City of Huntington Beach, May 2021
Downtown
Urban Design Study
Huntington Beach, CA
SWOT ANAL YSIS
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Existing Context: Study Areas
MAIN STREET ACTIVATION
Main Street
5 minute walk radius
5th Street
6th Street
PACIFIC CITY
STRAND PARKING
STRUCTURE
MAIN ST
GARAGE
HUNTINGTON CITY BEACH
Walnut Ave
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN EXTENTS
Existing bike infrastructure
Pacific View Avenue
Pacific Coast Highway
Olive St
Orange Ave
2nd Street
Huntington St
Alabama St
Lake St
Atlanta Avenue
Designated for Visitor-Serving Commercial
Uses in the Downtown Specific Plan
Designated Neighborhood Subdistrict in the
Downtown Specific Plan
Downtown Specific Plan Boundary
LEGEND
Existing Bike Infrastructure
Public Parking Lot or Garage
1st Street
P
P
P
P
P
P
HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER
3rd Street
DOWNTOWN CONNECTIONS
5 minute walk radius
INTERNATIONAL
SURFING MUSEUM
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Street Parking Sidewalk SeatingParkletBike Corral
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
WALNUT AVE
ORANGE AVE
OLIVE AVE
MAIN ST
FIRST BLOCK
EXISTING STREET ACTIVATION ON MAIN STREET ( April 2021)
SECOND BLOCK
PARKING GARAGE
TO PIER
THIRD BLOCK
Sidewalk RetailStreet Closure Sidewalk Dining
Main Street Activation: Strengths
Pedestrian scaled main street with existing streetscape and placemaking components such as widened sidewalks, trees and street lighting.
1 - SCALE 2 - ACTIVITY 3 - MAIN STREET PILOT
Low vacancy rate on Main Street - existing active retail and F&B businesses, as well as sidewalk vendors that activate the three blocks of Main Street. This area is designated for Visitor-Serving Commercial Uses on the ground floor through the Downtown Specific Plan. Main Street already has a local and international draw/visitation.
Successful street closure on the second block and street dining initiative on all three blocks sustained through COVID-19, without major impacts to traffic.
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Strengths
Existing Main Street Programming – Weekly Farmers’
markets as well as other annual and seasonal
events hosted on the street and attended by a large
audience.
4 - PROGRAMMING 5 - BRAND 6 - PARKING
Surf City identity is a strong local brand. It lends
uniqueness to Huntington Beach as a destination. This
was reflected in signage, transit benches, etc.
Existing City parking garages with over 1200 parking
stalls, and street parking on adjacent streets support
current need. Bike corrals and parking for skateboards
are provided on Main Street in addition to vehicular
parking.
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Weaknesses
Lack of certainty of street space
availability for businesses to make
investments in outdoor dining or parklets
Lack of consistency in visual character and
aesthetic for al fresco dining, street trees,
furnishings, landscaping etc. to create a
welcoming and cohesive environment
Limited public space amenities such as
seating and shade
Need for improved feeling of safety and
inclusivity for all users in the evenings/ at
night
Better wayfinding for both pedestrians
and vehicles from Pacific Coast Highway
to highlight Main Street as a destination
Diversity of tenanting needed to make the
first block more active throughout the day
and evening
Landscape acts more as a barrier,
especially along the third block, separating
the ground floor facade activity and
sidewalk from the street
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2 3
3 4
5 6
7 75
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Opportunities/Possibilities
Build on the success of the COVID-19 pilot to create a permanent urban plaza that compliments the pier plaza, and serves as an outdoor community living room with dining, art, shade, and lighting on the second block
Better connect the first block with the public activity on the Pier through visual and pedestrian enhancements, such as a mural scramble crosswalk or creative crosswalks
Develop Al Fresco design guidelines focused on a more unified palette of treatments and materiality
Create more opportunities along the first block for programming and retail activity to spill into the public realm
Reposition the Post Office property on the third block as an opportunity for adaptive reuse or mixed-use development
Improve and unify the streetscape through a cohesive tree palette Improve ground-level landscaping on the third block to create more porosity of activity on the ground floor.
