Examining New Urbanism...Overall Conclusions

In today’s society, we are faced with a challenge that will ultimately determine how sustainable our cultural choices regarding our development patterns, transportation choices and consumer-based economy will prove to be.

Suburban sprawl is the product of the combination of all of these choices that continues to negatively affect the environment and threaten the sustainability of our society.

The sustainable response to suburban sprawl is the embracing of smart growth principles as well as the principles of New Urbanism.

This shift in development patterns as well as an overall paradigm shift from consumptionism to conservationism is especially significant in the emerging age of globalization.

As cultures begin to export their economic systems and the associated negative effects of these systems, the embracing of a sustainable form of development and overall environmental practices will help to ensure the overall sustainability of the global community.

Never before has an international effort to reverse the negative effects of unsustainable development patterns and practices been so significant to the health and welfare of the planet’s inhabitants.

The depletion of the rain forests, the desertification of areas due to increased unsustainable industrial practices and the hyper-consumption of non-renewable resources are important environmental issues that must be addressed by the global community.

All of these issues are directly linked with the unsustainable development patterns that have evolved from the practices of the United States. The United States has an opportunity to regain its international status as a responsible leader through the implementation of sustainable development principles.

Through the analysis of the four New Urbanist communities, a matrix has been created that will help developers and designers create truly sustainable communities.

This matrix highlights the six essential qualities that every sustainable community must possess;

 
  (1) a compact and consolidated intensity of uses;

  (2) a comprehensive and complimentary diversity of uses;

  (3) a contained and consistent extent of uses;

  (4) a connected and combined system of communication;

  (5) a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place;

  (6) a re-configurable plan that allows for flexibility of uses.

Through the application of smart growth design principles and the embracing of New Urbanism principles, these qualities can be generated in nearly every development that is designed in the new millennium.

The importance of creating sustainable communities has never been more evident in this country than it is today.

We are faced with daily reminders of the negative effects of suburban sprawl as commuters sit in hours worth of traffic delays during seemingly endless commutes, wars are fought over the control of non-renewable resources and access to clean water and productive agricultural lands, communities become faceless and meaningless collections of individualist detached housing that ensures the residents privacy and social segregation and the country faces an obesity epidemic for the first time in its history.

Embracing the qualities of sustainable communities is the most effective tool in combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl that threaten our physical, social, cultural and economic health.

After 1980, you never heard reference to space again. Surface, the most convincing evidence of the descent into materialism, became the focus of design. Space disappeared. -Arthur Erickson

Carpenter Village...Summary of Sustainable Qualities

Communication

The communication network of Carpenter Village has been designed utilizing New Urbanist principles in order to foster greater inter-personal communication among the residents of the development.

With the notable exception of the two cul-de-sacs that occur in the development, the development has created a connected and combined communication network that helps to unite all portions of the development and contributes to its overall level of sustainability.

The inclusion of public transportation options in the transportation network is another highlight of the communication network for the community. The bus system will eventually provide residents with the option of utilizing the regional light-rail transit system that is scheduled to begin service in the next few years.

This transportation option will provide the opportunity for residents to commute to the Research Triangle Park and the city of Raleigh without depending upon the use of private automobiles. The integration of the public transportation system into the residential and commercial uses of the development also contributes to the sustainability of the development.


Sense of Place

The commercial core of Carpenter Village may prove to be a vibrant and integral part of the overall community fabric. Unfortunately, the developer’s inability to successfully attract a variety of occupants to the commercial core is threatening the sustainability of the development.

However, the remaining portions of the development such as the residential components, the open space trail system and the community center are all significant contributors to the community’s sense of place.

Provided that the commercial core can be successfully developed and occupied, the development should be able to achieve a centered, configured and comprehensible community that will begin to develop its unique sense of place.

Until the successful infill of commercial spaces, the community is lacking a unique sense of place that can be fostered and enhanced with the development of the commercial core.

Compromises made by the developer during the design phase of the development are the primary cause for the lack of commercial occupants in the development. The commercial core is sited in a manner that will allow it to become the civic center of the community.

Without this uniting element present in the community, this development has taken on the feel of a typical planned unit development that does not have a unique character or strong indication of a sense of civic pride among the residents. This is not to say that the development will not fill the commercial space eventually, but until that occurs, the development has failed in creating a unique sense of place within the community.


Flexibility of Use

The design of Carpenter Village has allowed for further expansion of the development to be located on the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road, separate from the existing development. This feature of the design has greatly detracted from the development’s ability to be re-configurable over time.

Responding to development challenges by sprawling across a major thoroughfare is not a sustainable solution or contingency plan for TNDs.

The inclusion of this contingency plan in the overall design of the development, and more importantly the implementation of the plan, will change the classification of this development from a smart growth community to a typical suburban development.

In order to ensure the development’s sustainability, the developers and designers of the community should formulate a more logical plan that will address the needs of the residents who are currently living in the community.

Conclusions

Carpenter Village meets many of the criteria for being considered a sustainable development, however there are some significant flaws in the implementation of the overall design plan that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the community will be truly sustainable.

The issue of the creation of a unique sense of place must be addressed in order for the community to develop and maintain its identity. The development of the commercial core will greatly increase the chances of achieving sustainability for the community.

A possible design solution may be to add affordable housing to the implementation of the commercial core in order to provide a true mixed-use area and to take full advantage of available public transportation options.

The second issue that must be addressed to ensure the sustainability of the community is addressing the future needs of the community through a more responsible plan for flexibility of use. The plan to expand the development across a main road would threaten the development’s sustainability and disqualify it from being considered a smart growth community.

Provided these issues are addressed, the community should be able to develop a unique sense of place and become a shining example of sustainable development.

