Rhize urban strategy
Corridor Assessment Tool
Functional Diversity Assessment
Is your corridor
built to survive
a shock?
Answer 20 questions about your corridor or district. Get a scored diagnosis across five functional diversity dimensions- and find out exactly where your soil needs work.
Start
Before we begin
Tell us about your corridor
This helps us contextualize your results and- if you'd like- connect you with Rhize for a deeper assessment.
Dimension 1 of 5
Use Mix & Concentration
Healthy corridors have no single use type dominating. The 60% ceiling is where monoculture begins.
1
What is the dominant use type in this corridor?
Estimate the share of ground-floor space occupied by the most common use.
2
How many distinct revenue-producing use categories are present?
Count: retail, food & beverage, professional services, personal services, healthcare/wellness, residential, civic/cultural, production/industrial, office, hospitality.
3
Does the corridor include vertical mix (uses stacked above ground floor)?
Upper-floor residential, office, or civic uses create activity and density that supports ground-floor retail.
4
Are there need-based, high-frequency anchor uses present?
Pharmacy, grocery, clinic, childcare, post office, laundromat, gym- uses people visit regularly regardless of discretionary spending.
Dimension 2 of 5
Day-Part Activity Coverage
A corridor that's only alive on Saturday afternoon is still fragile. The strongest corridors generate foot traffic across the full day and week.
5
When is this corridor most active?
6
Is there meaningful morning foot traffic (before 10am)?
Morning commuters, café customers, service appointments, school drop-off traffic.
7
Is there meaningful evening foot traffic (after 6pm)?
Dining, entertainment, evening services, fitness.
8
How would you describe weekday midday activity?
Dimension 3 of 5
Economic Resilience
How would this corridor hold up in a shock- a recession, a trade disruption, a pandemic? The soil matters more than any individual seed.
9
What share of businesses are locally owned (not national chains or franchises)?
10
What is the current vacancy rate in this corridor?
11
How diverse are the demand cycles of the businesses present?
Do tenants share the same customer base and spending patterns, or do they serve different people at different times for different reasons?
12
Does the corridor include non-discretionary uses (healthcare, childcare, legal, financial services)?
Non-discretionary uses don't close when consumer confidence drops. They are the corridor's shock absorbers.
Dimension 4 of 5
Physical Conditions & Legacy Assets
The bones matter. Legacy city corridors have physical infrastructure that can't be replicated cheaply- but only if it's being used.
13
What is the predominant building footprint size?
14
How walkable is this corridor?
15
What is the condition and character of the existing building stock?
16
Is there accessible transit service to this corridor?
Dimension 5 of 5
Community Rootedness & Governance
The strongest corridors have people who are invested in them- not just financially, but relationally. Skin in the game is structural.
17
Do business owners or operators live in or near this corridor?
18
Is there an active business association, BID, or corridor organization?
19
How would you describe the relationship between the corridor and the surrounding residential neighborhood?
20
Is there a proactive strategy for tenant mix- or does leasing happen reactively?
Functional Diversity Score
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Calculating...
Strengths
Critical Gaps
Highest-Impact Opportunities
Ready to turn this diagnosis into a plan?
Rhize Urban Strategy works directly with cities, EDOs, developers, and landlords to implement functional diversity- from corridor strategy and tenant mix planning to deal execution through Fancy Real Estate.
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