Major Views and Open Spaces

GOAL: Protect major views and spaces open to the public in the downtown and where appropriate create new views and space open to the public.

• Consider preserving or restoring important views of the natural and physical environments, particularly views of the waterfront, the University of Tampa Minarets, Union Station, City Hall (historical building), and the Hillsborough County Courthouse as viewed from the Madison Street corridor.

• Discourage the construction of skywalks across streets that conflict with views.

• Where new buildings are proposed at the end of a street, except at waterfront edge locations, consider designs and landscaping to create a visual focus.

• The design of new buildings should be sensitive to the impact on important views from existing buildings and from the streets.

• Ensure that flat roofs or terraces of more than 30 square feet of all new mid- to low- rise developments should be visually appealing when viewed from above by:
  • Considering the use of outdoor cafes.
  • Considering designs that incorporate flowers and landscaping on roof tops.
  • Requiring all new development and major renovation projects to provide an architectural treatment which shall use a minimum of two shades of a surface material (gravel, pavement etc.) in a coordinated design (example: two shades of gravel laid in a pattern).
  • Screening all roof top mechanical equipment from the top and sides. 

• Roofscapes should be encouraged as usable and attractive outdoor space.

• Develop pedestrian oriented plazas and open spaces at ground level by:
  • Providing public plazas with convenient and safe access from public pedestrian paths
  • Providing functional public plazas that support multiple pedestrian related activities, i.e., seating, viewing, strolling, eating, congregating, sunning, etc.
  • Providing attractive focal point(s) in public plazas that are visible from major pedestrian paths and vehicular streets. 

• Encouraging the design of privately owned public spaces on private property to complement the design features of adjacent public rights-of-way.