Copiers do not collaborate. -Antonio Gaudi

Examining New Urbanism...I'ons Sustainable Qualities & Conclusions

Communication

The communication network in I’on aims to unite the boroughs of the development through a vehicular-use system and a extensive pedestrian circulation system. Due to the large size of the development and the developer’s desire to minimize the number of main roads in favor of multiple inter-connected smaller roads, the communication network can be slightly confusing during the first navigation of the site.

Regardless, I’on does create a connected and combined communication network throughout the entire development. There is a clear separation of uses at I’on and this is achieved through the design of smaller roads, the utilization of on-street parking and street trees, as well as the diversion of the pedestrian circulation system through open spaces that are completely removed from vehicular traffic.

While there is no designated bicycle lane, the design of the road system encourages drivers to experience the development at slightly slower speeds than a normal residential neighborhood.

A majority of the residents prefer bicycle transportation over pedestrian transportation largely due to the fact that the development has a lower density than most TNDs.

The predominant form of travel is still the private automobile which residents utilize to access the farther points of the development as well as commercial areas outside of the development.


Sense of Place

It is difficult to identify and codify a development’s unique sense of place due to the fact that this characteristic develops over time. Environmental identity, social diversity and economic diversity are all factors that contribute to the creation of a community’s sense of place.

Taking into account all the factors involved in determining a development’s sense of place, I’on fails to create a centered, configured and comprehensible development that has fostered the creation of a unique sense of place.

Aesthetically, while the careful attention that has been paid to vernacular architectural features is commendable, this does not contribute to the creation of a unique sense of place.

The development does not feature progressive environmental solutions to the reduction of storm-water runoff, the reduction on the dependence of non-renewable resources nor does it have a unique community character.

The development strategy of creating individual and separate boroughs within the development is another contributing factor the development’s lack of a unique sense of place. I’on may eventually develop a unique sense of place in the future; however it currently has no specific or unique identity that sets it apart from other residential neighborhoods in Mount Pleasant.


Flexibility of Use

The development plan for I’on designates a majority of the land as residential uses with very little room to respond to future development needs. For this reason, I’on has failed to create a plan that is re-configurable throughout the life of the community.

Large residential lots, low overall density and the lack of significant commercial-use areas are factors that contribute to this determination. Due to the manner in which the development has been planned, the addition of new commercial space or large civic institutions would be difficult without the annexation of additional land.

Much of the open space in the development is in forms of neighborhood-scale pocket-parks or preserved sensitive natural areas and this leaves I’on with very little opportunity to implement additional uses or re-configure the circulation system if it became necessary.

This severely limits I’on’s ability to create a sustainable development that can adapt and evolve over time and respond to the needs of its residents, users and the community at large.

Conclusions

I’on has failed to implement a progressive plan that will prove to be sustainable throughout the life of the development. The main contributing factors to this are the developments inability to successfully address the issues of density, diversity, identity and flexibility.

While I’on is a fine attempt at combating suburban sprawl and has aesthetically pleasing architectural features throughout the development; it does very little to ensure the long-term sustainability of its community as well as the larger community of Mount Pleasant.

Many of I’on’s failures can be attributed to the lack of response to the social, environmental and economic factors associated with sustainable developments. I’on does very little to foster and enhance social and economic diversity within the development, and while the preservation efforts of the development are impressive, there is little evidence that the development is striving to reduce their consumptionism and focus on the positive aspects of conservationism. It is for these reasons that I’on cannot be considered a truly sustainable development.

We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Examining New Urbanism...Sense of Place

Sense of place is one of the most difficult qualities to address when analyzing the level of a development’s sustainability. There is no empirical formula for measuring sense of place; however when one experiences and interacts within the development, a certain amount of community character will lend itself to an intangible quality that will either elicit a positive or negative reaction from users.

The evolution of a development’s sense of place may rely on the utilization and implementation of the normative qualities associated with determining the creation of a sustainable and unique sense of place. The normative qualities that developments should embrace throughout the planning process are the creation of a development that is centered, configured and comprehensible.

A planning strategy that is centered, configured and comprehensible will first and foremost encourage the creation of a diverse population mix within the development. The layout of the development should encourage an increased sense of civic pride in order to help foster the evolution of a unique sense of place. This can be achieved through the creation of shared open-spaces that residents can utilize for a diverse range of social functions.

The execution of a centered, configured and comprehensible plan relies heavily on the successful design and implementation of the qualities discussed to this point as well. The creation of a civic or commercial-oriented core will also foster the evolution of the development’s sense of place through the encouragement of civic participation from all segments of the population.

The creation of a unique sense of place for a development addresses social issues throughout every phase of implementation. It is through the creation of the community that the development will begin to form its sense of place.

Ensuring social diversity will help to foster the creation of a sense of place in that a unique community character will emerge through the interaction between different groups who share the civic responsibilities and benefits of a tight-knit community.

A sense of place may evolve from the implementation of alternative and progressive approaches to conserving the environment. This approach helps to further encourage and foster a sense of civic pride within the development in that the residents can celebrate their collective efforts in helping to reduce the negative impacts on the environment.

A development that celebrates ecologically sensitive design principles and practices will have a greater chance at the creation of a truly unique sense of place within the global community.

Addressing economic factors within the creation of a development’s sense of place is difficult to measure due to the lack of empirical evidence applicable to a development’s “feel”. However, economic development could be a useful vehicle for the evolution of a development’s sense of place through the creation of unique activities that only occur within the development.

A sense of civic pride can also be created through the use of alternative technologies that reduce the need for over-consumption of goods and services or through the creation of an economically diverse community fabric. It is through economic diversity that a development has one of the greatest chances to create a truly unique sense of place while ensuring its long-term sustainability.

There is no there there. -Gertrude Stein

Examining New Urbanism...Extent of Use

The extent of use of the land required to implement a sustainable development should strive to maximize the land upon which it is built. This will ensure that as the development grows in terms of population and uses, it will not consume more land than is necessary.

