Re: 'new urbanism' article in Spokesman Review (long)

["Sue Hovey" <suehovey@moscow.com>]

I like the idea of large front porches.  When we, in our neighborhood, get
together, its usually a spontaneous meeting in the middle of the street
where we meet as we get the mail, mow the lawn, pick up the paper.  I guess
we are lucky the traffic isn't yet too bad for that sort of meeting, but it
soon may be.  I really treasure our neighbors and our neighboorhood.  Big
front porches might be just what we need when the street gets too
dangerous--or we get less able to dodge traffic.

Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie Gray <dgray@uidaho.edu>
To: vision2020@moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com>
Date: Monday, March 08, 1999 12:06 AM
Subject: 'new urbanism' article in Spokesman Review (long)


>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).
>
>
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>   Debbie Gray      dgray@uidaho.edu      http://www.uidaho.edu/~dgray/
>   If the world were to end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today.
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>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.
>
>(Advertisement paragraph deleted)
>
>