Worth Urban Village Program

Educational Opportunity

Provide opportunities for all North Texans to have access to the schools, people and technology they need for success in learning throughout their lives.

Efficient Growth

Promote reinvestment and redevelopment in areas with existing infrastructure, ensure that new infrastructure supports orderly and sustainable growth, and provide coordinated regional systems of natural and built infrastructure.

CLIDE Award Examples: Sundance Square, Cityville Greenville, Gables Republic Tower, Montgomery Plaza, Plano Transit Village, The Block, State Thomas District, Trinity River Vision, Ft. Worth Urban Village Program, Addison Circle, The Tower

Efficient Mobility Options

Invest in transportation systems, facilities and operations that provide multi-modal choices for the efficient and sustainable movement of people, goods, and services.

CLIDE Award Examples: Spring Valley Station District/Centennial Park, Plano Transit Village, Addison Circle

Environmental Stewardship

Protect, retain or enhance the region's important natural assets (including its air, water, land and forests) and integrate these natural features and systems into the character of the region's communities and the experiences of its residents.

CLIDE Award Examples: Dallas' Trinity Plan, Montgomery Farm, Trinity Uptown, Urban Reserve, Trinity River Vision, DFW Airport

Healthy Communities

Identify and support functional, sustainable infrastructure and institutions that offer North Texans access to affordable, nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity, and access to wellness and primary care services.

Housing Choice

Sustain and facilitate a range of housing opportunities and choices that meets the needs of residents of all economic levels and at all stages of life.

CLIDE Award Examples: Nevada Court, The Block, Addison Circle, Mills Branch Initiative

Pedestrian Design

Create and connect pedestrian- (and bicyclist-) oriented neighborhoods, centers and places throughout the region.

CLIDE Award Examples: Montgomery Farm, Sundance Square, Lancaster Campus District Plan, Cityville Greenville, Southlake Town Square, Addison Circle, Trinity River Vision, Fort Worth Urban Village Program, Legacy Town Center, Mills Branch Initiative

Quality Places

Strengthen the identities of the region's diverse communities through preservation of significant historic structures and natural assets, creation of new landmarks and gathering spaces, use of compatible architectural and landscape design, and support for the activities and institutions that make each community unique.

CLIDE Award Examples: Sundance Square, Old Stone Dam, Southlake Town Square, Addison Circle, Plano Transit Village

Resource Efficiency

Design buildings, sites, communities and regional systems to use water, energy, and renewable resources responsibly, effectively and efficiently, and to retain non-renewable resources for the use of future generations.

CLIDE Award Examples: Nevada Court, TI Richardson Fabrication Facility, Frisco Green Building Program, DFW Airport

Implementation

Achieve the region's vision by adoption of compatible comprehensive plans and ordinances for cities and consistent investment plans for regional systems; involve citizens and stakeholders in all aspects of these planning processes.

CLIDE Award Examples: Trinity Uptown, Urban Village Program, Mills Branch Initiative, Frisco Downtown Architectural Design