This is an important factor in ensuring a development’s sustainability as well as a tool in combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl. To maximize sustainability, a development should strive to achieve the normative qualities associated with extent of use by formulating a plan that is contained and consistent.

A contained and consistent development plan limits the amount of land ultimately utilized for the implementation of the development; however it does not limit the amount of growth that can occur within the determined bounds of the development. Suburban sprawl does nothing to address the extent of use of the land and encourages low-density growth as a re-active planning measure as opposed to a pro-active measure.

The contained and consistent plan ensures that a larger and more diverse community matrix will evolve through the life of the development. Additionally, by providing clear boundaries to denote the place itself encourages the community to develop its character in an organic manner as opposed to a place with no clear boundaries that has a difficult time identifying itself.

As previously mentioned, the contained and consistent plan encourages a certain level of social interaction as well as the creation of a unique social character. Providing boundaries for the development will ensure that uses will remain in close proximity to each other and will encourage inter-personal communication and interaction. This helps to ensure the communities ability to sustain itself on a social level through the continuous interaction of people who belong to the same place but may originate from completely different backgrounds or be members of different socio-economic groups.

From an environmental standpoint, a contained and consistent plan maximizes the amount of land that will be consumed through the implementation of the development. This does not limit the ultimate population of the development nor does it limit the amount of diverse uses located within the development.

What it does limit is the overall amount of land the development requires in order to achieve a higher level of sustainability. The utilization of the existing land that is available to the development throughout its evolution is an excellent tool in combating the sprawling nature of developments that consume new land as they see fit.

The economic benefits of the contained and consistent plan are that the development will have the opportunity to retain the positive aspects of the commercial uses located in the development. The boundaries of the development allow for the continued growth, both physical and economic, of the development while ensuring that the services provided within the development will probably not relocate to an area that is not easily accessible.

While the notion that businesses will not relocate is not totally guaranteed, as the population of the development increases within the boundaries of the development the consumer-base available to businesses will most likely increase within close proximity to the commercial uses. This helps to ensure the economic sustainability of the businesses by being located to a “built-in” customer base.

There is an increasing awareness of the interrelatedness of things. We are becoming less prone to accept an immediate solution without questioning its larger implications. -Arthur Erickson

Examining New Urbanism...

Traditional neighborhood developments, or TNDs, have become a design and planning strategy to combat the negative effects of suburban sprawl. There are, however, questions as to whether or not these new developments will prove to be an effective tool in the long-term struggle against sprawl and if the developments will prove to be sustainable. The American Heritage Dictionary defines sustainable as “capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.”

While all development has some effect on the natural environment, sustainable development aims to minimize the long-term effects on the environment by encouraging more intelligent growth within the determined boundaries of the development and addresses not only environmental issues but social and economic factors as well.

Therefore, the definition of sustainability that we shall use for the purposes of this research endeavor reads as “human settlement that is designed, built and operated in a way that environmental, social and economic practices used in all phases of development provide for efficiency and equity for present and future generations of humans and other species.”

The revised definition of sustainability employed for our research endeavor emphasizes the importance of people, place and process in all phases of the development’s design. Every phase of design should consider the importance of the social, environmental and economic factors involved in order to ensure the development’s sustainability.

The developments should strive to create a diverse social structure within which a strong community can be built. It is through the creation of a strong community identity that a development can begin to ensure its long-term sustainability. The establishment of a strong and diverse community creates a sense of civic pride within developments that is difficult to measure with empirical methods, however, communities that lack a sense of civic pride are often characterized as places that are unsafe, in a state of disrepair and lack a strong economic base.

Suburban sprawl does not foster the creation of a strong sense of community due to the fact that it places a greater emphasis on individualism than it does on civic pride. In addition to creating a sustainable community, new developments should address the needs and concerns of existing developments and communities through every phase of design and construction in order to minimize any negative effects the new developments may have on neighboring areas.

The physical location of sustainable developments should aim to reduce the over-consumption of land that suburban sprawl encourages. The sustainable development, while integrated into the existing community fabric, should have clearly defined boundaries that will determine the ultimate size of the development and establishes a place within the environment.

A current criticism of traditional neighborhood developments is that they still encourage the use of the private automobile due largely to the fact that they are located on former agricultural tracts of land that are too far removed from the urban core. While this is a valid criticism of TNDs, the do offer a sustainable alternative to suburban sprawl through the integration of commercial cores that are accessible by foot from any portion of the development.

It should be noted that establishing a commercial core that is accessible via pedestrian movement is not the determining factor that should be considered for addressing the issue of place. The boundaries of a place, and the community that is created within the place will determine whether or not the development will truly be sustainable.

Earth day is upon us...

Well, today is the 39th Earth Day.

I find it a bit perplexing that as members of the world-wide ecological community, we require a single day to be set aside to celebrate the planet we live on.

And honestly, with what we have done to this planet I not sure we should be celebrating, but instead begging forgiveness and seeking penance.

