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<\/a>To learn more about the process of street naming, Livable tapped industry professionals for more information, with the largest question being \u201cWho gets the final say on a street name?\u201d However, it became clear that the process of naming streets and approval ranges greatly by state, county, and jurisdiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American Planning Association research program and QA manager David Morley, AICP, says, \u201cThe entity who decides the final name is different from place to place. In some communities it may be the planning commission, and in other communities it may be the top building official, the director of public works, or the transportation department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morley has seen that it is increasingly commonplace to have a street-naming commission or a committee of a few local government staff members who review proposed street names and sign off on them. The final approval of a name is often given a thumbs-up if it aligns with the jurisdiction\u2019s street name policies or guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe policy itself may be a standalone document that is sort of internal use only, or, in other cases, it may be a very clear rule of law that is a manual itself that has to be adopted by the local legislative body,\u201d Morley explains. \u201cIt\u2019s even more common to have some version of a street-naming policy that is integrated into the code of ordinances, which may be right alongside subdivision regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These policies\u2014whether found in building regulations or zoning or anywhere in between\u2014consider appropriateness, but more importantly active inclusion of future residents\u2019 race, ethnicity, gender, and more. \u201cThere have been a number of rewritten policies in recent years to emphasize a more inclusive approach that is respectful of everyone,\u201d Morley adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes time to gather the list for these newly paved streets, residential developers are most often in charge of the suggestions with input from marketing teams. At Johnson Development, marketing director Haley Peck shares more about master plans Harvest Green in Richmond and Jubilee in Hockley, Texas: \u201cEach community is a little different since each has varying city and\/or county requirements. For Harvest Green and Jubilee, I receive a plat map and then pick names for the streets based on the theme of the community or important people to the project. We have several streets named after important historical figures in the area and employees\u2019 children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same goes for Johnson Development\u2019s Woodforest in Montgomery<\/a> and Kresston in Magnolia, Texas, communities, where marketing director Natalie Rosser says their engineers give marketing a list of streets that need to be named. \u201cWe pick a handful of names we like, and they run the names through their systems to make sure they aren\u2019t already in use in the county,\u201d says Rosser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inspired by a community\u2019s name or essence, streets often revolve around a theme. A representative of Minto Communities says, \u201cFor consistency, marketing creates a list of names that consider the theme of the neighborhood, the product being offered, and interesting aspects of the surrounding area. A list is then provided to the land development team. Once selected and approved, the names are added to the marketing site plan for final review and approval from the team and area jurisdictions as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Naples, Florida<\/a>, Minto\u2019s The Isles of Collier Preserve master plan, which is inspired by nature and the area\u2019s unique history, lends way for tropical street names such as Caribe Avenue, Calypso Court, Antigua Way, Tobago Boulevard, and Lucaya Way. Street names of the popular Latitude Margaritaville 55+ communities developed by Minto nod to the late Jimmy Buffett\u2019s passion for all things fun and relaxing, including Margaritaville Avenue, Lost Shaker Way, Island Breeze Avenue, Coral Reef Way, and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n