On January 21, 2015, the City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission adopted an ordinance creating the Northwest Regional Activity Center (NWRAC) Master Plan, which encompasses the creation of the NWRAC Mixed-Use (NWRAC-MU) Zoning Districts, adopted on February 17, 2015, along with associated Zoning Regulations and the NWRAC Illustrations of Design Standards that will set the standard and allow for certainty for future development within the NWRAC Master Plan area.

The fundamental planning principles identified in the plan and summarized below help guide the framework for the NWRAC Master Plan:

• Residential and mixed‐use development to create a dynamic urban area complete with both daytime and evening activity.
• Architecture on a human-scale through appropriate building form and massing that relates to the streets with minimal setbacks and active occupied spaces, especially at grade.
• Landscaping that enhances the streetscape experience and shades the pedestrian with green space consolidated into usable parks and plaza areas.
• Parking is designed in such a way that on‐site movement and storage of vehicles is as imperceptible as possible and minimally, if at all, interferes with pedestrian pathways.
• Design of the streets, parking areas, and public realm that reinforces standards of safe neighborhood design and promotes the objectives of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).

It should be acknowledged that the subsequent chapters in the NWRAC Illustrations of Design Standards document predominately address those portions of the study area as identified in the NWRAC Master Plan, corresponding with the new NWRAC zoning districts.

• NWRAC Zoning District Map

• NWRAC Illustration of Design Standards

For Zoning Regulations please see NWRAC Zoning Ordinance or go online to the Unified and Land Development Regulations (ULDR).

Background

This project was started in 1995 with the establishment of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and further in 2001 when the community expressed desire for public and private improvements in the area. The Northwest-Progresso-Flagler Heights (NPF) CRA also referred to as NW-CRA, is generally bounded by Sunrise Boulevard to the north, Broward Boulevard to the south, Federal Highway to the east, and it’s western boundary is approximately four blocks west of I-95.  The CRA hired consultants to develop a study of the area, and as a result, the 2006 Sistrunk Boulevard Urban Design Improvement Plan and 2008 Northwest Progresso-Flagler Heights Community Redevelopment Agency (NPF-CRA) Implementation Plan were subsequently drafted.  In 2013, City staff was tasked with creating the NWRAC Master Plan using previous plans as the basis for developing Design Standards and Zoning Regulations with the intent to allow a mix of uses along the Sistrunk Corridor and 7^th Avenue within the NWRAC.  Through a comprehensive public planning process that included input from stakeholders, public outreach and design charrettes that were held from proposed plans, a vision was developed for the area. 

The rezoning of these corridors will allow the area to redevelop from a relatively under-utilized resource to a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly urban corridor that offers a mix of uses to serve nearby neighborhoods and bring the corridor back to the vibrant and thriving business, shopping, cultural and entertainment area that it once was.

For information on the Improvement and Implementation Plan or for more information on the Northwest Progresso-Flagler Heights Community Redevelopment Agency please go to the Redevelopment Agency (CRA) site.