Rancho Cucamonga — Public Open Space

Core Design Requirements

All Chapter 17.134 public open spaces must be designed as usable places, not leftover landscaping. They must use practical combinations of high-quality planting and hardscape materials, such as brick, stone, concrete, permeable paving, or tile, and their surfaces must support outdoor activity. § 17.134.030(D)(2)–(3)

Seating areas and plazas must have good solar exposure and wind protection. Every public open space must include benches or other seating plus amenities that improve comfort, appearance, or usability, such as trees, shade structures, fountains, art, trash receptacles, kiosks, or performance areas. § 17.134.030(D)(4)–(5)

The required objective standards connect this chapter to Rancho Cucamonga Design Provisions by Development Type. Site circulation, parking-lot screening, and landscape design may also affect the final layout; see Rancho Cucamonga Parking and Rancho Cucamonga Landscaping and Screening.

Character of the Space

Chapter 17.134 recognizes three design characters:

• Natural spaces use a natural manner without a formal arrangement of elements.
• Formal spaces use a more rigid, geometric layout with trees and elements arranged in formal patterns.
• Informal spaces combine formal and natural characteristics.

The choice of character affects design composition, but it does not remove the accessibility, seating, materials, or amenity requirements. § 17.134.030(C)–(D)

Allowed Types by Form-Based Zone

NE2 — Neighborhood Estate 2

NE2 is a low-density, large-lot neighborhood form-based zone intended for interconnected neighborhoods with limited context-sensitive retail and services in key locations. § 17.26.020

Allowed Chapter 17.134 types are Neighborhood Park, Neighborhood Green, and Pocket Park. A Town Square and Paseo are not listed as allowed in NE2. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

Where a qualifying NE2 project is under 3 acres, the applicable unit threshold still controls; at 3 acres or more, it must provide at least 2 allowed types. § 17.134.030(B)

NG3 — Neighborhood General 3

NG3 supports medium-density, walkable development along selected corridors and nodes near smaller-scale residential neighborhoods. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Neighborhood Park, Neighborhood Green, Pocket Park, and Paseo. Town Square is not listed as allowed in NG3. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

A Neighborhood Park in NG3 must be 0.5 to 1.5 acres and meet its park-specific access, frontage, landscaping, and amenity standards. § 17.134.050

CE1 — Center 1

CE1 is a walkable town-center zone for neighborhood-serving commercial and retail uses near medium-density residential development. § 17.26.020

All five Chapter 17.134 types are allowed: Town Square, Neighborhood Park, Neighborhood Green, Pocket Park, and Paseo. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

This is the broadest range of public-open-space options in the chapter. Choice among types still depends on the project’s size, structure count, building area, and the specific standards for the selected type. § 17.134.030(A)–(B)

ME1 — Mixed Employment 1

ME1 is a medium-intensity employment zone focused on walkable professional office and employment uses. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Town Square, Pocket Park, and Paseo. Neighborhood Park and Neighborhood Green are not listed as allowed in ME1. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

For qualifying employment or mixed-use projects, open space becomes mandatory with 2 or more structures or more than 10,000 sq. ft. of building space; a site of 3 acres or more requires at least 2 types. § 17.134.030(B)

ME2 — Mixed Employment 2

ME2 supports medium- to high-intensity professional office, creative industrial, maker, and employment activity along active walkable streets. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Town Square, Pocket Park, and Paseo. Neighborhood Park and Neighborhood Green are not listed as allowed in ME2. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

The chapter does not provide ME2-specific dimensional standards for these types in the source materials. Verify with the jurisdiction and the applicable standards for the chosen type. § 17.134.020

CO1 — Corridor 1

CO1 supports medium-intensity mixed-use redevelopment that transitions auto-oriented corridors into more walkable places. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Town Square, Neighborhood Park, Neighborhood Green, Pocket Park, and Paseo. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

A Neighborhood Park is allowed in CO1 and must be 0.5 to 1.5 acres. It must be defined on at least 3 sides by a sidewalked street or paseo and directly accessible from all abutting rights-of-way. § 17.134.050

CO2 — Corridor 2

CO2 supports medium- to high-intensity mixed-use development along active walkable corridors and key intersections. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Town Square, Pocket Park, and Paseo. Neighborhood Park and Neighborhood Green are not listed as allowed in CO2. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

