Communication
The communication network that has been implemented at Southern Village was designed utilizing New Urbanist principles regarding the protection and celebration of the pedestrian environment. It is through this design that the development has achieved a connected and combined communication network.
The communication network that has been implemented at Southern Village was designed utilizing New Urbanist principles regarding the protection and celebration of the pedestrian environment. It is through this design that the development has achieved a connected and combined communication network.
The implementation of the design has created a clear separation of uses between pedestrian and vehicular circulation that will facilitate a higher level of inter-personal communication among the members of the community.
The celebration of the pedestrian environment is evident throughout the entire development by the presence of wide buffers between roads and walks, the utilization of street trees to provide protection from the elements, and the implementation of an extensive greenway network that allows pedestrians to access any portion of the development.
The mixed-use core also celebrates the pedestrian environment by creating active storefronts, the use of on-street parking to act as a barrier between pedestrians and traffic, and through providing a number of landscape amenities such as benches, planter seating walls and pet-stations for members of the community.
The integration of the existing public transportation system into the overall communication network enhances the sustainability of the community. The transit system allows residents to utilize alternative forms of transportation when traveling to and from the community.The development is located approximately 1-mile from the University of North Carolina campus in the heart of Chapel Hill and the integration of the public transportation system into the community benefits the region as a whole through the reduction of dependence on the private automobile.
Sense of Place
The design of Southern Village has facilitated the creation of a unique sense of place within the overall community. This has been achieved through the creation of a centered, configured and comprehensible community that has embraced a high sense of civic pride.
The walkability of the community combined with the creation of the mixed-use cultural center has further enhanced the creation of the development’s sense of place.
A diverse mix of housing-types has helped to increase the diversity of residents who are members of the overall community and who contribute to the development’s unique sense of place.
The multiple civic uses located in the development help to foster the feeling of community and civic pride among the residents of the development.
The ability of the design of the development to facilitate a wide variety of community-oriented activities in the various open spaces and civic buildings has helped Southern Village create a truly unique sense of place that ensures the development’s sustainability.
Flexibility of Use
The development design has facilitated the carefully monitored growth of the community through the utilization of New Urbanist principles regarding smart growth.
The application of these principles to the overall design strategy has allowed the community to be re-configurable throughout the life of the community and has improved the overall sustainability of the development.
One of the main factors that contribute to the developments ability to be re-configurable is the inclusion of civic uses within the development and the integration of the existing public transportation system. These factors allow the community a level of flexibility that traditional sprawl-driven neighborhoods lack, even if these uses were easily accessible.
The proximity of the mixed-use core to these uses also contributes to the community’s ability to respond to developmental challenges that they may face over time. The mixed-use core has the potential to be re-configured in a manner that will make the civic uses and public transportation system more sustainable.
Conclusions
The design and development of Southern Village have achieved all of the qualities necessary for the creation of a sustainable community. The diverse mix of housing-types utilized to create a high level of residential density in combination with the diverse mix of uses within the community are two of the strongest elements that contribute to the community’s sustainability.
The re-configurable nature of the various uses in the development, especially the mixed-use center and the civic uses located in the community, increases the level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.
The re-configurable nature of the various uses in the development, especially the mixed-use center and the civic uses located in the community, increases the level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.
The communication network in the development should be used as a model for the integration of multiple forms of transportation all of which encourage inter-personal communication. The open space planning and extensive greenway network add to the level of sustainability that the communication network achieves. Southern Village has achieved a level of sustainability through the application of New Urbanist design principles that should be used as an example of smart growth and progressive planning.
The financial success of the development simply demonstrates how sustainable communities can still be profitable for developers while ensuring the protection and preservation of the global community.
We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success. -Henry David Thoreau
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