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 and The Village of I'on

Carpenter Village

The community of Carpenter Village can expect to maintain a fairly high level of sustainability throughout the life of the development.

Carpenter Village has achieved a compact and consolidated form of development that will ensure a high level of intensity of the uses within the development.

Provided that the development can attract retail and commercial uses to occupy the commercial core of the development, it will have achieved a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land throughout the development.

However, if this objective is not met, then the community will suffer greatly with regards to its overall sustainability.

The extent of the use of the land in Carpenter Village has been designed to achieve a contained and consistent development plan, provided that development does not occur in the north side of the northern boundary of the community.

The communication network of the development has been designed to provide for a connected and combined system of transportation throughout the community that fosters and encourages inter-personal communication.

Carpenter Village’s inability to attract commercial users to the commercial core has greatly limited the community’s ability to create a unique sense of place.

The implementation of the design of the development has failed to create a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place that will ensure the development’s ability to sustain itself.

In addition to the lack of a unique sense of place, Carpenter Village’s future development plans for the opposite side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road detracts from its ability to formulate a flexible use of the land that is re-configurable.

This is the most important quality that the development needs to address in order to ensure its sustainability and to prevent the development from becoming yet another sprawling neighborhood that has no identity of its own.

I’on Village

I’on Village is a disappointing attempt at the creation of a sustainable community that is integrated into the existing community fabric.

The many legal factors that contributed to the development’s failure to meet a majority of the qualities overshadow the poor execution of an unsustainable development plan.

I’on fails to create a compact and consolidated development through the proliferation of large single-family detached homes on mostly over-sized lots.

In addition to a disappointing density yield, the lack of a diverse mix of housing-types and mix of uses results in a development strategy that is neither comprehensive nor complimentary.

I’on does manage to create a development that is contained and consistent with regards to its extent of use of the land and the definition of its boundaries.

Unfortunately for the I’on community, this is not sufficient enough to create a truly sustainable community.

The implementation of a connected and combined communication network is the only other successful achievement of the I’on development plan.

Even though the communication network can be considered a success, the lack of density and diversity within the development detracts from its communication successes.

I’on does not achieve a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place largely due to the lack of density in the development and the lack of diversity on various levels throughout the development.

The lack of flexibility in the uses at I’on is the final attribute that the development fails to meet. The development plan for I’on is not nearly as re-configurable as the other developments analyzed.

The failure to meet the minimum criteria for the creation of a sustainable community places I’on’s future in jeopardy and indicates that the development is just another planned unit development that does very little to improve the global community.

Alternative Methods of Execution

Carpenter Village and I’on have failed to meet the criteria necessary to ensure the community’s sustainability throughout the life of the development. Both of these developments would benefit greatly by redirecting their design and implementation efforts in order to achieve a higher level of sustainability.

With regards to the creation of a unique sense of place, both of the developments could facilitate the creation of this sense of place by simply adding a diverse mix of housing types to their commercial cores.

The addition of mixed-use housing to the commercial cores would help to create a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place within the community.

The two developments would also benefit from an improvement of their flexibility of uses within each community. Providing for a re-configurable development plan will help to ensure that these communities could achieve a higher level of sustainability than the level that they currently face.

Allowing for flexibility over time would make these developments more attractive to observers and would help to change the predominant development pattern of suburban sprawl.

I’on Village needs to address the issue of density if it expects to achieve any level of sustainability. In addition to density, the development must provide for a greater level of diversity within the community.

This diversity is not limited to a mix of housing-types, but to the inclusion of a diverse range of economic and social groups as well.

Without addressing these concerns, these two developments may evolve into typical sprawl-driven neighborhoods that contribute nothing to the global community.

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

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village...

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village have been designed in a manner that assures the long-term sustainability of both communities.

Through the implementation of a compact and consolidated design of the intensity of uses, these developments have maximized the density of the development that is essential to the sustainability of the community.

The diverse mix of uses that each development fosters has created a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land available to the community. These uses have been located in close proximity to one another in order to facilitate a stronger level of pedestrian movement within the development.

The two developments have provided the community with a contained and consistent form of development that provides clearly defined boundaries regarding the extent of use of the land.

A contained and consistent development has a greater potential of achieving sustainability through the ability to respond to the needs of the development without sprawling into the surrounding landscape.

The communication system for Woodsong and Southern Village has been designed to be connected and consistent throughout the development and throughout the lifespan of the community.

Both of these developments celebrate the pedestrian by providing a clear and safe pedestrian environment that is connected to every part of the community.

Each of these developments has created a unique sense of place that is centered, configured and comprehensible and celebrates the diversity of the community as well as creating a strong sense of civic pride with regards to their efforts to improve the global community.

