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

Examining New Urbanism...Design Considerations

Pedestrian Circulation & Open Space Planning Analysis

A major component of smart growth, New Urbanism and sustainable design are the integration and celebration of the pedestrian and accessible open space.

All of the developments described in this study have successfully created progressive pedestrian circulation systems and development open space plans.

The celebration of the pedestrian environment within each of these developments helps to reduce the dependence on the private automobile as the primary form of transportation.

This celebration is achieved primarily through the clear separation of uses that is enhanced by the implementation of buffers between the pedestrians and vehicles.

These buffers can take various forms that include on-street parking to act as a barrier between the pedestrian and the road, landscape buffers that provide for a cleaner pedestrian environment or by removing the automobile from the equation all together.

The open space systems of these developments help to demonstrate that developments can achieve high levels of density without sacrificing the preservation or creation of accessible open spaces within the community.

Whether it is through the creation of pocket-parks, waterfront parks or large community spaces, the importance of accessible open space cannot be ignored.

Accessible open space benefits not only the members of the immediate community, but it contributes to the improvement of the global environmental community by discouraging the unchecked development of our natural lands.

Normative qualities can be associated to the successful design of pedestrian and open space systems that will ensure their sustainability.

Pedestrian and open space systems should be planned to provide for a connected, combined, contained, consistent and re-configurable system.

Paying careful attention to these qualities will allow designers to create viable pedestrian circulation systems that will reduce the dependence on the private automobile and result in an improvement of our global environmental community.

In addition to improving the environmental community, pedestrian circulation systems enhance the opportunities to engage in inter-personal communication that helps to improve our social community.

These systems should be clearly defined and should strive to integrate multiple uses into the system.

Finally, the systems should maintain a high level of flexibility so that they may be re-configured to respond to developmental challenges that they will face over time.

Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed by them. -Henry David Thoreau

Examining New Urbanism....Village of Woodsong

Development History

The Village of Woodsong is a small walking community located in the town of Shallotte, North Carolina approximately 37 miles south of Wilmington. Shallotte is a predominantly white coastal community that has a population of approximately 1,500 permanent residents and covers an area of 5.4 square miles. The town relies heavily on visitors to the coastal region and can be considered a vacation destination along the North Carolina coast.

Shallotte features a number of championship golf courses, beaches and outdoor recreational activities related to the Shallotte River that courses its way through the town. The predominant development pattern of the town is single-family detached housing which contributes to the town’s low density.

The Milliken Company, a local real estate and development company that “specializes in development based on Smart Growth principles” is developing the Village of Woodsong. Thomas E. Low, a Charlotte-based architect who was formerly a member of Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, designed the development.

The firm of Soil and Environmental Consultants, Inc., located in Raleigh, performed the environmental design of the development and the conceptual land planning was provided by the Department of Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University under the supervision of Professor Robin Moore.

The development phase of Woodsong is 25-percent complete and the design calls for 164 dwellings to occupy the 22-acre site that will yield a build-out density of 7.4 units per acre. The development will feature a mixed-use core that will provide office and retail space with residential facilities located on the upper floors of the buildings.

The different portions of the development have been sited in order to facilitate pedestrian movement throughout the entire site and each portion of the development can be reached via within a five-minute walking distance.

The predominant architectural style of the development pays careful attention to the coastal vernacular and features modest-sized residences with wrap-around porches to facilitate inter-personal communication.

Design Analysis

The design of Woodsong calls for the development of 164 residences in the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes and mixed-use buildings that surround the development’s Market Square. The designs of the residences reflect the vernacular architecture of the region and are designed with New Urbanist principles in mind with regards to their relation with the street edge.

The vehicular-use system for the development places the pedestrian at the top of the transportation hierarchy and any portion of the development can be accessed via a five-minute walk. In addition to providing connections to the different portions of the development, a environmentally-sensitive trail network has been designed to facilitate outdoor recreational activities.

The design of the development features a number of community open-spaces and includes a small performance stage that lies on the peninsula of the development’s pond. This space is utilized for small concert performances, public readings and various small-scale performances.

The natural hardwood area directly adjacent to the performance space will be preserved and will be accessible through nature-trails that connect to the overall pedestrian circulation system.