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3 4
5 6
7 2
RESTAURANTS WITH
PARKING GARAGE BEHIND
PUBLIC PARKING
SPORTING GOODS +
DINING ABOVE
SURF SHOP + SPORTING
GOODS
WALNUT AVENUE
OLIVE AVE
ORANGE AVE
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
FIRST BLOCKPIER SECOND BLOCK THIRD BLOCK
RETAIL & RESTAURANTS
SMALL RETAIL
INTERNATIONAL
SURF MUSEUM
POST
OFFICE SURFACE
LOT
RETAIL & RESTAURANTS
RESIDENTIAL ABOVE
7 VISITOR COMMUNITYURBAN LIVING ROOM
4 5
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Opportunities/Possibilities
CONSISTENCY THROUGH BRANDING, DESIGN GUIDELINES OR KIT OF PARTS FOR DINING
URBAN DINING PLAZA / COMMUNAL SEATING ON THE SECOND BLOCKLANDSCAPE AND LIGHTING AS UNIFYING STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS ACROSS ALL THREE BLOCKS
FLEXIBLE URBAN/PEDESTRIAN PLAZA WITH PROGRAMMED ACTIVITY ON THE FIRST OR SECOND BLOCK 2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Opportunities/Possibilities
PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLE CONNECTING TO THE ACTIVITY OF THE PIERTREE-LINED PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE OR SHARED STREET ON THE FIRST BLOCK
INTERSECTION MURALS / CREATIVE CROSSWALKS AT ENTRY TO MAIN STREETADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE POST OFFICE AND PARKING LOT ON THE THIRD BLOCK
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Main Street Activation: Threats
Lack of consensus or support from businesses and residents on permanent street reconfigurations.
Lack of resources for governance, management and
maintenance of new/added public spaces and public amenities. 1 2
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Strengths
Main Street is located within
walking distance to key
destinations such as Pacific City
and accessible by resort visitors
Existing network of streets
provides multiple routes for
pedestrian access to Main Street
There is a density and diversity of
people -- visitors and residents
in the catchment area for Main
Street
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
LAND USES
Downtown Specific Plan Area
Downtown Core - Mixed Use
Visitor-Serving Mixed-Use
Visitor-Serving Recreation
Established Residential
Multi-family Residential
Beach
1 2
3 10-minute walk
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
1st STREET
6th STREET
HUNTINGTON STREET
HYATT REGENCY
HILTON WATERFRONT
BEACH RESORT
PACIFIC CITY
MAIN ST
HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER
5- m
inute walk
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Weaknesses
Fast moving traffic, constrained sidewalks and lack of mid-block crossings along Pacific Coast Highway contribute to a reduced pedestrian experience.
No clear entry experience from the south and lack of pedestrian wayfinding and branding elements that can highlight the presence of Main Street further south along Pacific Coast Highway
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PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
WALNUT AVE
2nd STREET
3rd STREET
MAIN STREET
CONSTRAINED
SIDEWALKS
INTERRUPTED BY
DRIVEWAYS
LACK OF CROSSING /
CROSSWALK
NO BRANDING OR
WAYFINDING SIGNAGE
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Weaknesses
Atypical street grid and
missing crosswalks at
Walnut St and 1st St
creates lack of legibility
and barrier to safe
pedestrian connections,
where pedestrians
are forced to use
landscaped median as
refuge.
Existing oil operations
create challenges for
realignment of street
grid. Industrial uses are
visually problematic
and inconsistent with
the long-term goals for
Downtown.
1st Street needs more
character as the
gateway/ entrance to
Downtown from the
other destinations to the
south.
3 4
5 MISSING CROSSWALK
OIL DRILLING SITES
1st STREET
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
WALNUT AVE
PACIFIC VIEW AVE
2nd STREEET
WALNUT AVE
MEDIAN CREATES
A BARRIER
LACK OF CHARACTER AND ACTIVATED
EDGES ON 1ST STREET
MISSING PEDESTRIAN
CROSSING
MISSING STREET LINK
1st ST and WALNUT AVE
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
Improving pedestrian wayfinding to
Main Street from the south along
Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut
with a branded experience by
implementing a signage/wayfinding
program.
