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Provo planners and students present North Park neighborhood plan focusing on affordability, bike safety and river access
Summary
City planners and NYU students presented a North Park neighborhood plan that recommends lowering minimum lot sizes, reconsidering the Residential Conservation (RC) zone, adding bike boulevards on 100 West and 300 West, improving river-trail access at Columbia Lane and targeted crosswalk upgrades; students said participating North Park residents who responded to their District 4 survey were unanimously supportive of proposed bike boulevards.
Dionne Morgan, a new planner with the Provo Planning Department, introduced a student-led neighborhood plan for North Park on Dec. 2, offering results from resident surveys and concrete proposals for zoning, mobility and river‑trail access. The students — who worked with Professor Jamin Rowan’s class and presented survey findings gathered at a District 4 meeting — said affordability and walkability topped residents’ priorities.
The student presenters urged reducing minimum lot sizes where parcels are already single‑family zoned and expanding density bonuses to encourage family housing options. They proposed dissolving or rezoning areas currently designated RC (Residential Conservation) to better reflect existing uses and to stimulate reinvestment in older homes, noting some residents told them the RC designation had acted as a disincentive to property improvements.
On transportation, students recommended two bike boulevards on 100 West (four blocks from 500 North to the proposed medical school) and 300 West (about seven blocks) to route cyclists away from high‑traffic corridors such as University Avenue and Freedom Boulevard. They cited resident feedback that favored those corridors and noted existing city plans which list 300 West as an active-transport priority. The presentation also recommended enhanced crosswalks — beginning at 500 North and 100 West — with high‑visibility markings and activated beacons, and suggested extending Cougar Boulevard’s protected bike lane to create an improved Columbia Lane access to the Provo River Trail.
Students acknowledged implementation constraints: several council members reminded the presenters that crosswalks and high‑intensity treatments must meet traffic warrants and secure funding. On rezoning, council members asked whether staff had reviewed the city’s Future Land Use Map; the students said their work focused on current patterns but offered to follow up with a memo on additional concerns.
The council thanked the students and staff for the work and said it would continue to review the proposals in upcoming meetings. The presentation closed with staff and several councilors noting the ideas would be useful input as the city pursues broader neighborhood planning work.
Ending: The council said follow‑up questions could be routed through Professor Jamin Rowan and the planning staff; several councilors noted the ideas would inform continued conversations rather than immediate regulatory changes.