The mixed-use core will feature the largest buildings in the development and will house office and retail uses as well as a residential component. A coffee shop, specialty retail stores, a village market and professional offices will occupy the commercial portion of the mixed-use core.

The residential component will consist of apartments located on the upper floors of the buildings and a series of rowhouse-style condominiums will be adjacent to the mixed-use core around a large community open space.



The gross heathenism of civilization has generally destroyed nature, and poetry, and all that is spiritual. -John Muir

Examining New Urbanism...I'on's Sustainable Qualities

Intensity of Use

The original design for I’on that included 1,240 residences, 440 of which would have been multi-family units, would have yielded a density of around five units per acre. However, the approved design produces a density yield of only 3.1 units per acre that results in a considerably less-dense development. Due to this adjustment, I’on fails to create a compact and consolidated development strategy.

The development strategy does successfully yield higher-density within each of the individual neighborhoods, but the regulations that govern the design and implementation of TNDs in Mount Pleasant severely handicaps the developments ability to provide a density yield that is considerably higher than existing residential neighborhoods in the municipality.

The blame for the lack of a compact and consolidated development plan does not rest solely on the regulations set forth by the planning commission. The developers of I’on chose to create six separate neighborhoods in the hopes of increasing the density of the development, but on a compartmentalized level.

The large lot sizes of a majority of the boroughs also contribute to its disappointing overall density yield. These large lots, coupled with the construction of sometimes unnecessarily large homes with wide side-setbacks are contributing factors to the lack of a compact and consolidated development.


Diversity of Use

I’on provides 30,000 square feet of commercial space in the development’s commercial core on the southern edge of the development. I’on, however, does not provide a diverse mix of housing types anywhere in the entire development. There are no rowhouses, townhomes or mixed-use units within the commercial core.

The only type of dwelling available at I’on is single-family detached housing, and the residences at I’on are anything but modest. Due to the small amount of commercial space, lack of multiple housing types and absence of mixed-use housing, I’on fails to create a development that is comprehensive and complementary with regards to the diversity of use of the land.

I’on does achieve some success through the planning of the development’s overall land-use plan. While the commercial core is insufficient in size to address the needs of the entire development (the commercial core covers approximately one-acre compared to the developments size of 243-acres), the development plan provides ample amounts of open space throughout the development by creating small pocket-parks within each individual neighborhood.

In addition to open space planning, I’on plans to open a school and two churches within the development in the future, however there is ongoing litigation concerning the legalities of implementing these uses.


Extent of Use

I’on’s 243-acre site has been carefully planned to ensure that existing natural ecosystems will not be disturbed by development and the boundaries of I’on are clearly defined to ensure that the neighborhood will not sprawl-out into the landscape. Because of this, I’on has been successful at creating a contained and consistent development with regards to the extent of use of the land.

Many opponents of I’on felt that the development would have a significant negative impact on the existing neighborhoods, but that has not been true to this point. The effort to protect the natural features of the site is one of the most successful facets of the overall design strategy.

The walking trails that wind throughout the development, many of which are in sensitive portions of the overall ecosystem, have a minimum impact of the environment. The only foreseeable issue that I’on may face with regards to extent of use of the land is whether or not additional commercial space will be required as the development grows in population and where the additional commercial space will be located.

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

New Urbanism...What a Sustainable Community Should Be...

The groundwork for the analysis of traditional neighborhood developments has been established through the identification of the qualities of sustainability and the identification of the normative qualities associated with each aspect. With these qualities in mind, we can begin to generate an idea of what a sustainable community should strive to become by responding to the social, environmental and economic aspects related to each quality.

While this provides us with a starting point in the generation of an ideal sustainable community, it is important to understand that the complete list of characteristics for a sustainable community is exhaustive and evolving with each passing day.

A sustainable community should have a unique sense of place that will provide the community with an opportunity to create a community and social purpose that facilitates and enhances social interaction. It is through the creation of a sense of place that a sustainable community begins to become more than just a residential development; it begins to become an actual community.

Associated with the creation of a sense of place, the community should begin to develop a sense of civic pride and they should begin to take pride in where they live. It may be through the establishment of a diverse cultural matrix that the community can begin to create its unique sense of place coupled with the enhancement of an overall sense of civic pride.

