Vision & Goals

Goal 1: Housing: Support diverse, affordable, and abundant housing options with an emphasis on mixed-use development that is safe, comfortable, and attractive for current and future residents of the UTSA Area.

• Encourage development of a variety of housing types, sizes, costs, and densities.
• Encourage mixed-use development with connections to existing residential areas, employment, recreational amenities, transit, and retail.
• Encourage housing quality that reflects the economic diversity of those working and studying in the UTSA Area, and encourage density to maintain the work-live-play-study environment and to minimize commute times.

Goal 2: Neighborhood Character: Maintain and enhance the character and appeal of established residential neighborhoods within the UTSA Area with attractive streetscapes and compatible development and design.

• Recognize existing neighborhoods and residential subdivisions as areas that provide stability to the area.
• Encourage residential design that reflects the unique character, climate, and culture of San Antonio so that sustainable, energy-efficient planning, design, and lifecycle costs are championed and incentivized in design criteria.
• Protect the character by discouraging commercial and high-density encroachment within the neighborhoods.
• Utilize appropriate buffers between existing residential neighborhoods and new higher-density development.

Goal 3: Connectivity and Mobility: Provide enhanced connectivity within the UTSA Area, with options for mobility beyond the automobile, while addressing congestion management and travel efficiency throughout the area for all modes and uses.

• Promote safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle facilities in appropriate locations to meet existing and future demand.
• Improve connectivity and walkability between trails, parks, recreational areas, transit facilities, and surrounding neighborhoods.
• Promote the use of complete green streets in which roads are designed to enable safe, attractive, and comfortable access and travel for all users.
• Encourage transit as a mode of choice for residents and employees in the area by supporting improvements to transit service, frequency, safety, comfort, and infrastructure.
• Ensure that vehicular traffic flows as smoothly as possible within the existing roadway network and traffic signal system.

Goal 4: Recreation: Provide a variety of accessible and connected gathering places, parks, recreation, and entertainment opportunities for all ages.

• Incorporate different types of park and recreation opportunities such as creating a public amenity or civic space within the community.
• Assess recreational facility needs and consider new facilities, improvements, and/or additions that serve the entire community.

Goal 5: Natural Resources: Protect sensitive natural resources while allowing for growth and development.

• Apply innovative and environmentally sensitive development practices such as Low Impact Development (LID).
• Review the Unified Development Code (UDC) to ensure that the development code supports enhancements to protect our aquifer and creekways.
• Encourage development that provides appropriate access to and interaction with the UTSA Area's natural features.

Goal 6: Public Facilities and Infrastructure: Provide first-rate public services, utilities, and infrastructure that accommodate expected levels of growth, safeguard public health and security, and enhance quality of life.

• Carefully plan and coordinate new development to ensure sufficient utility and infrastructure capacities.
• Ensure that public service facilities are evenly distributed and located at sites that are easily accessible.
• Infrastructure in the UTSA Area should incorporate high-quality urban design that supports the area's key features and assets.

Goal 7: Jobs and Economic Development: Support the expansion, development, and retention of an array of businesses, tourism, and entertainment options in order to provide job opportunities and improved quality of life that meets the needs for a growing diverse community.

• Create a business-friendly environment that supports small and local businesses, continues to attract larger corporations and institutions, and encourages innovation and creative partnerships.
• Provide economic and employment opportunities that retain graduates from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Goal 8: Compatibility with Camp Bullis: Promote and encourage compatible land uses in close proximity to Camp Bullis.

• Protect Camp Bullis and its missions by limiting the encroachment of incompatible uses.
• Implement and enforce development standards that mitigate both the impact of military operations on surrounding properties, and the impact of surrounding development on the military installation.

Goal 9: UTSA as a Local Amenity: Protect and enhance the UTSA campus' unique qualities, which combine university life with local culture and amenities for both businesses and residents.

• Maintain the UTSA campus as a focal point of the community.
• Celebrate UTSA's unique character and culture through public art, placemaking, and creative projects.
• Build on the character of the neighborhoods that surround the University, while aiming to strengthen the contribution the campus makes to the UTSA Area community as a whole.

Goal 10: Gateway: Protect and enhance gateway points and corridors.

• Preserve and enhance the IH-10 corridor through appropriate urban design.
• Encourage compatible land use patterns that create community focal points throughout the corridor.
• Review and update, as appropriate, the current UDC standards on gateway corridor overlays.
• Retain the distinct visual character of the area by encouraging the protection of unique features and views, and incorporating them as key amenities of future development.