So before anyone gets into a tizzy regarding whether or not global warming really exists; or whether or not owning 4 cars in a 2 driver household really contributes to sprawl; or whether or not the trickle-down theory is really the most democratic economic system; or whether or not our development choices have really led to an alarmingly high child obesity rate; or whether or not our use of coal-burning power plants in the Ohio valley has really poisoned every body of freshwater in the Northeast with mercury; or whether or not developing nations really allow rampant deforestation in the name of hyper-capitalism masked as progress; or whether or not our hyper-capitalist driven land-use choices have really destroyed important wetland ecosystems whose function is to protect low-lying areas from flooding; or whether or not our government has really allowed hyper-capitalist auto manufacturers to convince us that an efficient, low-emissions internal combustion engine is not feasible; or whether or not our nation really has the largest privately funded rail network in the world yet we can't seem to implement a reliable high-speed rail network; or whether or not in our democratic and just society that our health care system is really ranked 38th in the world just ahead of Slovenia and Cuba; or whether or not we really allow hyper-capitalists to bulldoze the mountains of West Virginia in search of cheap coal; or whether or not we really celebrate the automobile so much that when a developer actually installs sidewalks or a trail system they want a commendation from the Sierra Club; or whether or not allowing National Home Builders to mass grade, change designated land-uses and leverage their projects based solely on speculation informed by reports that their own lobbyists generate has really contributed to the crash of the housing market; or whether or not hyper-capitalist driven greed has really fueled the subprime lending market in which housewives-turned-mortgage brokers fleece unsuspecting, uninformed homebuyers into products that they could never afford; or whether or not the lack of congressional oversight is really the true culprit behind many of the misdealings of the financial crisis; or whether or not relying on the guise of religion and freedom is really a just means to slaughter innocent people with roadside bombs, dirty bombs, hazardous chemicals, conventional weapons, plutonium-enriched shells or any other means of destruction; or whether or not globalization has really led to the exportation of American-style hyper-capitalism resulting in the further socio-economic stratification of developing nations; or whether or not our coastal development choices have really placed cities, towns and residents in danger of catastrophic weather events; or whether or not saving 10-cents a month on your electricity bill really means you are living a sustainable lifestyle; or whether or not greenwashing your development project with a certified "green" checklist is really a step in the right direction for facilitating a system-wide paradigm shift; or whether or not protesting taxes when nation's survival is at stake as opposed to protesting deficit spending to invade sovereign nations based on lies is really justifiable; or whether or not the United States really has over 1,300 endangered species of plants and animals yet we continue to plan to exploit wildlife refuges for hyper-capitalist gains; I would like to remind everyone of one thing.

Everything is connected to everything else.

If there is one phrase which should become part of the American lexicon, that is it.

The sooner we accept that our actions affect the larger eco-community and that in order for our species to survive we must change our habits, the sooner we can begin celebrating Earth Day everyday of the year.

The universe is wider than our views of it. -Henry David Thoreau

Shades of gray...

So they question remains, how do we facilitate the necessary paradigm shift towards a more sustainable homebuilding model?

This task is much more difficult than one can imagine. In order to demonstrate just how murky the waters truly are, we need to examine one of the organizations whose entire purpose is to defend national builders and their hyper-capitalist ways. This is none other than the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Just to give you an idea as to exactly what this organization is about, the "NAHB strives to create an environment in which...Housing and those who provide it are recognized as the strength of the nation." Unless you've been living in a cave for the past three years, we all know how this vision has panned out for our nation!

Regardless, the NAHB is making an effort to embrace and promote "Green Building Practices". However, if we take a closer look at this effort we will quickly discover yet another greenwashing smokescreen intended to distract us from the real issues.

(You didn't really think that I would simply point out the NAHB's efforts without immediately proceeding to systematically dissect its true intentions, did you?!?!)

Let us begin with the NAHB's "Green Home Building Guidelines", which is structured somewhat like the LEED rating system. The NAHB's system allocates points for green building "line items", resulting in a gold, silver or bronze rating.

Points for site selection, site design, building materials and so on comprise the overall strategies to achieve a "green" community. But, if we take a closer look at their overall "green" goals, we quickly discover how they truly feel about the movement;

It should be noted that although many green building programs have been in existence for 10 years of more, the concept and practice of green building is not clearly defined and straightforward. Many gray areas remain in identifying and quantifying the precise environmental impact for each particular line item. (NAHB, Model Green Home Building Guidelines.)

Huh, that's funny because as we have come to learn, everything is connected to everything else. That seems like a pretty straightforward concept, but then again it could be construed as a gray area. I mean, does everything include stuff that we haven't invented or produced yet? And does it include thoughts or electrical impulses?

I've changed my mind; it is pretty gray.

Let's look at it another way. How about the view that sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland, 1987.)

That doesn't help at all. For instance, what if scientists invent a way to solve all of the world's pollution problems in the future?!?! If that were to happen, then anything we do now won't really hinder the ability of future generations!

Yup, pretty gray.

How about if we look at the very first criteria for site selection; "Avoid environmentally sensitive areas". One could state with some certainty that this would include wetland areas.

Ahh, we remember wetlands don't we? Those diverse ecological communities which perform a variety of functions from cleaning water to providing protection from flooding.

But hold the phone, we may have discovered a gray area.

The NAHB, in all its infinite wisdom is quick to point out that "wetlands are a controversial issue for builders and federal agencies." Furthermore, they are quick to point out that wetland degradation and loss is a "common misconception". In fact, they feel that there has been "no net loss" of wetlands in our nation recently.

Well, those smoke-screening scientists over at the pesky EPA would probably like to step-up to the microphone to refute that statement by saying, "Huh?".

For instance, in Louisiana alone "every thirty minutes, an area of coastal land the size of a football field vanishes. Since the 1930s, more than 1.2 million acres (1,900 square miles), an area the size of Delaware, has disappeared from the Mississippi River Delta."

Yup, so very gray.

Perhaps the NAHB neglected to read the entire memo concerning the federal government's policies on wetlands. If they had read past the first two lines, they would have learned that both President Bushes wanted to implement a regulatory policy which accounted for no net loss of wetlands.

Oops. Missed that one.

A builder can still apply for a permit to "fill" a portion of a wetlands and either construct or "mitigate" their impact somewhere else on their site. Or they can even mitigate that impact to somewhere that is not even in the same area as their site!!!

In an effort to return to our original point, how do we expect the new homebuilding giant Pulex to embrace the concepts of sustainability and "green" building if the organization who supports them doesn't even wholeheartedly believe in these concepts?!?!

