Close a driveway, create a sidewalk

Do parts of Charlotte need an urban design makeover?  Definitely.  I felt inspired to answer this question when I learned about Complete Blocks on PlanCharlotte, so here's an idea I've been thinking about.

Replace driveway with sidewalk, The Plaza/Central Ave.

Charlotte's Plaza-Midwood neighborhood meets at the intersection of the The Plaza and Central Avenue.  In just four corner of this intersection, you'll find a library (NW corner), a bank (albeit with a street-facing parking lot and drive-thru ATM, SW corner), a neo-Art Deco Harris Teeter grocery store (SE corner, green roof and all!) and Midwood Corners shopping center (NE corner).  Midwood Corners offers a mix of retail/services ranging from frozen custard to sushi to used books, so there are plenty of customers constantly going in/out of the parking lot via driving or biking/walking.

The parking lot's served by three driveways (one on Central Ave., two on The Plaza), but removing the one closest to the The Plaza/Central Avenue intersection would improve safety and functionality for both the shopping center and surrounding streets. First, here's a before/after view of the shopping center itself, with driveways and circulation patterns illustrated.  The conflict point in the "BEFORE" view results from right-in/right-out and left-out turns from The Plaza interacting with right/left turns, plus cars backing out of spaces, within the parking lot.

BEFORE

AFTER

Here's how the intersection would benefit from the driveway closure:

BEFORE

So, how can you reduce these vehicle/pedestrian conflict points, PLUS get more parking for the shopping center?  Build a sidewalk.

AFTER

This relatively simple design modification (with perhaps minor utility impacts) would improve the intersection's "legibility" by improving physical and resulting visual cues for drivers and pedestrians alike.  This would be textbook access management, which simply defined, is the process of spacing streets/driveways to improve safety and access for all users of street.  It's also good urban design, which supports the economic needs of the neighborhood (shopping center's ease of access, parking) and improves transportation conditions (vehicle traffic and bike/ped. traffic both have easier movement resulting from this design).