The encouragement of efficient use of time ensures that the sustainable community will be flexible in its uses. This flexibility fosters a paradigm shift from consumerism to conservationism that helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of a community.

The move away from consumerism allows the community to focus on the quality of goods versus the quantity of goods consumed. It is through the education of the members of the community regarding the benefits of utilizing ecologically friendly products and design solutions that this paradigm shift will be possible.

A pro-active recycling and re-use plan helps to ensure a community’s sustainability through the application of progressive waste management practices that reduce the regional need for land consumption dedicated to the treatment and disposal of waste products. These products can be adapted and utilized in various stages of construction, fertilization and the manufacturing of goods from recycled material.

A sustainable community should be biased against the use of the private automobile as the main source of transportation. The encouragement of a pedestrian-friendly environment ensures that the dependence on the automobile can begin to be reduced. Public transportation should not be designated as a separate land-use in the sustainable community. The integration of viable public transit options with other land-uses will help to reduce the dependence on private automobiles as well.

The reduction of the dependence on the private automobile will allow the sustainable community to reduce its dependence on non-renewable energy sources. The encouragement of the use of alternative energy sources for every component of the community will not only help to reduce the dependence on non-renewable energy sources, but it helps to foster a community’s sense of civic pride and lends itself to the evolution of a unique sense of place for the community.

The sustainable community should strive to preserve the global environment through the implementation of these aspects and take pride in the fact that their community will serve as an example of how our development patterns can change in order to ensure our sustainability as a global community.

We are guilty for sending teams into foreign countries to advise them how to be like us. -Arthur Erickson

Examining New Urbanism...Flexibility of Use

A development can ensure its potential for sustainability by planning for a greater amount of flexibility in its use of the land. Attention to flexibility will ensure that the development can evolve over a period of time and that there has been a high level of pro-active planning involved to ensure that additional uses can be accommodated into the existing development.

This contributes to reducing or eliminating the need for the development to sprawl beyond its boundaries. The normative quality associated with the flexibility of the use of land in a development is measured by the development plans ability to be (re)-configurable.

A development plan that is re-configurable ensures long-term sustainability by allowing for the adaptation of different uses and methods to be implemented through the life span of the development. This will allow the development to evolve over a period of time while responding to the needs of the users without compromising the other qualities that are essential to a development’s sustainability.

The flexibility of use of the land should pro-actively respond to the challenges the development may face in the future without abandoning the principles of sustainability.

Providing for a diverse social structure will help to encourage a developments ability to re-configure itself when responding to the community structure. A diverse community structure or fabric allows a development to re-configure the uses of land through an organic manner that responds directly to the needs of the community itself. In order to maximize flexibility, the planning process of the development is essentially an ongoing process throughout the life of the development.

There is, however a certain level of community involvement with the ongoing planning process that will ensure the development’s flexibility. While logical and sustainable contingency plans can be formulated, it will be the evolution of the development’s community that will drive the need and direction of the flexibility of the use of the land.

The flexibility of use within a development allows for the conservation, preservation and the adaptation of the natural environment. Through ecologically sensitive design, the use of the natural environment can be monitored in order to ensure its sustainability.

It is only through a pro-active planning strategy that a high level of flexibility can be achieved, and it is through the planning process that the development can re-configure its objectives and practices in order to maximize its flexibility.

Flexibility of use within a development fosters a long-term plan for economic vitality throughout the life of the development. Throughout the design and implementation of the development, adjustments can be made to respond to the needs of the users in a manner that reduces unnecessary spending on elements that may not be relevant to the overall community.

The house itself is of minor importance. Its relation to the community is the thing that really counts. -Clarence Stein

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...Communication

For the purposes of this research endeavor, communication can also be referred to as transportation. Sustainable developments encourage inter-personal communication in the design of the transportation network of the development. This is usually achieved through the promotion of pedestrian movement over the reliance on the private automobile.

In addition to pedestrian movement, various forms of public transportation may be utilized to encourage inter-personal communication within the development. The communication system of a sustainable development embraces the normative qualities of providing a connected and combined system of movement within the boundaries of the development.

