Activity Centers

Goal 1: Sugar Land will encourage a walkable, bicycle-friendly, compact, mixed-use land use pattern
through the establishment of regional activity centers and neighborhood centers.
Policies
A. Establish multiple regional activity centers, that integrate offices, retail, residential,
education, recreational and civic venues.
B. Mixed-use centers should be evaluated utilizing a comprehensive transportation impact
analysis. This analysis should recognize the city-wide benefits of concentrating activity and
accept a certain level of roadway congestion adjacent to the activity centers and
neighborhood centers.
C. Use urban design, public art, and way finding to give each activity center or neighborhood
center, a distinct identity.
D. Establish new and transform existing retail centers into vibrant, mixed-use, pedestrianoriented neighborhood centers.
Residential Options
Goal 2: Sugar Land will offer a range of residential options, in a variety of settings ranging from walkable
mixed centers to quiet neighborhoods, to appeal to a wide range of people.
Policies
A. Require all new multi-family units to be integrated with other uses in a cohesive walkable
area. Prohibit new multi-family in single-use development.
B. Encourage more compact forms of single-family homes that promote walkability.
Public Space in Activity Centers
Goal 3: Sugar Land will have active public spaces in activity centers and neighborhood centers that draw
people at all time of day, encourage interaction, grow and support business, and build community.
Policies
A. Provide at least one major public space in each activity center Encourage more compact
forms of single-family homes that promote walkability.
B. Provide at least one major public space in each neighborhood center.
C. Define public spaces with buildings that enclose the space, provide architectural interest,
and add activity.
Integrated Uses
Goal 4: Sugar Land will have inviting connections between land uses so that people can not only drive,
but also choose to walk, or bicycle to their destinations.
Policies
A. Pedestrian connection from the public right-of-way to the front door should be primary
over the vehicular connection. Buildings should be near the street. Large parking areas
should be behind buildings.
B. Integrate direct pedestrian and bicycle links into new development and retrofit links into
existing development where the opportunity exists.

C. Provide better street connectivity in new developments, with multiple connection points
to citywide network and pedestrian/bike connections that do not require circuitous trips.
A Great Place for Business
Goal 5: Sugar Land will be a regional employment center that is a great place to do business, a premiere
address for corporate offices, and a community that fosters small businesses.
Policies
A. Require office space as part of activity centers. Focus on creating business space that is
attractive to employers and employees.
B. Recognize that support services within walkable distance of offices, such as restaurants,
hotels, and residences, bring business to the city.
C. Preserve areas for limited industrial uses in order to attract and retain target industries.
D. Continue to support the airport as a first rate executive and general aviation destination
by ensuring compatible uses are developed around the airport.
E. Look for opportunities to provide space for small businesses and entrepreneurial startups, including storefronts, offices, and live/work spaces, in new development and
redevelopment.
Live-Work Amenities
Goal 6: Sugar Land will have amenities, including retail, restaurants, hotels, cultural institutions, and
parks, that make it a prominent place to live and work and is attractive to visitors.
Policies
A. Locate destination retail, entertainment, sports, and cultural arts in appropriate places so
that quality of life for residents is maintained.
B. Integrate retail and restaurants into activity centers and employment centers so that
office employees can access them during lunch and after work and residents can have
easy access to them at all times of the day.
C. Locate new single-use retail, including big box stores, outside of, or at the edge of, activity
centers.
D. Support rehabilitation and redevelopment to prevent commercial areas from declining.

Single-Family Neighborhoods
Goal 7: Sugar Land will protect its single-family neighborhoods and ensure their long-term value.
Policies
A. Ensure non-residential and residential development is compatible with adjacent singlefamily homes.
B. Prevent decline of single-family residential areas through proactive programs.
C. Retain the green feel of residential areas.
D. Recognize importance of schools and religious institutions to community and locate them
appropriately.
Fiscal Health
Goal 8: Sugar Land will develop and redevelop in a way that maintains the long-term fiscal health of the
city, its businesses, and its residents.
Policies
A. Continue to promote a balanced mix of residential, commercial, and employment land
uses to ensure a sustainable tax base and continue to build the wealth of the city through
an increased value per acre.
B. Consider the long-term impact of all new development on the citys budget, including
revenue and expenses. Evaluate the opportunity cost of that development by
comparing the impact to alternate development scenarios.
C. Build all new infrastructure to standards that ensure it will be long lasting and optimize
maintenance.
D. Consider the availability of natural resources, including raw water supplies, in approving
new development.
E. Prioritize capital investment in areas near activity centers and neighborhood centers
(where development is desired).
F. Encourage new commercial development to be located in compact mixed-use centers
rather than in linear strip centers.
G. Encourage the redevelopment and reuse of linear strip commercial development into
more compact mixed-use neighborhood centers that are compatible with adjoining
neighborhoods.

Linking Greenbelt
Goal 9: Sugar Land will preserve and develop connected high quality parks, trails, waterways and open
spaces.
Policies
A. Ensure connectivity between neighborhoods and neighborhood centers through and to
parks, trails, and open spaces.
B. Preserve land along the Brazos River to create a regional greenbelt.
C. Preserve natural spaces, such as wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas for
passive use. Utilize creeks and bayous in their most natural state for discharge.
D. Encourage development to embrace natural areas and incorporate them into the
development, rather than the development turning back on the natural area. Preserve
areas for common use, rather than being incorporated into private lots or reserves.
Healthy Lifestyle
Goal 10: Sugar Land will offer residents opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle.
Policies
A. Design flexible public spaces that can be suitable for exercise, organized activities or
passive gathering spaces.
B. Design new development, and retrofit existing development, to create biking and walking
connections and provide an inviting pedestrian environment.
C. Use public spaces for farmers markets.
D. Encourage gardening and connect residents to non-profits offering gardening expertise.
Celebrate Sugar Land
Goal 11: Sugar Land will celebrate its unique character, its history, and its diversity.
Policies
A. Preserve or creatively reuse building of historic significance, such as the Imperial Sugar
Char House. Ensure reuse respects the historic significance of the building.
B. Develop public spaces to host civic celebrations.
C. Educate the public about the story of Sugar Land.
D. Preserve the character of older neighborhoods.