Well, in a democratic society operating under an capitalist economic system, We the People are the ones who possess the power to instigate change. That change must come from the consumer who demands nothing less than a truly "green" and sustainable product from organizations who are truly concerned with the impacts they are making on our society.

Remember, yes we can.

Are we not the whores of big business, selling our product for their commercial lust? -Arthur Erickson

Monopolizing sprawl....

During these difficult times for national builders, a feel-good story emerges from the organizations who gave us the concepts of fortified, age-restricted sprawling communities; McMansions and builder-based financing. In case you haven't heard, Pulte Homes is in the process of acquiring Centex. This will create the largest national home builder in the country (and most likely the world).

Hyper-capitalists everywhere are rejoicing!!! Perhaps we can continue to treat the land as a commodity and resume consuming it at an alarming rate!!!

Don't fire-up the mass-grading bandwagon just yet...I think I have some bad news for this sprawling mega-builder.

Perhaps the CEOs of the housing industry were too busy traversing the country in their private planes over the last few weeks to take notice of something that the new administration is fairly keen on...fixing failed business models.

I think that Rick Wagoner, the now former CEO of General Motors could give the new Pulex (which is a new company name that I freely offer the new mega-sprawler) some advice on revising their business plan.

Rick may begin by telling the building giant to steer clear of the "free-money-for-failed-hyper-capitalists" programs that the federal government has been funding over the past few months. That piece of advice would certainly be preceded by the caveat, things just ain't what they used to be.

Here's the real point; the housing industry needs to rethink their hyper-capitalist driven business models if they plan to survive.

This merger will not spur another housing boom. Sorry to burst the bubble before it even inflates, but if we think back about a year and a half, we should be able to remember that it was the national builders and the lending industry which started this economic downturn.

Here's another bubble-flattener; the new administration will not allow the widespread destruction of the American landscape in the name of hyper-capitalism. In fact, not since the 19th century has the federal government made a significant effort to fund and encourage public transportation projects.

What options does this leave our new friend Pulex? How about the opportunity to become the very first sustainable and equitable national home builder in the world.

Granted, the true meaning and practice sustainability and equity are foreign concepts to these folks. But let us imagine for a moment, a national homebuilder that creates truly sustainable site plans, encourages public transportation projects which connect their communities to urban cores, builds communities which encourage healthy living and social interaction and offer a diverse mix of housing types that people from every socio-economic status could afford.

Sounds nice, doesn't it. I'm certain that some hyper-capitalists are decrying the idea of such sustainable and equitable communities. They are most likely pulling out their latest mud-slinging terms; socialism, communists and the dreaded liberal.

But alas, I have some disturbing news for our hyper-capitalist brethren...these types of communities only embody one true political ideal; democracy.

Ahh yes, a concept which has become so clouded that a majority of people in this country don't even remember what it means. But let us remember that this great nation was founded (in theory at least) on the concepts of equality, fairness and opportunity.

These just happen to be the same ideals which drive the concept of creating equitable and sustainable communities. The time has come for a new approach to development in this nation, and Pulex has the incredible opportunity to lead that charge.

The question is, will they?

Instead of noblemen, let us have noble villages of men. -Henry David Thoreau

Making sure they're pleased....

Quick food for thought.

From today's New York Times;

April 3, 2009

Former California Homeowners Lash Out at Builder

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

LOS ANGELES — A major home builder that helped fuel the country’s building boom is now under attack for what some homeowners and builders say was its role in the bust that
followed.

Several former homeowners spoke here on Thursday about their disenchantment with the builder, KB Home, at its annual shareholders’ meeting. The speakers said the company had pushed them into high-risk, high-interest loans for homes they could not afford and eventually lost to foreclosure.

During the meeting, a few dozen construction workers, many of whom had their work dry up when the home-building market imploded in Southern California, protested across the street.

“I tried to communicate to the board members to try to do better for people in the future,” one of the former homeowners who addressed the board, Santiago Ramos, said after the meeting.

The meeting was closed to reporters. A KB Home spokeswoman,

Heather Reeves, said in an e-mail message, “We want every KB

homeowner to know that we stand ready to assist them in any way

we can to ensure that they are pleased with their purchase.”

I wonder if that assistance includes helping the now former homeowners find a nearby shelter.

We need less regulations. I suspect, we met with a homeowner, home builder yesterday, Congressman. Remember the guy? He was upset that he had to fill out forms at the federal, state, and local level in order to build a house. -George W Bush, Washington, D.C., Mar. 16, 2004

Greenwashing the Site Plan...Enhancing the Enhanced

We are finally nearing the end of our discussion about the four requirements for developing and implementing a sustainable site plan. As we have found with nearly all of our discussions, everything is connected to everything else, and today's topic is no different. So let us consider the final requirement;

...the proposed project provides for enhanced human well being, enhanced cultural diversity and enhances the natural and social environment...

Once again, the common sense sign is most likely beginning to flash in your mind. But as we have found throughout our explorations, common sense rarely goes hand-in-hand with the ideals and goals of Hyper-Capitalism.

As we begin to dissect the meaning of this requirement, we find the ammunition Hyper-Capitalists use to claim their project meets the requirements for a sustainable site plan.

Magic Bullet #1:

enhance: 1. to raise to a higher degree 2. to raise the value or price of

Uh-oh, Hyper-Capitalists everywhere are rejoicing. Does their site plan destroy and disturb the soils on a site? Probably. Does their site plan make the water a little dirtier as it moves towards it destination? Most likely. Does their site plan rely on the practice of clear-cutting the existing vegetation? You bet.

Yet in this Hyper-Capitalist driven world, changing the use of a site from undeveloped to developed enhances the overall value of the property.