The connected and combined communication plan for a development is one of the most important elements that contribute to an increase in social interaction between the users of the development. Through the implementation of a connected pedestrian circulation system, opportunities for greater amounts of inter-personal communication can be achieved. This increase helps to unite the residents of the development while encouraging higher levels of social diversity throughout the community as a whole.

A communication plan that is both connected and combined reduces the amount of land that will be disturbed in the construction of the vehicular-uses system. Coupled with the reduction in land consumption, the combined and connected plan aims to decrease environmental impacts by encouraging pedestrian circulation in favor of automobile use through a clear separation of uses, reducing the travel-time required for each automobile trip by providing a more efficient transportation network and therefore reducing carbon-based emissions and finally by encouraging the interaction between users by providing access to open-spaces as well as naturally preserved areas.

It is through the connected and combined system that a development can achieve a higher level of economic sustainability. The elimination of the costs associated with the construction and maintenance of excessive roadways provides the development with the opportunity to invest the capital required into other aspects of the development such as open-space planning and the construction of civic structures.

Residents also benefit from a combined and connected communication network through a decreased dependence on the private automobile as well as decreased operational expenses associated with private automobile ownership.

I want my children to be able to meet and play and communicate with many other children on their own, not only when they are driven somewhere. I want them to grow up in an environment that is not just a place where people sleep but where people work... and where people enjoy themselves. -Moshe Safdie

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...Diversity of Use

Within the context of our study, diversity of use refers to the overall land-use plan associated with the design of the development. Developments that embrace a diversity of use are often referred to as mixed-use developments or they have designated a portion of the development as mixed-use.

In order to measure a development’s level of diversity of use, empirical formulas don’t provide a clear methodology for determining the diversity of a development. Utilizing analytical methods helps to determine how diverse the use of land is and what level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.

The normative qualities that can be applied to the study of the diversity of use of a development are whether or not the development has been planned to provide for a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan.

A comprehensive land-use plan details the scope of the intended uses that will be located within a development. Addressing the needs of all the residents and users of the development in order to promote the community’s sustainability involves the mixing of uses in order to ensure that goods and services will be readily available to all portions of the development.

These uses should be sited in a manner that is complimentary to one another to help promote pedestrian movement within the development as well as providing a safer environment by ensuring that there will be “eyes on the street”. Sprawl discourages the implementation of land-use plans that promote a diversity of uses and results in a higher reliance on the use of the private automobile.

The sustainable development that utilizes a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land encourages a higher level of social interaction within the development. The mixing of residential and commercial uses ensures that users can interact with each other in close proximity to their residences.

Often times, the mixed-use portion of the developments become one of the primary landmarks in the community due to the fact that every resident and user of the development engage in social interaction on a face-to-face basis within this portion. This inter-personal communication can only be achieved by siting complimentary uses in close proximity one another.

The reduction of environmental impacts through the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan help to ensure that the development will be able to achieve a higher level of sustainability than a typical sprawl-inspired development. The amount of land consumed in order to provide commercial uses within the development is one of the most significant advantages associated with the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan. Providing accessible open-spaces in which residents may engage and interact with the natural environment is another benefit of a sustainable land-use plan.

The economic development of a design that successfully promotes sustainability through its land-use plan will not only benefit the development itself, but the larger economic community as well. Through the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary plan that ensures a diversity of uses, business owners can reduce operating costs and maximize profits by providing goods and services that will be essential to the development as well as more affordable to the residents due to the reduction of the cost of transportation that the consumers incur when obtaining these products in a sprawl-driven neighborhood design.

In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high. -Henry David Thoreau

Examining New Urbanism...Intensity of Use

Intensity of Use

Intensity of use refers to the overall density of the development, specifically as to how the development utilizes the land. The empirical measurement of density for housing developments is expressed as housing units per acre of land. While the use of the empirical measurement of density will be important to our study, there are design factors that will need to be addressed when determining the sustainable qualities of the density of the four developments.

The siting of uses and their proximity to one another is one of the qualities that we will explore when assessing the intensity of use within each development. For analytical purposes two qualities have been identified when determining density within developments. The normative qualities associated with the intensity of use within the developments are whether or not the developments have been planned to be compact and consolidated in order to promote sustainability.

