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formed by the quality of development, property upkeep, condition of public <br />facilities, amount and quality of public spaces, and the design of roadways <br />and other public buildings and infrastructure. Visual appeal reinforces the <br />quality of life for those who reside in La Porte, as well as those making <br />investment decisions. <br />The City has a window of opportunity to enact policies and standards that <br />influence the quality of its natural and built environments. Without a plan <br />and development standards to accentuate the design of corridors, districts <br />(like Downtown), neighborhoods, and open spaces, there may be a sense of <br />"sameness" in the community with little to distinguish it from the <br />surrounding cities. The City's character and appearance (i.e., the City's <br />image) was among the concerns expressed throughout the public process. <br />Indeed, the character of new development and redevelopment will <br />contribute to the community's image and may affect the City's ability to <br />attract and maintain new investment. <br />Finally, aesthetic enhancements such as the design of buildings, landscaping <br />and screening, sign control, and site amenities also contribute to enhanced <br />community character. <br />Key Planning Considerations <br />Key planning considerations for enhancing community character include: <br />1) Pursuing opportunities to create unique, signature areas in the <br />community (particular destinations, corridors, public facilities, parks and <br />open space areas). <br />2) Enhancing first impression and "front door" appearance by focusing on <br />the aesthetic treatments at community entries. <br />3) Coordinating gateway improvements so that a consistent, high -quality <br />appearance exists at all entry points to the City. <br />4) Enhancing wayfinding, not only to help residents and visitors navigate <br />the community and find its key destinations, but also as a unifying design <br />element across the City. <br />5) Improving the appearance of the City's primary corridors so that an <br />enhanced image of the City is created. <br />Based on these planning considerations, the following goals, actions, and <br />initiatives address specific issues and needs identified during the public <br />participation process (and outlined in Chapter1, Plan Context). <br />GOAL 6: Enhance the overall appearance of the built environment in <br />the City. <br />To be fully effective in achieving the community's vision for the future, <br />proactive efforts shouldmust be undertaken to improve the appearance of <br />the built environment within the City. Unfortunately, the needs often <br />