Finally, these communities have been designed in a manner that allows for the greatest amount of flexibility so that the development can be easily re-configured in order to meet the needs of the community as it evolves over time.

The success of these communities in achieving a high level of sustainability should serve as examples of the application of smart growth design practices. In addition to smart growth, these developments have embraced the principles of New Urbanism throughout every phase of their development.

The embracing of these principles has helped each of these communities reach a level of sustainability that will help to improve the global community by shifting the ideals of consumerism to conservationism.

We are searching for some kind of harmony between two intangibles: a form which we have not yet designed and a context which we cannot properly describe.  -Christopher Alexander

Examining New Urbanism...Sustainability Scores

Critical Comparison of the Four Developments

The first portion of the critical comparison of the four developments will be to determine whether or not the implementation of the development’s design has created a community that has met all of the criteria established previously in this report.

A sustainable community should reflect the following qualities:

  

   (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, and

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

It is through the comparison of the achievements of the developments from which a determination regarding the sustainability of the developments can be reached.

In order to facilitate a simple method for the comparison of the four developments, a chart of the qualities of sustainability has been generated.

The comparative chart will indicate whether or not the developments have met the criteria for sustainability and through this method a score can be applied to each development regarding its level of sustainability.

The scores for each development can then be compared to determine the most-sustainable community that has been described in the body of this report.

While the application of an empirical formula to the analysis of the developments was previously mentioned to be difficult, this system will allow the critical analysis of these developments to be expressed as a preliminary checklist for sustainability.

Sustainability Scores

The four developments analyzed in this report have all achieved some level of sustainability through the implementation of their progressive design strategies.

The developments that can expect a high level of sustainability are The Village of Woodsong in Shallotte, North Carolina and Southern Village in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both of these developments successfully met all six criteria established to determine their sustainability, giving them an overall score of 6 out of 6.

Carpenter Village in Cary, North Carolina has failed to meet all of the criteria, yet with a score of 4 out of 6 the development can expect to achieve a level of sustainability that is higher than the level of sustainability that sprawl-driven neighborhoods can expect.

I’on Village in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina has failed to meet a majority of the criteria and has received a score of 2 out of 6 with regards to the level of sustainability that the community can expect.

“Most people are on the world, not in it - having no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them - undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate.” -John Muir

Southern Village...Normative Qualities and Conclusions

Communication

The communication network that has been implemented at Southern Village was designed utilizing New Urbanist principles regarding the protection and celebration of the pedestrian environment. It is through this design that the development has achieved a connected and combined communication network.

The implementation of the design has created a clear separation of uses between pedestrian and vehicular circulation that will facilitate a higher level of inter-personal communication among the members of the community.

The celebration of the pedestrian environment is evident throughout the entire development by the presence of wide buffers between roads and walks, the utilization of street trees to provide protection from the elements, and the implementation of an extensive greenway network that allows pedestrians to access any portion of the development.

The mixed-use core also celebrates the pedestrian environment by creating active storefronts, the use of on-street parking to act as a barrier between pedestrians and traffic, and through providing a number of landscape amenities such as benches, planter seating walls and pet-stations for members of the community.

The integration of the existing public transportation system into the overall communication network enhances the sustainability of the community. The transit system allows residents to utilize alternative forms of transportation when traveling to and from the community.

The development is located approximately 1-mile from the University of North Carolina campus in the heart of Chapel Hill and the integration of the public transportation system into the community benefits the region as a whole through the reduction of dependence on the private automobile.

Sense of Place

The design of Southern Village has facilitated the creation of a unique sense of place within the overall community. This has been achieved through the creation of a centered, configured and comprehensible community that has embraced a high sense of civic pride.

The walkability of the community combined with the creation of the mixed-use cultural center has further enhanced the creation of the development’s sense of place.

A diverse mix of housing-types has helped to increase the diversity of residents who are members of the overall community and who contribute to the development’s unique sense of place.

The multiple civic uses located in the development help to foster the feeling of community and civic pride among the residents of the development.

The ability of the design of the development to facilitate a wide variety of community-oriented activities in the various open spaces and civic buildings has helped Southern Village create a truly unique sense of place that ensures the development’s sustainability.

Flexibility of Use

The development design has facilitated the carefully monitored growth of the community through the utilization of New Urbanist principles regarding smart growth.

The application of these principles to the overall design strategy has allowed the community to be re-configurable throughout the life of the community and has improved the overall sustainability of the development.

One of the main factors that contribute to the developments ability to be re-configurable is the inclusion of civic uses within the development and the integration of the existing public transportation system. These factors allow the community a level of flexibility that traditional sprawl-driven neighborhoods lack, even if these uses were easily accessible.