Magic Bullet #2:

well-being: the state of being healthy, happy or prosperous

Yikes. Prosperity, there's a Hyper-Capitalist ideological word if we've ever seen one. Sure, their site plan may call for the mass grading of a site, increase traffic in surrounding neighborhoods and promote architecture that looks as if a third-grader designed it, but are they providing opportunities for everyone to be prosperous?

A resounding YES is being shouted from an armada of Hyper-Capitalist gas-guzzling SUVs as they claim wonderful jobs are being created, tax dollars are flowing into the municipality like wine and humans need places to live, work and eat. But, in reality, they are the only people who are truly prospering from their destructive site planning practices.

Magic Bullet #3:

cultural diversity: the coexistence of different ethnic, gender, racial, and socioeconomic groups within one social unit

Do Hyper-Capitalists truly believe that when they create a site plan which develops a piece of land into a "luxury residential community", that simply because there is daily interaction between the wealthy homeowners and the labor force which trims their water-wasting lawns that they have created a culturally diverse project?

Or that because they are providing a use which will create a handful of minimum-wage jobs for people who can barely afford to travel to their workplace due to the lack of affordable housing in the area, they are providing an opportunity for the interaction between different socioeconomic groups?

Hyper-Capitalists will generally begin to talk about how they are filling a need for some sort of use when this subject is raised. We provide a diverse mix of housing types in our community...is a statement often uttered from the mouths of Hyper-Capitalists. There is a multi-family component to our project...that the average worker couldn't even dream of owning on a hourly wage of about $11 per hour.

Magic Bullet #4:

natural environment: or simply known as the environment; the collection of all living and non-living things in a given area

This subject is usually handled by a favorite phrase of Hyper-Capitalists; the highest and best use of a property.

Sure, we clear-cut and mass graded our site, but before we came along the property was just sitting there not doing anyone any good. It wasn't making any money for anyone!!

Don't worry about stormwater, we've got control devices that will remove the minimum amount of pollutants from the water as prescribed by law. And don't you worry about those ugly native tress we bull-dozed, we're going to plant some lovely landscaping (although it will most likely be the minimum required by the code or we may just pay some money into a fund so that the city can plant a tree on the other side of town).

Magic Bullet #5:

social environment: society as a whole, especially in its relation to the individual

Is our society a better place now that we have Wal-Mart, Lowe's, sprawl, endless miles of paved roads and have the ability to transform the natural environment into something that benefits humankind (even if it means the extinction of ten other species)?

"Without these things, our economy would collapse and we would all be communists", shout the Hyper-Capitalists.

Call me a cynic, but all I can say is that given the current state of the economy, environment and society as a whole, Hyper-Capitalists have been doing a stand-up job so far!

everything is connected to everything else

We can begin to see how the mask of greenwashing is being used to cloak some of the more unsustainable site planning practices employed by Hyper-Capitalists. Let us keep in mind that the developers are not the only one's to blame in this process, there are designers who are charged with producing these site plans and who are, in essence, failing our environment and our society.

As we move forward, we will take a look at some real life examples of site plans that have been greenwashed in the name of Hyper-Capitalism.

You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see. -Tadao Ando

Greenwashing and Sprawl...Part One

Sprawl.

Remember sprawl? It seems as if the concept and practice of creating/perpetuating sprawl has fallen from the nation's conscious. Is this an indication that we have successfully lobbied against the agents of sprawl and defeated them through the creation of interconnected, pedestrian-friendly, integrated and environmentally-friendly communities?

I am fairly certain we all know the answer to that question.

Why is it then, that the prototypical form of suburban development, adopted shortly after the end of the World War II, has faded into the back of everyone's mind? The answer is simple; most people consider the economic and environmental impacts of sprawl to be insignificant in their daily lives.

Many Americans, especially in these trying economic times, are thankful to even own their own home and have the ability to make the mortgage payment, provide food for their family and own their own private automobile. As former President George W. Bush once said, "I believe part of a hopeful society is one in which somebody owns something." (Source: Third Presidential Debate, Tempe, Arizona, Oct. 13, 2004)

(Granted, home-ownership is a more sustainable form of housing, but I am not exactly sure that's what Dubya meant. And I understand that he's only been the "former-President" for about 24 hours, but it's been a long 8 years.)

Americans, at least a large portion of Americans, for some reason have yet to associate any intangible (or tangible for that matter) costs with the practice of sprawl. Why is that? The answer is simple; greenwashing.

While the national builders and their associated trade organizations will be the first to tell you that they are concerned with developing "communities" and building homes to address our housing needs, in reality they exist for one reason; to make a profit.

The most profitable way for a national builder to develop a community is to acquire "raw land" which in most cases is located away from city centers. The reason for this is simple, volume + low development cost = enormous profits.

It doesn't take a genius to understand that developing a parcel of land that used to be a farm is far less expensive than rehabilitating or adapting an urban structure for housing. More importantly, these builders are mainly concerned with how many homes they can build in the shortest period of time. (As an example, Pulte's Del Webb division requires a minimum potential of 3,000 units plus adequate acreage for a golf course in order to even consider purchasing a tract of land.)

But this is not the point of our exploration today. Admittedly, the effects of sprawl are widespread, numerous and often exhausting to contemplate; which is probably the major factor which has contributed to why we have seemingly "moved on" from being concerned with sprawl.

To simplify our discussion, we need to understand the hidden or intangible costs of sprawl. The most important of which are the added degradation of our overall health, the added expense associated with our transportation choices and the negative environmental impact that suburban developments in rural areas inflict upon the ecosystem.

Consider our national health.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 12.4% of children age 2-5, 17% of children age 6-11 and 17.6% of children age 12-19 are obese. While the integration of high-fructose corn syrup into nearly every food product in our society has contributed to this alarming trend, the pervasion of suburban sprawl can be considered one of, if not the largest, contributing factor. Why you may ask? One of the Hyper-Capitalist driven strategies for developing profitable communities is to avoid building sidewalks.