A compact and consolidated development promotes sustainability on multiple levels while addressing the three factors discussed earlier. Providing a compact and consolidated development encourages a higher level of social interaction between the residents and users of the development. Suburban sprawl actually deters social interaction between residents by siting residences on larger plots of land and lowering the overall density of a neighborhood.

Sprawl promotes this lower density due to the fact that individualism is the over-riding principle behind typical suburban development. A high-density development encourages and embraces the notion of civic pride; in that the uses are located within close proximity to each other and the residents feel that they not only live in the development but they are an integral part of the neighborhood and the overall development.

From an environmental standpoint, a compact and consolidated development consumes less land for the overall development and therefore reduces the negative impacts associated with sprawling development. This reduction of negative impacts is attributed to the encouragement of pedestrian forms of transportation in order to access portions of the development.

A truly sustainable higher-density development reduces the dependence on private automobile use thereby reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with automobile use. Suburban sprawl encourages the use of the private automobile through the implementation of low-density designs that separate uses and increase the distance required to travel in order to utilize different facilities.

This emphasis on individualism can be directly attributed to the ideals that capitalism was based upon, private ownership and individual freedoms. While these freedoms are essential for a capitalist economic system, it detracts from the democratic ideals of equality and civic pride.

Sustainable developments encourage economic diversity by providing a compact use of the land that reduces the cost of purchasing or renting a residence due to the fact that more residences may be located on a smaller amount of land.

The heart is the chief feature of a functioning mind. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Examing New Urbanism....continues

When addressing economic concerns in the establishment of a sustainable development, the needs of every segment of the population should be considered during each stage of design and development. Creating a community in which economic disparity is embraced contradicts the precepts of a sustainable development. Economic diversity contributes to social diversity within the community and provides opportunities for members of different socio-economic groups to participate in a sustainable society.

The findings of this research endeavor are meant to serve as a guide for future application to the design and implementation of sustainable developments. While design guidelines will be addressed through the analysis of the four developments, it is the intent of this project that this guide will be utilized to help designers ensure projects will address environmental, social and economic factors in regards to ensuring their sustainability.

Through the application of the analytical criteria established for the project, a critical assessment of existing and future developments can be made and a determination of their ability to achieve a high level of sustainability can be understood. It is only through the application of sustainable design that our society can hope to reverse the effects that suburban sprawl has had on the natural environment.

Designers and developers of traditional neighborhood developments often embrace and employ the principles of New Urbanism. New Urbanism is a design movement that aims to combat the negative effects of sprawl on multiple levels, including on the regional level as well as the neighborhood level.

New Urbanists believe “neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions.” This form of sustainable development has become one of the foundations for regulations regarding TNDs in many municipalities, especially on the east coast.

This brief exploration will analyze four TNDs, all of which have been designed utilizing the principles of New Urbanism. The four developments are; I’on Village in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Woodsong Village in Shallotte, North Carolina; Carpenter Village in Cary, North Carolina and Southern Village in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Congress for New Urbanism has recognized each of these neighborhoods as alternatives to suburban sprawl.

Through the careful analysis of the qualities of sustainability observed throughout this exploration, a determination regarding the level sustainability each of these developments achieves within its response to the social, environmental and economic factors involved in the design and implementation of these developments.

The Qualities of Sustainability

In order to determine how sustainable each of these developments are, we must establish a system with which to compare and contrast the qualities of the four developments. For the purposes of this study, six aspects that determine the level of sustainability of each development have been categorized and will be analyzed based on normative qualities that are associated with each aspect. These six aspects are; (1) Intensity of Use, (2) Diversity of Use, (3) Extent of Use, (4) Communication, (5) Sense of Place and (6) Flexibility of Use. In order to understand the qualities of sustainability, we must first understand what each of these six aspects represents.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding spaceship earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it. -R. Buckminster Fuller

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

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

Greenwashing the site plan...

(As we return from the short hiatus, we will resume our look at Greenwashing and how it has infiltrated nearly every aspect of development.)

