Centrality
Centrality has remained relatively consistent over time, as Downtown Asheville has remained the cultural center of Western North Carolina. The central business district and associated governmental and institutional areas comprise the core of Downtown Asheville. The commercial buildings primarily date from the end of the 19th century to the 1940s along with several churches from the same period and 1920s governmental buildings.
The downtown buildings range from small, one-story buildings to modest skyscrapers and represent a layering of different building periods as bits and pieces of earlier fabric have survived each subsequent redevelopment. As culture and commerce have returned to downtown Asheville, residential development also increased and developers started by converting the upper floors of many commercial buildings into condos and apartments, demonstrating the importance and strong desire for proximity to this central location.
The downtown buildings range from small, one-story buildings to modest skyscrapers and represent a layering of different building periods as bits and pieces of earlier fabric have survived each subsequent redevelopment. As culture and commerce have returned to downtown Asheville, residential development also increased and developers started by converting the upper floors of many commercial buildings into condos and apartments, demonstrating the importance and strong desire for proximity to this central location.
A study of Pack Square, a public space in the heart of Asheville, is especially revealing in terms of the importance of Downtown as a central place.
Decentralization
By the 1920's Asheville and the surrounding area were remarkably prepared for travel by auto. According to Drummond's Pictorial Atlas of North Carolina, Buncombe County "had more paved roads than any county in the South and the projected area of paved streets in Asheville was expected to be the greatest area of paved streets in the United States for cities of comparable size.” Due Asheville’s topography, options for sprawl were limited to the Asheville Plateau and surrounding counties that offered similar low-slope areas. As such, land in the heart of the city continued to rise in cost, forcing residential land uses (especially single-family homes) to move further and further outside the city.
The north side of Asheville is known for old houses with well-established landscaping and in some cases wonderful Southwestern facing views of the city and beyond. South Asheville is undoubtedly more commercialized than the North and West, however an abundance of shopping and dining options make it a top choice for many younger and working class families. The majority of development in South Asheville borders Hwy 25, known as Biltmore Ave. near Downtown and as Hendersonville Rd. further south. East Asheville, especially the Tunnel Road area is also highly commercialized, with an abundance of national chain restaurants, hotels and other businesses. However, unlike South Asheville, the east side of town offers a more rapidly changing landscape as you travel along Hwy 70 through Oteen and Swannanoa away from town. A few miles outside of Asheville it becomes more rural, and then more urban, artsy and cultured again once you reach Black Mountain.
The north side of Asheville is known for old houses with well-established landscaping and in some cases wonderful Southwestern facing views of the city and beyond. South Asheville is undoubtedly more commercialized than the North and West, however an abundance of shopping and dining options make it a top choice for many younger and working class families. The majority of development in South Asheville borders Hwy 25, known as Biltmore Ave. near Downtown and as Hendersonville Rd. further south. East Asheville, especially the Tunnel Road area is also highly commercialized, with an abundance of national chain restaurants, hotels and other businesses. However, unlike South Asheville, the east side of town offers a more rapidly changing landscape as you travel along Hwy 70 through Oteen and Swannanoa away from town. A few miles outside of Asheville it becomes more rural, and then more urban, artsy and cultured again once you reach Black Mountain.