Seems like a silly or insignificant element. But take a tour of any of the new developments in your immediate area and pay close attention to the design of many of the homes. You will notice that the most significant element of the facade is the garage. Simply think back to our discussion of our national transportation choices and we understand why the garage has become so significant in the design and construction of new homes.

In addition to our transportation choices, if we look at the national builder strategy of maximizing the number of potential units,we find that neighborhood parks take away the opportunity to build one more unit. Besides, Americans drive everywhere anyway, so there is no need for spaces that cost money to design, build and maintain without the Hyper-Capitalist benefit of profitability.

Our previous discussions of our national transportation choices eludes to the additional costs associated creating developments which are, in essence, disconnected from basic goods and services. In addition to these costs, increased automobile trips cost us something more important than money; time.

The time Americans spend commuting, obtaining goods and services from sources that are agents of sprawl themselves and working to maintain their primary mode of transportation leads to a disconnect with the landscape, the environment as a whole and with other members of our society. Consider this simple fact: Americans spend more time commuting to and from work (around 100 hours) than they do vacationing (around 80 hours). To further compound the issue, the average American forfeits 3 whole days of vacation per year!

The final cost, the added impact to the ecosystem and environment which sprawling developments exert on previously undeveloped land, contributes to a myriad of costs for our society.

The introduction of petroleum-based products into ecosystems that previously protected themselves naturally from a minimum amount of these products and by-products has had a widespread economic impact on our daily lives. Environmental clean-up programs, the degradation of our clean water supplies and the nitrification and destruction of our soils have led to costs that are increasing daily and will have a long-term impact that has yet to be realized.

Perhaps the main reason that the issue of sprawl has fallen to the wayside is that it can be exhausting. Our discussion today has barely scratched the surface of the overall effect that this practice has exerted on our culture and society.

It seems as if this discussion has also strayed from the original topic; greenwashing. Admittedly it has, only in the sense that we have yet to discuss how greenwashing is utilized in the continued pervasion of sprawl.

Considering the somewhat overwhelming evidence that we have presented today, we shall continue our exploration of the use of greenwashing in our next post.

Our settlement of land is without regard to the best use of land. -Arthur Erickson

Back on the Greenwashing Express...

With the hope of a political paradigm shift that should correct many of the mistakes made over the past 8-years on the nation's mind, we will reopen our investigation into the practice of greenwashing.

Since our original discussion, it seems that the nearly every manufacturer, corporation and political candidate has attached themselves to the "green" movement. As our discussion over the next few days should demonstrate, much of what people consider "green" is actually a far cry from where we (as a society and as a culture) should be headed.

Greenwashing is a concept which has already moved past the simple masking of environmentally destructive behavior. Over the next few days, we will explore how greenwashing practices have masked unsustainable and inequitable choices in the following areas:

• Corporate Pollution
• The Pervasion of Sprawl
• The Glorification of Unsustainable Site Planning Practices
• The Masking of Unsustainable and Inequitable Transportation Planning Choices (from a consumer-based and policy standpoint)
• The Pervasion of Consumptionism
• The Degradation of the Design Process
• The Perversion of American Landscape Architectural and Architectural Heritage

Our examination begins with two prominent players from the auto industry bail-out, Ford Motor Company and General Motors.

If you had the opportunity to view the NFL Championship games this past weekend, you may have noticed that nearly every automobile commercial claimed some form of commitment to sustainability. Under the influence of Hyper-Capitalism, the average consumptionist might believe such statements.

Honestly, they wouldn't say something on television that wasn't true, would they?

Let's take a closer look.

Our friends at Ford, specifically Ford's current (and Boeing's former) CEO and President, Alan Mulally, makes the following statement;

Ford is becoming smaller, leaner, more globally integrated and more focused on meeting customers' needs and wants. It is also a company with sustainability at the heart of its business. Our vision for the 21st century is to provide sustainable transportation that is affordable in every sense of the word: socially, environmentally and economically. (Source: Alan R. Mulally President and Chief Executive Officer, 2007/8 Ford Motor Company Sustainability Report.)

Interesting. Especially the portion about environmental sustainability.

However, let us dissect exactly what Alan is referring to when he talks about sustainability. A closer look reveals that he is only referring to "transportation".

But wait, shouldn't that sustainable vision extend to every aspect of providing those transportation choices? (Incidentally, we will examine just exactly how Ford is providing sustainable and equitable transportation choices for our nation in a few days.)

But Alan, why was your company recently named the 17th worst air pollution producer in the U.S.?

Through the mask of greenwashing, we are led to believe the notion that Ford is forging ahead on a truly sustainable path.

Along the same lines, and out of fairness to Ford, General Motors makes the following statements on their corporate website;

The following environmental principles provide guidance to General Motors personnel worldwide in the conduct of their daily business practices.
1. We are committed to actions to restore and preserve the environment.
2. We are committed to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources, and recycling materials at every stage of the product life cycle (Source: GM Environmental Principles)

Not to diminish GM's standing in the nation's conscious, but they do not pollute our nation's atmosphere nearly as much as Ford; they are only 18th on the list.

We can clearly see where all of this is heading. Masking the process of creating these allegedly sustainable products helps these entities to continue with their Hyper-Capitalist driven agendas.

To finish our discussion, we will turn (once again) to our favorite home improvement retailer; Lowe's.

We can all recall what our friend's at Lowe's claimed was their commitment to sustainability.

Well, it seems that Lowe's research department needs put in a little overtime.

Lowe's recently named Owens Corning their "Supplier of the Year".

The only problem is that Owens Corning was also recently named the 26th worst air polluter in the United States. Not exactly the most sustainable and equitable choice for a corporation that claims to be "stewards of the environment".

So where does this leave us?