Create a visual gateway element
at 1st Street and PCH to mark the
entrance into Downtown on the
South (mentioned in the Downtown
Specific Plan)
Pedestrianize Pacific Coast Highway
with wider sidewalks, especially at the
pinch points, with coordination from
property owners fronting the street or
Caltrans
Explore working with CalTrans to
reconfigure Pacific Coast Highway
from 3 to 2 lanes on each side, from
6th Street to Huntington St, to
create spaace for improved bike and
pedestrian infrastructure.
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
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3 4
Main Street
5th Street
6th Street
Walnut Ave
Pacific View Avenue
Pacific Coast Highway
Olive St Orange Ave
2nd Street
Huntington St
Alabama St
Lake St
Atlanta Avenue
3rd Street
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3 2
3 4
4 EXISTING CONDITION
NORTH OF 6th ST - 2
LANES EACH WAY
EXISTING CONDITION
6th ST TO
HUNTINGTON ST - 3
LANES EACH WAY
EXISTING CONDITION SOUTH OF
HUNTINGTON ST - 2 LANES EACH WAY
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081
PROTECTED BIKE LANESBANNER SIGNAGE FOR BRANDING AND PEDESTRIAN WAYFINDING LANDSCAPE BUFFERS ALONG SIDEWALKIDENTITY ELEMENT AT THE PIER PLAZAGATEWAY ELEMENT AT 1st & PCH Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
Realign Walnut Avenue to connect to
Pacific View Ave through existing oil sites,
using a land purchase or swap (outside of
downtown).
Explore a ped/bike trail cutting through
an easement on the oil sites to maintain
pedestrian and bike connectivity to Main
Street.
Improve pedestrian crossing infrastructure
at all intersections along 1st St, 2nd St and
Walnut Avenue leading to Main Street.
Activate the triangular corner city-owned
parcel with retail or civic uses to extend
the Downtown experience to first street.
Explore converting the City-owned public
surface parking lot at 1st and Orange to a
neighborhood-serving retail / corner park
use as an entry point into Downtown from
the residential neighborhood.
Explore the potential for a street mural on
1st Street between PCH and Pacific View
Avenue to create a strong visual gateway
while calming traffic and creating a
pedestrian-first street.
1st STREET & WALNUT AVENUE
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6 7
8 10
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9 10
2nd Street
Pacific View Ave
Pacific Coast Higghwaay
Walnut Avenue
RETAIL COMMUNITYNEW STREET
NEW TRAIL
Walnut Avenue Olive Avenue Orange Avenue
To Main Street
1st Street
8 9
GATEWAY
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
1st STREET & WALNUT AVENUE
RETAIL/RESTAURANT ACTIVATION AT 1st & WALNUT
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
1st STREET & WALNUT AVENUE
MULTI-USE TRAIL OR GREEN ALLEY CONNECTING PACIFIC VIEW AVE TO WALNUT ST ASPHALT MURAL ON 1st ST BETWEEN PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND PACIFIC VIEW AVE CREATIVE/ ARTISTIC CROSSWALKS ALONG 1st STREET
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE AND/OR LOCAL RETAIL AT 1st & ORANGE COMMUNITY AMENITIES - DOG PARK AND/OR PASSIVE PLAY AT 1st & ORANGE Downtown Connections: Opportunities/Possibilities
1st STREET & ORANGE AVE
2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Downtown Connections: Threats
If Caltrans and City are not aligned on a vision for Pacific Coast Highway any pedestrian improvements might prove to be an uphill battle.
Process to consolidate oil extraction operations on one site to create greater permeability and alignment of the street grid, might be long- drawn out or complex.
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2021 | City of Huntington Beach | Downtown Urban Design Study | 21081 Thank you