Our focus will now shift to the impact that Greenwashing has exerted on the design industry and how that is affecting the overall paradigm shift to a more sustainable world. It is important to note that it is more than likely that a majority of design professionals probably don't intentionally greenwash their efforts. However, to survive in our Hyper-Capitalist economic structure, their efforts to provide sustainable and equitable design solutions are often usurped by their Hyper-Capitalist clients desires and demands.

With that in mind, our exploration of the greenwashed site plan must begin with the theoretical and philosophical aims of developing a ecologically and environmentally responsible site plan. There are two important points to keep in mind as we delve into this particular topic; the first is that a majority of the time, the influence which the Landscape Architect can exert on the final technical aspects of a design is often usurped by the influence that Civil Engineers exert on our site development efforts.

While Civil Engineers possess the technical knowledge to ensure that sites function properly with regards to grading and drainage, Landscape Architects also possess a similar knowledge-base which allows for the technical site requirements to be met in addition to possessing the knowledge to develop a sustainable and equitable site plan. This appears to be a side-effect of the lack of public knowledge regarding the technical qualifications which Landscape Architects possess, even though Landscape Architecture has been a recognized profession for over 100-years.

The second point is that responsible site development ideals are instilled in Landscape Architects from a very early stage in the educational experience and continue to be emphasized and extolled throughout one's professional development, licensing and professional practice standards. It is the influence which Hyper-Capitalism has exerted on the overall development industry which has caused many designers to "shelve" and even abandon these ideals.

These are essential points which must be addressed as we embark on a system-wide paradigm shift to a more sustainable and equitable development ideal.

As professionals, Landscape Architects undergo a vigorous and extremely difficult licensing process. This process includes educational requirements, professional practice requirements and continuing education requirements (once a professional passes the LARE). To begin to understand exactly how detailed and vigorous the examination process is for Landscape Architects, simply peruse the recommended reading list provided by the Council of Landscape Architect Registration Boards (CLARB).

In order to understand the basic concepts and ideals which Landscape Architects utilize during the site planning process, we will rely upon an essential text for Landscape Architects; Environmental Planning for Site Development by Anne Beer and Catherine Higgins. This book is one of many which provide designers with the theoretical and technical information required to develop sustainable and equitable site plans for nearly every type of development.

Our discussion begins with the need to understand when site planning is required in the overall context of development. As the authors illustrate, "A site plan is needed when: (1) whenever it is proposed to change the use of an area of land or build on all or part of it; (2) whenever it is proposed to change the way in which an area of land and its associated landscapes is managed and maintained." (Beer, 1990. 3)

If we look back to the concepts and practices of comprehensive and future land use planning, the need for developing a sustainable and equitable site plan becomes even more important when considering the frequency with which developers apply for and are approved for land use plan amendments in order to develop sites according to their Hyper-Capitalist ideals as opposed to the sustainable and equitable development of a community.

The influence which Hyper-Capitalism exerts upon our land development choices and practices is clearly evident when we examine the differences between the cost of site development to the developers as opposed to the cost of site development to all of society.

"Costs to society are incurred...through: (1) the need to provide adequate infrastructure; (2) the extra work which has to be carried out to protect adjacent natural resources; (3) the need to create new landscapes because of damage to the visual resources caused by the development; (4) the loss of cultural resources; (5) the need to relocate people whose lives are disturbed by an unacceptable land-use change, for instance one which increases the local noise level." (Beer, 1990. 6)

As we can clearly see, the site planning process has far reaching implications which will influence and impact not only environmental and ecological aspects of a community; but also the social, cultural and aesthetic aspects of a community which are rarely codified by everyday community members and virtually never considered by developers. This also helps demonstrate why Landscape Architects should be assuming more control of the site planning process. The training of Landscape Architects far exceeds that of the technical training of Civil Engineers and includes a significant amount of training and education in the areas of the social and cultural impacts of our design solutions.