The proximity of the mixed-use core to these uses also contributes to the community’s ability to respond to developmental challenges that they may face over time. The mixed-use core has the potential to be re-configured in a manner that will make the civic uses and public transportation system more sustainable.

Conclusions

The design and development of Southern Village have achieved all of the qualities necessary for the creation of a sustainable community. The diverse mix of housing-types utilized to create a high level of residential density in combination with the diverse mix of uses within the community are two of the strongest elements that contribute to the community’s sustainability.

The re-configurable nature of the various uses in the development, especially the mixed-use center and the civic uses located in the community, increases the level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.

The communication network in the development should be used as a model for the integration of multiple forms of transportation all of which encourage inter-personal communication. The open space planning and extensive greenway network add to the level of sustainability that the communication network achieves.

Southern Village has achieved a level of sustainability through the application of New Urbanist design principles that should be used as an example of smart growth and progressive planning.

The financial success of the development simply demonstrates how sustainable communities can still be profitable for developers while ensuring the protection and preservation of the global community.

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success. -Henry David Thoreau

Southern Village...Analysis of Sustainable Qualities

Intensity of Use

The empirical data regarding the overall density of Southern Village is misleading and does not accurately reflect the developments overall density. The inclusion of civic uses such as the elementary school and the church in the development lead to a lower overall density yield of 3.8 units per acre for the 312-acre development.

The development has been able to achieve the sustainable goals of creating a compact and consolidated community through the implementation of its progressive design strategy.

The inclusion of multi-family housing options is the main contributing factor to the developments ability to achieve a higher density. In addition to the multi-family housing options, the lot sizes for the single-family homes have been greatly reduced in relation to the coverage of the residence itself.

The mixed-use core is an additional factor that leads to an inaccurate density-yield calculation. The mixed-use core features a large portion of the transportation system, parking areas, community open space and 350,000 square feet of office and retail space that causes a lower density calculation to be reached.

The mixed-use core contributes to the overall density of the community by providing housing options within the commercial center of the development.

Diversity of Use

The design of Southern Village provides for a diverse range of uses that are available to the residents of the community. Through the implementation of a diverse mix of housing-types, an integrated open space system, the development of a mixed-use core and the siting of various civic uses within the development, Southern Village achieves a comprehensive and complimentary development strategy with regards to the diversity if uses in the community.

The different uses throughout the development are sited in a manner which provides each member of the community access to the uses.

Throughout the multiple portions of the residential areas, small pocket-parks have been created to ensure that each neighborhood will have access to community open space.

The elementary school is located within the confines of the development and is easily accessible from any of the complimentary land uses situated throughout.

The greatest range of diversity in the development is achieved through the implementation of a diverse mix of housing-types. Southern Village provides affordable alternatives to single-family detached housing in the form of townhomes and apartments.

The apartments are located in close proximity to the mixed-use core as well as the elementary school. The townhomes, situated in close proximity to the mixed-use core as well, are equivalent in cost to a single-family detached home in a traditional sprawl-driven neighborhood.

The diverse mix of housing types in addition to the diverse range of land-uses throughout the development help to ensure the community’s sustainability.

Extent of Use

The location of Southern Village provides the development with natural and man-made features that help define its edges. These features allow the community to form into a contained and consistent development, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability of the community.

Existing natural areas that have been preserved or protected through the extensive open space network contain a large portion of the development.

The greenway trail network has been integrated into these natural areas and designed to have a minimal amount of impact on the environment.

The southeastern edge of the development is bounded by a major thoroughfare that is currently being re-adapted to accommodate the population growth of the area and to facilitate access to the mixed-use core of Southern Village.

Beyond the preserved natural buffers, the development is contained by existing residential neighborhoods and civic uses. The contained and consistent boundaries of the development enhance the ability of the community to sustain itself throughout the development’s lifecycle.

“The Federal Government, directly and indirectly, through the laws it writes, the programs it enacts and the regulations it issues, has contributed more than its share to the ugliness of our landscape.” -Sen. Harrison Williams (1919-2001)

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

Carpenter Village...Analysis of Sustainable Qualities

Intensity of Use

The development will achieve a build-out density of 7.4 units per acre through the implementation of the current design plan. These units are in the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes and rowhouses sited throughout different portions of the development.

The diverse mix of housing types has allowed the development to achieve a compact and consolidated form that will promote the development’s sustainability.

The residential portions of the development surround the commercial core that helps to increase access from the dense residential areas. The side-setbacks of the single-family homes have been reduced in order to promote higher-density development and the residences have been located closer to the road as well.

The homes are not modest in size, but with the reduction of lot sizes and setbacks the development is able to achieve a level of density that will promote long-term sustainability for the community.

