Film still from the film The Truman Show; the movie was filmed in the actual town of Seaside, Florida, a New Urbanist development.)
This week we are reading about the planning trend that began in the 1980s in response to the “unplanned sprawl” of the American suburban landscape. A group of architects and planners began to reimagine the basic residential neighborhood units by looking to earlier urban architectural patterns that to the seemed to provide a prescription for a strong sense of place and community.
As the Charter of New Urbanism and the reading on the Pedestrian Pocket park describe in more detail, this new planning movement sought to create landscapes that prioritize the pedestrian over the automobile, that position work space closer to residential space, that features ample open space, and that contains a variety of densely built housing that would accommodate a range of residents – not just the nuclear family of two parents and a few kids. Part of the mission of the Congress for New Urbanism states, “We stand for the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of real neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments, and the preservation of our built legacy. ”
Some of the basic physical features of the New Urbanism include:
• Sidewalks and Narrow Streets to promote pedestrian traffic. No one should need to depend on a car; should not have to walk farther than five minutes to obtain basic goods and services.
• Garages should be located behind homes or in alleys. On-street parking only; no parking lots.
• Buildings are mixed in size, style, price and function
• High density of construction, parks, open spaces, plazas, and squares facilitate community among residents.
As you watch Kunstler’s TED talk and as you read Saab’s article “Historical Amnesia,” think about how their two perspectives come into conflict. For this week’s post, I want you to reflect on the following question:
What are the main achievements and shortcomings of New Urbanism? Use specific evidence from the TED talk and from Saab’s article to inform your answer.
THIS IS MY ANSWER
As discussed in this assignment, New Urbanism, according to the TED talk and Saab’s article experiences various achievements and shortcomings. They include the following;
Achievements of New Urbanism
Firstly, it should be characterized by dense development in that it allows residents to walk to the major centers in a short period, combines elements such as residential, workplaces and commercial. This enhances many daily activities to be carried on within walking distances, thus those who do not drive feel included in their culture, mostly old aged and young population.
Secondly, a wide range of housing types within varying price levels which bring people of different economical classes, age and races together. This will strengthen the bond in a community facilitating healthy development. Also, land use permits public transportation to become a better alternative to the automobile since transit stops and pick up points are within walking distance. Schools, health centers and other government institutions are strategically located in neighborhoods to enable the users to walk or bicycle to them. Site of buildings provide the people with a sense of location, inform them where they are as a culture and further enable natural means of heating and cooling to conserve energy.
Thirdly, New Urbanism promotes use of resources among centers more cooperatively to avoid unnecessary competition but rather enhance reasonable coordination of services such as transportation, housing and community institutions.
The other achievement is affordable housing distributed throughout the region matches job opportunities available and avoids concentration of poverty. This reduces the probability of slum dwellings in metropolitan. Housing is planned to provide each of the household types with affordable homes that meet their needs. Families with children, couples or single parents need an environment where they can move safely, kids playing ground with integrated day care and less commuting time.
Also it integrates motorists in the community, homes with attached garage and drive-ins are included. This all-inclusive design of an urban infrastructure restores our lost sense of community and place.
Furthermore, there is a commercial mix that attempts to balance housing with desirable job markets, public services, food stores and entertainment arenas.
Shortcomings of new Urbanism
Under the new urbanism, over 73 percent of new households lack at least one of the traditional models of husband, wife and children. The elderly group makes up 23 percent of the total number of home owners, and 20 percent represented by single parents. This is greatly affected by affordability of owning a home in a metropolitan and the cost of living with a large family.
Other shortcomings of New Urbanism are the consequences of pollution and low air quality, displacement of investment from existing centers to create space for transit ways, the design of streets and sidewalks should be done considering safety and security of users which in contrast, hinders accessibility and openness.
Also, accommodating automobiles in a way that respect the pedestrians and public space becomes hard in terms of planning.
Redevelopment of cities and towns respecting historical boundaries and patterns is a huge obstacle, mostly due to certain historical groups who are rigid to change their ways in the name of development. Intense civic education is necessary to such groups for the better of New Urbanism.
Moreover, New Urbanism may not meet the intended purpose and varies considerably due to topographic complexity. Some regions might be too small to accommodate all the amenities needed by the occupants. Also, new transit systems like light rails may experience resistance from groups not wanting to leave their usual mode of transport like personal cars.
Finally, these new forms give a good percentage of people a restless, hollow feeling and instability of their families.
In conclusion, we find that the achievements in New Urbanism outdo the shortcomings. Thus, New Urbanism is of benefit both economically and socially.
Works Cited
Calthorpe: excerpt from The Pedestrian Pocketbook
Congress of New Urbanism, “Charter of the New Urbanism”
James Howard Kunstler: “The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs,” TED lecture
Saab, “Historical Amnesia: New Urbanism and the City of Tomorrow”
Professor response
Abdullah,
Your response demonstrates many of the practical advantages and disadvantages to the New Urbanist planning mode. How does Saab critique the movement in historical terms?
I NEDD TO RESPONSD TO THIS COMMENT
300 WORDS
MY CLASSMATE ANSWER
The TED talk “The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs,” by James Howard gives examples why most of the cities (about 38,000 places in America) lack of a good design affecting the “Public Realm”. According to James Howard, the consequences of these developments are anxiety and stress. That is why architects and developers need to create spaces worth caring about because these places give a sense of ownership. James thinks that suburbia is a bad solution for urbanism. In his lecture he gave key factors to improve the quality of life. James finishes his lecture by talking about the bad applications of these factors and mentioned that the new urbanism is the solution for contemporary American cities.
The article of Joan Saab questions the sufficiency of new urbanism and compares it to the failures of Democracity and Futurama movement of the 20th Century. Joan gives good points by analyzing four developments that the new urbanism has built. This shows why this new urbanism can fail again. One of the biggest concerns is that this movement is full of nostalgia that creates imaginary past and falls into historical amnesia. She concluded her article saying, “The real new urbanism should not look at the past for its models it should create new response to real conditions of the present.”
After analyzing the arguments of Joan Saab, I don’t believe that the new urbanism is the solution to modern urban problems. It seems almost as a utopia which doesn’t address the real problem. The reality is that trying to solve urban problems is something complex because it has to do with so many things that effect the behavior of its habitants. It’s true that in the past some elements were successful to improve the public realm, but nowadays, these historical elements have to innovate to deal with new factors such as social network. I don’t think that historical event or styles need to be divorced from modern urbanism problems and that nostalgia is the solution. To me the solutions for urbanization should consider scientific facts and critical analysis with architectural lenses.
I NEED TO WRITE A COMMENT TO HIS ANSWER
THIS IS HOW THE COMMET SHOULD BE “respond to one or more students’ initial post. This response should be brief yet substantive, inquisitive and courteous. In other words, be engaged with your fellow student’s ideas, ask him or her questions to both gain deeper understanding and to challenge their assumptions, however, always treat others with respect. This post should be about three or four sentences.”
