Near Heights
Community Planning Area (CPA) Assessment
About
The Near Heights CPA is centrally located in Albuquerque, spanning the area between I-25 and Wyoming Boulevard, and between I-40 and Kirtland Air Force Base. It is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), ExpoNM Fairgrounds, and the Albuquerque Sunport. Nob Hill, the International District, and the Mile-Hi District are some of the neighborhoods that are found in this CPA. The maps and data below provide an overview of some of the key information and metrics for the Near Heights CPA.
The City of Albuquerque’s Community Planning Area (CPA) assessment process will work with residents and businesses throughout the city to describe what is working or not working in different parts of town and talk about how to enhance what is going right. We hope that community members will take ownership of the process and use the data on this page to guide conversations about future development, revitalization, and growth.
Demographics
Albuquerque is home to a diverse and growing population, and every CPA has its own distinct mix of people. Let's get to know Near Heights residents a little better.
Community Assets
Albuquerque has a diverse history and culture, reflected in the public facilities; parks, open space, and trails; transportation network; and heritage sites and resources.
Schools and Community Facilities
The facilities and services that serve a community impact quality of life and access to resources and community benefits. The Near Heights CPA has a mix of community centers, libraries, and other community facilities distributed throughout the CPA. UNM and CNM house facilities and museums that are open to the public. ExpoNM, known as the Fairgrounds, is also centrally located within this CPA and hosts many regional community events.
There are a total of 10 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 1 high school in the CPA. Highland HS is centrally located within Near Heights and much of the CPA is served by Albuquerque HS. The main campuses for UNM and CNM are also located in the Near Heights CPA. Albuquerque Public Schools “walk zones,” seen on the map in purple, represent areas where APS does not provide bus service because students could theoretically walk to school. Walk zones generally include areas within a specified distance from each school (1 mile for elementary, 1.5 miles for middle and K-8, and 2 miles for high schools), but also take into account barriers to walking, like major streets that may be difficult or dangerous to cross.
Albuquerque Public Schools “walk zones,” seen on the map in purple, represent areas where APS does not provide bus service because students could theoretically walk to school. Walk zones generally include areas within a specified distance from each school (1 mile for elementary, 1.5 miles for middle and K-8, and 2 miles for high schools), but also take into account barriers to walking, like major streets that may be difficult or dangerous to cross.
Public art is another community asset that helps express the character and history of an area. Visit the City's public art webpage to find public art in the Near Heights CPA.
Parks, Open Space, and Bikeways
Parks, open space, and trails for people to walk and bike contribute to quality of life, as well as the health of residents. Near Heights has many neighborhood parks, as well as some larger, regional-serving park facilities, including Puerto del Sol Golf Course, Roosevelt Park, USS Bullhead Park, Veteran's Memorial Park, and the UNM North Campus Golf Course, which includes open space maintained by Bernalillo County.
There are approximately 4.65 acres of park land per 1,000 residents in the Near Heights CPA. There is no City-owned open space in the Near Heights CPA.
The bike network in the Near Heights CPA is largely made up of on-street bike facilities, with some multi-use paths connecting this area to other facilities in the city.
The Area also has about 9 miles of paved trails, nearly 40 miles of bike routes, 54 miles of bike lanes, and 5 miles designated as Bike Boulevards.
Landmarks and Historic Places
Albuquerque has a rich history - landmarks and historic places highlight key physical characteristics and important cultural resources in each CPA.
The Near Heights is home to 9 landmarks and 56 registered historic places, including 11 sites on the UNM campus and several historic hotels along Route 66.
14 registered historic districts cover 589 acres of the Near Heights CPA.
Transportation
Connections between the places that residents live, work, play, and learn is key to enhancing quality of life.
Transit routes crisscross the Near Heights, providing regular service to riders. The width of the red lines on the map indicates frequency. The thickest lines have very high frequency, while thinner lines indicate longer times between pick-ups.
The ART Route runs nearly the width of the Near Heights, and Lomas, University, San Mateo, Louisiana Boulevards, and San Pedro Drive also have regular bus service. Visit cabq.gov/transit for resources about using public transportation.
5 miles of designated Bike Boulevards run parallel south of Central to east of the International District where the Bike Boulevard leads northeast to the Uptown area. The Area is also served by nearly 40 miles of bike routes and about 45 miles of bike lanes. Visit cabq.gov/bike for resources about biking in Albuquerque.
Over 70% of commuters drove by themselves to get to work every day in 2018, and another 8.9% carpooled with others. That same year, 10% commuted by either walking or biking.
The Vision Zero Initiative addresses traffic safety in the city. Visit cabq.gov/visionzero for more information, including the High Fatal and Injury Network (HFIN) for the Albuquerque Area.
Community Health
How our communities grow and change has long term environmental, quality of life, and public health impacts. Growth patterns also affect our long-term ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, as well as the resilience and sustainability of our community.
Neighborhoods and Parks
Over two dozen parks are found in the Near Heights, and there are 4.64 acres of park per 1,000 people.
There are 34 Recognized Neighborhood Associations that represent nearly all of the residential areas of the Near Heights. Neighborhood Associations are one way that communities can advocate for their residents and have a voice in decision-making.
Visit cabq.gov/onc for more information about neighborhood associations.
Air Quality
The City tracks air quality permits, which represent stationary sources of air pollution, including factories, refineries, boilers, and power plants, that emit a variety of air pollutants. This is one indicator of potential community health risks. There are many other factors that may impact overall community health that will be explored through the CPA assessment process.
As of 2019, there were 207 Air Quality Permits for sites in the Near Heights. Visit https://www.cabq.gov/airquality/contact-us for more information about the Air Quality Program.
The U.S. EPA has a useful mapping tool ( EJ Screen ) to better understand environmental hazards and their impacts on different populations. In addition to air pollution, this map shows a wide range of pollution types and sources, and provides a wide range of demographic information that can be added as layers to the map. This context is important because low-income households and populations of color have historically borne a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or policies.
The NM Community Data Collaborative has a great gallery of maps and resources about community health.
Land Use and Development
Each CPA has unique assets, development patterns, businesses, and industries that contribute to the character of its neighborhoods, provide employment, and offer goods and services to residents and visitors.
There are a number of different ways that the City can help support economic development. See this Economic Development Incentives map for more information about some of these resources.
Land Use
From shaping housing options to determining air quality, land use shapes how community members experience a place.
Over 30% of the Near Heights' area is used for low-density residential. Community, educational and airport uses also cover a large portion of the area.
48 of the building permits issued in the Near Heights in 2019 were for commercial development, compared to 58 for residential development. Most residential permits were for low-density construction.
Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) Zoning
Zoning regulations determine what kinds of development can happen on a given property, including uses and development standards. The Near Heights has a varied mix of zoning types, with mixed use concentrated around Central Ave.
The Sunport's size puts over 12% of the CPA's area as Non-Residential, Sensitive Use (NR-SU), even more than the amount of land zoned Single-Family, Large Lot (R-1C), which is the next most frequent zoning.
In 2019 there were 14 rezoning application requests and 107 variance applications and appeals.
Visit the IDO Interactive Map for more detailed zoning information.
The first Near Heights CPA Assessment Report was accepted by City Council in November of 2022.
Check in with the team that will be leading the assessment by emailing NearHeights-CPA@cabq.gov .
The City of Albuquerque has 12 Community Planning Areas (CPAs). Between 2021 and 2027, City staff and local communities are working together to gather data, inventory assets, and create an action plan for each CPA. The assessment process will help figure out what each community needs and how to get there. Visit the CPA website for more information.