No CO2-specific open-space dimensions are established in the provided source materials beyond the project triggers and standards applicable to every selected type. Verify with the jurisdiction. § 17.134.020, § 17.134.030

CE2 — Center 2

CE2 is a mixed-use urban center zone with pedestrian-oriented commercial and residential hubs organized around vibrant public spaces. § 17.26.020

Allowed types are Town Square, Pocket Park, and Paseo. Neighborhood Park and Neighborhood Green are not listed as allowed in CE2. § 17.134.030(A), Table 17.134.030-1

Because CE2 is centered on public-space-oriented infill, applicants should confirm how their selected type fits the applicable building and site standards through Rancho Cucamonga Design Review. § 17.134.020, § 17.134.030(E)

Neighborhood Park Standards

A Neighborhood Park is a landscaped area for structured and unstructured recreation located centrally within a residential neighborhood. It may include passive open areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, recreation fields, or programming and event space. § 17.134.050

The Neighborhood Park standard is more specific than the chapter’s general amenity rule. It requires a clear public edge and direct access, so an internally hidden recreation area is unlikely to satisfy this park type. § 17.134.050

Distinguishing Public Space From Residential Common Open Space

Do not assume that residential common open space satisfies Chapter 17.134. The chapter expressly distinguishes public space from private or common open areas required for a residential project. § 17.134.010

Common residential recreation space may be at grade, elevated, or on a roof, but must be available for residents’ passive and active recreation; it cannot include driveways, streets, or unsuitable utility easements, and it may not exceed a 10% slope. § 17.123.060 Those rules are separate from Chapter 17.134 public-open-space obligations.

For projects involving Rancho Cucamonga ADUs, the source materials do not establish that an ADU changes Chapter 17.134 public-open-space thresholds. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Relationship to Open Space Zones and Overlays

Chapter 17.134 applies to public-open-space types in form-based zones, not automatically to all land in the city’s separate open-space base zones. § 17.134.020

The city’s open-space base zones are OSC, HR, P, and FC/UC. Their development standards have separate purposes and requirements, including conservation, hillside, parks, flood-control, and utility-corridor controls. § 17.26.020, § 17.36.050

Where an overlay zone conflicts with a base zone, the overlay controls. Consult Rancho Cucamonga Overlay Districts for overlay applicability; the source materials do not establish an overlay-specific exception to Chapter 17.134. § 17.26.020(C)–(E)

Checklist

• Confirm that the site is in a form-based zone and identify the applicable NE2, NG3, CE1, ME1, ME2, CO1, CO2, or CE2 designation. § 17.134.020
• Determine whether the project meets a public-open-space trigger: 20+ residential units, 2+ nonresidential/mixed-use structures, more than 10,000 sq. ft., or 3+ acres. § 17.134.030(B)
• Provide at least 1 allowed type, or at least 2 types for a project of 3 acres or more. § 17.134.030(B)
• Select only a type authorized for the applicable form-based zone. § 17.134.030(A)
• Design the space to be accessible, usable, activity-ready, and furnished with seating and amenities. § 17.134.030(D)
• Apply the required natural, formal, or informal character intentionally. § 17.134.030(C)
• If proposing a Neighborhood Park, satisfy its 0.5-acre minimum, 1.5-acre maximum, frontage, access, landscape, and amenity standards. § 17.134.050
• Coordinate the design with applicable Article VII objective standards and Rancho Cucamonga Performance Standards. § 17.134.030(E)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

For larger or more intensive form-based projects, Rancho Cucamonga requires real public places—not just landscaping or a residents-only courtyard. The project must choose an allowed open-space type for its district, make it usable and inviting with seating and amenities, and provide two different types once the site reaches 3 acres. § 17.134.030

Source References

• § 17.134.010 — Introduction and distinction between public and private/common open space.
• § 17.134.020 — Applicability with form-based-zone standards.
• § 17.134.030 — Allowed types, project triggers, character, general design criteria, and objective design standards.
• § 17.134.050 — Neighborhood Park definition and standards.
• § 17.123.060 — Separate private and common residential open-space requirements.
• § 17.26.020 — Rancho Cucamonga zones, form-based zones, open-space zones, and overlays.
• § 17.36.050 — Development standards for open-space zones.