South Greensboro Area Plan - Public Review Draft - 9.25.25

Commercial-Residential Transitions

One area of focus for south Greensboro could be the transitional zones where commercial sites meet residential neighborhoods. These areas often suffer from poor design and maintenance—featuring the backs and sides of commercial buildings that are unsightly, with degraded or unkempt buffers, missing sidewalks, and poorly landscaped access points, parking areas, and driveways. Street-facing building sides are frequently blank walls, contributing little to the public realm.

In contrast, newly designed shopping centers typically give careful attention to these transitions. They often incorporate shared parking, enhanced access, and coordinated landscaping to create a more seamless and visually appealing interface between commercial and residential uses—effectively supporting a horizontal mixed-use environment. Retrofitting these older areas can involve relatively straightforward improvements, such as adding landscaped islands in parking lots, shortening and

Draft

Conceptual rendering of a commercial-residential transitional zone with street and sidewalk improvements, landscaping, and public art. (Source: Bolton & Menk)

56 / SOUTH GREENSBORO AREA PLAN

NEAR-TERM SOLUTIONS

PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT - 9/25/25