The location of the lake and related trail system have allowed the designers to create a consolidated form of development that utilizes pedestrian connections to both the open space system and commercial core and enhances the development’s overall density.


Diversity of Use

Carpenter Village provides residents with a diverse mix of housing types and a mixed-use core that will feature office and retail space. While the housing types available offer a range of diversity from single-family detached homes to multi-family options, the affordability of these units detracts from its ability to foster a broad overall economic diversity.

Even though the entry-economic level for homeownership in Carpenter Village is slightly higher than most developments, the design is still able to achieve a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land within the development.


Another factor that will determine the ultimate sustainability of the development, is whether or not the developers will be able to successfully convince businesses to locate in the commercial core. Currently the commercial core features only a small arts and crafts shop and a single office on the second floor.

The development plan calls for the addition of coffee shops, a restaurant and possibly a small village grocer, however the developers have been unsuccessful in finding occupants for the 110,000 square feet of available space.

The well-designed open space system adds to the overall diversity of use for the community. Access to the 22-acre lake via walking and bicycling trails greatly increases the complimentary nature of the land-use plan.

These trails are accessible on foot form all portions of the development as well as from the smaller community open spaces within the development. The combination of all of these diverse land-uses help to ensure that Carpenter Village will achieve a higher level of sustainability throughout its life.


Extent of Use

Carpenter Village is bounded on the north by Morrisville-Carpenter Road and Carpenter Lake to the south. The architecture of the residential portions of the developments provides the eastern and western edges of the development.

The clearly defined edges of the development help to create a contained and consistent extent of use within the development.

The preservation of natural areas on the edges of the site has allowed the designers and developers to increase the sustainability of the development. The siting of the residential uses in close proximity to the commercial core of the development also contributes to the contained nature of the community.

The development plan does call for future expansion of the community to the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road. If this future expansion does in fact take place, this will threaten the overall sustainability of the development with regards to achieving a contained and consistent community.

The residential development on the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road would be separated from the core of the development and would exist outside the boundaries of the contained development.

“The ravage of scenic country roads has become a very serious matter in recent years; for as the city spills over into rural areas, the scenic roads are invaded not only by home owners but also by commercial and industrial establishments.” -Charles A Glover

Examining New Urbanism...Carpenter Village

Carpenter Village, Cary, North Carolina

Development History

Carpenter Village is located in the town of Cary, North Carolina approximately 13 miles from the city of Raleigh. The predominant development pattern in Cary is single-family detached housing in Planned Unit Developments with the intention of combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl.

Cary is the seventh largest municipality in North Carolina covering an area that is roughly 48 square miles and has a population of over 106,000 residents. Cary is one of the most affluent communities in North Carolina and the residential development patterns reflect that affluence.

Carpenter Village is being developed as a joint venture between The Farrell Development Company and W & W Partners and was designed by Charles M. Elam and Associates. The development encompasses approximately 370-acres and will feature 888 residential units that will be in the form of single-family detached homes, multi-family units and townhomes. The ultimate density yield from a complete build-out of the development will be approximately 6.6 units per acre.

The development features a commercial center that covers approximately 12-acres and provides space for a total of 110,000 square feet of space for office and retail uses. The development is situated adjacent to a 22-acre lake that provides residents with ample opportunities for outdoor recreation activities.

Design Analysis

The design of Carpenter Village aims to create a unique sense of place by creating a livable community as opposed to the normal planned unit developments that are common in Cary. The residential component of the design takes the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes located adjacent to a main thoroughfare (Morrisville-Carpenter Road).

Rowhouses are sited adjacent to the community recreation facilities located at the terminus of the main boulevard leading into the development. The costs of residences in Carpenter Village are slightly higher than those of other planned unit developments with the lowest-cost townhome starting at $180,000.

The vehicular-use system has been designed to accommodate the private automobile in addition to accommodating the existing public transportation system. There are bus-stops located at the entry of the development along the main boulevard as well as in the commercial core.

The commercial core of the development is accessible from within the development as well as from Morrisville-Carpenter Road, serving as the northern boundary of the current phase of development.

The circulation system within the residential portion of the development has been designed utilizing the principles of New Urbanism, specifically a clear separation of uses between vehicles and pedestrians, homes sited close to the road edge, garages located in the rear of the residences and access via alleys. However, a few of the roads do terminate in cul-de-sacs, which are an undesirable solution to smart growth road design.

The design of the development features over 98-acres of open space that comprises approximately 26-percent of the total development area. A 22-acre lake is part of the overall open space system and 12-miles of walking and bicycling trails wind around the lake and connect to a majority of the residential areas.

The community also features a community center building that provides such amenities as a community pool, tennis courts and volleyball courts as well as an outdoor playscape.

If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger. -Frank Lloyd Wright

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'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