'new urbanism' article in Spokesman Review (long)

[Debbie Gray <dgray@uidaho.edu>]

Here is a very interesting article I read today in the Spokesman. I think
Moscow has quite a few of these factors going for it, but could use
improvement in some areas (eg. pedestrian systems, employment
opportunities, defined edges).


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   Debbie Gray      dgray@uidaho.edu      http://www.uidaho.edu/~dgray/   
   If the world were to end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today. 
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New urbanism brings community back into vogue /by Suzanne Knapp (Spokane
Home Builders Assoc)--In Spokesman Review Real Estate Supplement, March 7,
1999.

At last, you might not have to move away from shopping and business
districts to live in safe, clean neighborhoods near reputable public
schools. A new trend is emerging in community design, most widely known as
new urbanism. Through this movement, community planners, home builders and
architects are designing self-contained, mixed-use communities that
encourage less driving, more walking and interaction between neighbors.
They are trying to capture the sense of community inherent in the
neighborhoods of our past.

New urbanite developers offer prospective homebuyers an alternative. They
create small, dense communities as opposed to ones with spacious lots and
large homes. In one neighborhood, they incorporate different sized
single-family homes, town homes and apartments, allowing residents of
varying income levels to live side-by-side.

New urbanites lawns are smaller. Some new urbanism planners even eliminate
front lawns, but they compensate for the loss by incorporating easily
accessible public squares, parks and greens into the communities.

Many homes in a new urbanism designed neighborhood have large front
porches. New urbanism planners believe that if people use their front
porches as a living space, they will be more likely to strike up casual
conversations with neighbors walking past their homes.

The streets in new urbanism designed communities are narrow to enforce
slow speed limits. They are also adorned with wide sidewalks and
interconnect residential areas with parks, schools, shopping areas, and
places of employment so residents can do more walking and less driving.

The new urbanism movement encompasses both the development of new
communities and the revitilization of older neighborhoods. Some new
urbanism planners design contemporary communities that are functional and
people oriented, and others infiltrate existing neighborhoods with
buildings that provide convenient services and allow residents to conduct
their daily activities within the community.

To work, a new urbanite neighborhood must include a well planned village
layout tasteful architecture and, most importantly, a commitment by its
inhabitants to establish a sense of community. Residents can sit on their
porches and chat with neighbors who pass by on foot. They can walk to the
store and shop in the neighborhood when possible to support community
businesses. And they use the common spaces such as parks, which provide
opportunity for social interaction. New urbanism is a matter of substance,
not style.

The movement also works to replace zoning regulations with development
guidelines that allow developers to build houses, apartments and offices
in the same neighborhood. Since WWII single use zoning codes have
prevented the development of new urbanite communities. But recently, some
municipalities have adopted new zoning codes that allow for the
construction of these more traditional neighborhoods.

Well-known new urbanism architects such as Andres Duany, Elizabeth
Plater-Zyberk and Peter Calthorpe say truly new urbanite communities
offer:

**Defined edges and centers. Each edge is approximately one-quarter mile
or a five-minute walk from the community center.
**Functional pedestrian systems. These include short blocks and wide
sidewalks.
**Well located public space. This includes town squares and conveniently
located parks.
**Affordable housing
**Employment opportunities
**Narrow streets to slow traffic
**De-emphasized or hidden garages
**Mixed land use for working, shopping, learning and other life activities
**Grid layouts that facilitate through traffic. Street patterns create a
network, connecting different parts of the neighborhood through a number
of different routes
**Houses of different architectural styles. But designers may establish an
architectural code to create harmony
**Public transit systems
**Strong citizen participation. This derives from a sense of community
**Economic diversity.

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