This point is further illustrated when we examine the broader picture at understanding the impacts and influences that the site planning process can have on our community, our society and our environment. These factors include: "(1) the manner in which people's actions are constrained and limited by the physical environment; (2) the intent to conserve what remains of the plants, animals, insects, etc. that make up the natural world; (3) the need to provide for people's primary needs such as shelter, food and economic activity; (4) the intent to encourage the development of environments which people experience as satisfactory places in which to live, work or play." (Beer, 1990. 10)

A full and comprehensive understanding of this process and its potential impacts on our environment, society and culture is varied and complex, as we have seen from this brief discussion of the ideals with which Landscape Architects are trained to deal with site planning.

You may be asking yourself, "What does this discussion have to do with Greenwashing?" In order to answer that question, we will continue our examination of the site planning process tomorrow with the help of our old friends, Lowe's Home Improvement.

No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Greenwashing and Sprawl...Part Two

Discussions about the tangible and intangible costs of sprawl can be a bit exhausting, in addition to being a bit overwhelming. As we have mentioned, this could be a contributing factor as to why the problem has slipped to the back of the national consciousness.

But all hope is not lost, Frodo.

As this past year's election shows, when a dedicated group of people demand a change from the establishment, that change will take place. That being said, we must examine how the housing and development industry utilizes the cloak of greenwashing.

Firstly, when a developer or home builder claims that they are building a truly "green" community, ask yourself one question; how do you get to this community?

If you are required to drive your automobile to this community, guess what, it ain't green. Regardless of how many EnergyStar rated appliances the home has, or how many rain barrels are collecting runoff from the house; the fact that private transportation means were required to reach the destination disqualifies the development from joining the ranks of the sprawl-busters.

Secondly, if the design and layout of the "green" community includes wide, circuitous streets; cul-de-sacs, bulbs, elbows; and lacks on-street parking; guess what, it ain't green.

Study after study, the notion that wide, curvy streets with no on-street parking have been shown to be about as unfriendly to the pedestrian as humanly possible. Not only that, these extra-generous swaths of petroleum-based asphalt aren't exactly the most environmentally-sensitive or friendly. A community which is truly "green" features multiple levels of protection for pedestrians, multiple pedestrian or bicycle-accessible destinations which help fulfill a resident's daily needs and multiple opportunities for social interaction between residents.

Social interaction between residents is one of the most important elements for the creation of equitable and sustainable communities. It is through the creation of a strong "sense of community", ensuring that a connected, cohesive community will some day supplant the constructed neighborhood development.

(Note: Just because a developer or designer designs, constructs or creates a neighborhood does not mean that they have created a community.)

(Another quick note: This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the elements of a truly equitable and sustainable community development theory, we just need to explore the three major areas in which developers and designers utilize the cloak of greenwashing)

Finally, examine the location of the new development not from the aspect of what means of transportation was utilized to reach the development, but with regards to what was the prior land-use. If the developer needed to change the zoning designation or amend the municipality's comprehensive plan in order to obtain approval for the project; it ain't green.

(Note: I will concede that at times the comprehensive plans are not always the best guides for the organic evolution of development patterns, but more often than not developers base their land-use recommendations on Hyper-Capitalist ideals that allow them to get the "best and highest use" of a tract of land.)

Ask yourself; are there complimentary adjacent land-uses? Are there multiple housing types within the community that will foster upward and lateral mobility for a variety of socio-economic levels? Are there complimentary and connected land-uses within the well-defined boundaries of the development? Are there open-spaces within each neighborhood of the development that will foster a connection to the landscape and positive social interaction?

Let us think back to the Garden City planning ideal. In the Garden City, there are a variety of complimentary and connected land-uses, all of which help to foster the creation of a sustainable community matrix. This does not necessarily mean that Garden Cities are the answer.

Once again, we are faced with the need for a system-wide paradigm shift with regards to our housing development ideals. This is an expression which I have been using quite often in our exploration of sustainability and sustainable development.

Let us think back to the election; the collective conscious of the nation demanded that our habits and practices take a new direction. The same change must be made with regards to our development and consumption habits and practices.

In other words, if we do not demand that a change take place, it won't.

And once again, Hyper-Capitalists need not worry about their ability to generate profits from the development and creation of equitable and sustainable communities. Their ability to generate profits from the creation of connected, complimentary communities will practically be guaranteed if we demand that these types of developments are what the collective conscious of the nation desires.

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” - Aldo Leopold, 1949. A Sand County Almanac

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