Publicly Accessible Use

Buildings that include a service that is publicly accessible - such as a library, retail store, restaurant, atrium, or a coffee shop - increase pedestrian activity, social interaction, and community engagement, contributing to increased physical activity and enhanced mental health.

Key Terms

• Publicly Accessible Use is a community space or commercial facility such as a library, retail store, restaurant, or atrium that is open and welcoming to the general public, and generates pedestrian traffic and social interaction.

Strategy Insights

• Publicly accessible spaces must be located within the building; outdoor spaces do not qualify.
• The space must be located on the main building entrance floor, which is typically ground level. If the main building entrance floor is at a different level, the documentation may show this. 
• Banks may qualify, however exterior-facing automatic teller machines (ATM) and/or cash dispensing machines do not qualify.
• Home businesses do not qualify. The intention is for the building to allocate a part of the ground floor of the building for retail, commercial, and/or qualifying use accessible by the general public; not private residential units. The strategy is about supporting streetscapes, not commerce.

Documentation Guidance

• If the publicly accessible space is a workplace’s main entrance floor lobby, please submit detailed documentation to show ample seating and other amenities, such as public art, to show how it meets the rationale as a use for the general public.