It leaves us exactly where we started, with the desperate need to implement and foster a systematic-wide paradigm shift that sheds the cloak of greenwashing in favor of choices and practices that actually make a difference.

And all of you Hyper-Capitalist supporters need not worry; sustainability, equality, and profits are not mutually exclusive.

As previously mentioned, greenwashing extends beyond the masking of environmental degradation in the form of pollution. As consumers, and more importantly, as members of the wider ecological community, we must be vigilant in examining every practice and ideal which greenwashing helps to mask.

It is only through this vigilance that we will be able to achieve the much-needed systematic paradigm shift that will help ensure our social, cultural and ecological sustainability.

No face which we can give to a matter will stead us so well at last as the truth. This alone wears well. -Henry David Thoreau

Laying the foundations...

Designers, planners, academics and writers are often accused of and fall victim to the phenomenon of analysis paralysis. In short, we continue to collect data on a quest to make the best decision we can regarding an issue; but then we become overwhelmed with data and fail to take action.

As designers, this comes in the form of site analysis. Simply stated, "...the site is analyzed for its fitness for the purpose of the plan..."(Site Planning, Lynch/Hack. 1984.).

In retrospect, our discussion of the auto industry bail-out and our national transportation planning problem has been a broad-stroke, preliminary site analysis. We have identified some core issues, behavioral patterns, social and cultural preferences, environmental impacts and are now prepared to offer a preliminary planning structure that will benefit our nation and our society.

So without heading into a analysis paralysis, let us begin our national recovery.

As we have mentioned, there is a dire need for a systematic paradigm shift with regards to our national transportation planning goals. This will require participation from a variety of stakeholders; resulting in the implementation of a plan which will ensure an equitable and sustainable national transportation strategy. So without further adieu, let us begin.

1. Impose a higher tariff on foreign automotive imports.

Proponents of NAFTA, G8 nations and a host of economists are already beginning to boil-over with reasons we should avoid this avenue. However, if we plan to resuscitate our domestic automotive manufacturing industry, we must give consumers a reason to purchase domestic products. These tariffs not only encourage consumption of domestic products but they will provide a revenue source for our nation that does not come from the pockets of our own citizens.

2. Streamline the domestic manufacturing process.

If we look back to the factors which lead to the creation of the Hyper-Capitalist system, we can argue that its founder was a simple man named Henry Ford. When that name is mentioned, many people conjure images of the now famous "assembly-line process". The Hyper-Capitalist system has distorted the original intention of this process which has lead to a disparity among the compensation workers receive for such work. Consider this fact; an auto worker in the United States averaged a salary equivalent to $70-per-hour while teachers in this nation averaged only $33-per-hour (for a 9-month position). Is manufacturing an automobile truly more challenging and important than educating our nation?

3. Establish more stringent standards for fuel efficiency and tax manufacturers whose products fail to meet or exceed those standards.

The average fuel economy for American autos (2007 model year) is 34-mpg, while the average for Japanese imports is 40.6-mpg. Furthermore, the Chevrolet Aveo tops the list at 37-mpg while the Toyota Prius achieves 51-mpg (both averages shown are for highway miles).

4. Impose regulations which match users with the type and size of vehicle they require as opposed to what their Hyper-Capitalist fueled consumption habits desire.

This will probably be considered the most unattractive element of the plan, but this is essential to the systematic paradigm shift that we must achieve. In simple terms, if you are not employed in the construction trade or don't own a farm, you do not need a truck capable of hauling tons of materials. If you are a homemaker, you do not require a Cadillac Escalade to perform daily short-trips errands. This restriction allows the automotive manufacturers to focus on more fuel efficient autos while also reducing the cost of manufacturing (less steel, etc...); allows designers to destroy less of the landscape to accommodate oversize passenger vehicles and reduces the consumer's expenditures on automobiles.

5. Impose a car-pool tax on single-driver commuters, impose a higher tax on gasoline, offer higher tax credits for the manufacturing of smaller and efficient automobiles and offer tax credits for car-poolers and transit riders.

All of these elements are simple revenue generators that will encourage and facilitate the systematic paradigm shift.

6. Utilize our existing Interstate System for the implementation of alternative forms of viable transit systems; specifically Bus Rapid Transit (BRTs).

Our friends at AASHTO (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) have been requiring transportation planners and engineers to design highways with ample amounts of "extra space" (e.g. recovery areas, over sized shoulder widths, wide median widths, etc..). With a retrofit that utilizes these spaces, we can definitely re-design our Interstates to accommodate BRTs. This action will also result in development patterns which encourage and foster more compact, compatible and cohesive designs that can combat the adverse effects of sprawl.

7. Utilize alternative energy uses in the development of BRTs, specifically fuel-cells.

While fuel-cell technology was once a hopeful aspect of passenger automobile development, the amount of cells required to efficiently power passenger cars was found to be unachievable. However, buses are a perfect match for the utilization of fuel-cells and many are currently being developed and deployed in various areas of the nation.

8. Utilize our national rail network for commuter and light-rail systems.

Encouraging automotive manufacturers to explore other technologies (especially trains) is not a unrealistic proposition. (In fact, I must give credit to Car Talk for helping to foster this particular part of the planning strategy). Our friends at Car Talk raise a very valid point, Ford CEO Alan Mulally was once CEO of Boeing!!! So a establishing operations for the development of alternative forms of transportation should not be a stretch for Ford.

What we have outlined here are the basic elements of a national transportation strategy which will foster a systematic paradigm shift towards an equitable and sustainable society. Many of these elements impose taxes on various users, manufacturers and limit the need to create over sized swaths of paved areas throughout our nation.

In the Hyper-Capitalist system, the most effective of way of encouraging a systematic paradigm shift is by relating every aspect of every element to the almighty dollar.

People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things. -R. Buckminster Fuller