HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA—The Boardwalk, a newly completed mixed-use development here for Sares Regis, purposely offers a parking structure that slows traffic, drawing eyes to the street, TCA Architects principal Eric Olsen tells GlobeSt.com. The 12-acre site replaces a defunct furniture warehouse and parking lot with 487 market rate and affordable apartments, a public park, and 14,500 square feet of commercial space. We caught up with Olsen for an exclusive interview about the project and the demand for developments of this type in Orange County.

GlobeSt.com: What do you see as unique about the Boardwalk?

Olsen: The Boardwalk provides higher density (40 dwelling units per acre) than walk-ups of the past. The architecture is unique in the way that the building design and site plan work to shield parked cars from the pedestrian-oriented neighborhood street. The only parked cars on that street are those parked in a parallel fashion to activate the street and slow traffic. The majority of cars are parked under the buildings in the first-floor parking areas or between the buildings in motor courts. Most lower-density walk-up projects have much more parking in view, so the Boardwalk has a much nicer feeling.

GlobeSt.com: What does the design of the Boardwalk as a walkable development say about the acceptance and demand for such developments in Orange County?

Olsen: Parts of Orange County may be less dense, and being newer communities, more automobile centric, but most everyone enjoys well-designed, pedestrian-oriented public spaces. The spine road traversing through the Boardwalk site has been designed along with the city planners and engineers to act and feel like a good public neighborhood street. It doesn't feel like a driveway through a gated project. It culminates in a retail plaza adjacent to Edinger Blvd. that has spaces that are comfortable for people to hang out. This is similar to the older, more traditional community design that we still have in some of the historic downtowns like Main St. in Seal Beach.

GlobeSt.com: What is essential, from a design perspective, to include in a walkable development today?

Olsen: People spaces, eyes on the street, slow-moving traffic and a few strategically located parking spaces are essential in a walkable development. Good design does those things at any density. In the case of the Boardwalk, about 20% of its first floor is dedicated to a street-activating program: homes with front doors and windows, entry lobbies, ground-floor patios/stoops, etc., to frame pedestrian-oriented outdoor spaces. The remainder is parking, which was essential to providing the right mix of housing and parking in a building type where all the parking is located only on the ground plane.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about walkable developments?

Olsen: We are hugely supportive of design that is reflective of its context. It provides a richer experience and makes people feel more connected to their neighborhood. Design that lacks this feels hollow and shallow or not authentic. When you experience these places as a pedestrian, this is all the more important and perceived.