Activity Center
Texas A&M University–San Antonio / Toyota
The following section provides the results of the regional center analysis and measures how a center performs relative to the future vision for its category.
Anchored by the Toyota manufacturing complex and the new Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus, this is one San Antonio’s emerging regional centers. The Toyota assembly plant employs over 3,000 and supports 23 related nearby suppliers. The university currently has 4,500 students and plans to grow to 25,000 students by 2025 on its 700-acre campus. Significant opportunities exist to develop vibrant mixed-use neighborhood serving the university and the south side of the city.
Tasks Ahead: Planning for this regional center should focus on increased connectivity and other infrastructure and investments that will catalyze the expected residential and employment growth.
HafenCity urban regeneration project in Hamburg, Germany is adding a diverse mix of uses and vibrant open spaces to an area that had limited infrastructure and amenities.
How to use the Regional Center Profiles
This study uses data from the Comprehensive Plan Initial Studies, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), VIA Metropolitan Agency, WalkScore.com and the U.S. Census, including the Location Affordability Index (LAI). The analysis utilizes nine indicators of existing conditions that illustrate differences between the centers. The indicators are grouped by type:
- Social: Job diversity, Housing and Transportation (H&T) Index, Per Capita Income
- Connectivity: Transit Utilization, Walkability, Median Commute Distance
- Mix of Uses Ratio of Workers to Residents, Residential Density, Employment Density
An analysis of potential for land development complements the regional center profiles. It includes indicators for population and employment per developed acre and the percent of acres developed in each center.
The city and stakeholders developed aspirational scores and ideal measures of success for each of the indicators, tailored to the three regional center types. Comparing the existing conditions scores in each center to the aspirational scores shows how each center is performing well and where it needs improvement to reach its potential.
Aspirational scores vary based on the urban form, land use mix and anticipated specialization of each of the three regional center types. For example, Activity Centers have high aspirational scores for transit use and residential density, while these criteria are less relevant for Logistics/Service Centers and Special Purpose Centers based on the descriptions of the regional center types on page 5.2
How well a center is currently meeting its aspirational score is demonstrated by bar graphs. The profiles on the following pages tell the story of each regional center’s analysis. Each one provides:
| Strengths | A |
|---|---|
| Introductory Text | B |
| Locator Map | C |
| Key Economic and Demographic Facts | D |
| Existing Conditions and Aspirational Scores | E |
| Tasks Ahead | F |
| Precedent Photo | G |
