vision2020@moscow.com: C d'A: Rural by Design

C d'A: Rural by Design

Steve Cooke (SCOOKE@marvin.csrv.uidaho.edu)
Mon, 5 Jun 1995 10:42:20 PST8PDT

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Dear Visionaries,
RE: Randall Arendt "Rural by Design" & "Designing Open Space
Subdivisions: a Practical Step-by-Step Approach"

Arendt: VP of Natural Lands Institute, Media PA
Arendt, like Harrison, sees the answer to rural sprawl as increasing
density. Arendt is to the country side what Harrison is to the city
scape. Pack' em in. It is good for them and the environment. Arendt
sees the problem with rural and suburban development as zoning that
is inconsistent w/ planning. Arendt argues that suburban development
is the direct result of poorly thoughtout zoning regulations. Change
the zoning, get better development. Arendt suggested a way to
envision the future under current zoning. He suggested doing a
geographic simulation of current zoning regulations through
extrapolating the zoning minimums for housing developments around the
urban core w/ associated infratructure of roads, et al. Then ask
yourself the question: is this really how you want the community to
look like in the future?. If not, change the zoning regulation to get
the future you desire. (A MV 2020 project perhaps?).

Arendt also made the very interesting and important case that
environmentally "site sensitive" development brings a premium to developers.
Houses that have a view bring more money. The environment, w/ trails,
wet lands, forests, grass lands, wildlife, are the amenities that
people go to the suburbs for. And yet, current, "engineering and
surveying" development destroys the very thing people are after. (This
is a social trap, in which the short term interest of the individual
home buyer (the suburban dream) conflicts w/ the long term interest of the homeowners as a
group. This trap can be sprung by including concepts of landscape
architecture into the zoning ordanances. It seems to be a win-win for
developer and homeowner (and community) alike.

Steve Cooke

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