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Principles of New Urbanism

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New Urbanism

New Urbanism isn't that new. It is based on the old communities of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years ago. We didn't have cars to connect us so we built our homes over our businesses so we didn't have to walk far. What better way to create a home, than to create one with your neighbors.

Some of the new developements that I will be covering in this series will be the differing levels of train transport, village design, ecologically sound methods for sewage and refuse treatment.

Now, while I have your attention: I am not exactly a tree hugger. I just have an engineering mindset that sees the permaculture method working to fix problems that we have caused for ourselves. Personally, I don't like the Smart Grid idea. I think we need to down size government control on our utilities, not give it over to them to spend more money on. For the same money, (we would be paying our bill twice, when you think about it. The bill and the taxes to pay for infrastructure.) we could make each town completely independant, each running off of wind, solar, geothermal, and compressed air technologies.

In further studies I will be adding more information to this lens to push the envelope. Areas of expansion will include new construction techniques having to do with LEEDS certification and more.

Stay tuned!

Also for more information, please visit New Urbanism.org

The Principles

The principles of urbanism can be applied to projects from a single building to an entire town. I have seen some of these objectives appiled very successfully to shopping malls and down towns.

1. Walkability

-Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work
-Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows & doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane; narrow, slow speed streets)
-Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

2. Connectivity

-Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking
-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys
-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable

3. Mixed Use and Diversity

-A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighborhoods, within blocks, and within buildings
-Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races

4. Mixed Housing

A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design

Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit

6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure

-Discernable center and edge
-Public space at center
-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art
-Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk
-Transect planning: Highest densities at town center; progressively less dense towards the edge. The transect is an analytical system that brings to concept like-minded reinforcing elements, creating a series of specific natural areas and/or urban lifestyle settings. The Transect integrates environmental methods for assessing these areas with zoning methodology for community design. The traditional boundary between the natural and man-made disappears, enabling us to assess the
design of the human habitat and to support the viability of nature. This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate building and street types for each area along the continuum.

7. Increased Density

-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live.
-New Urbanism design principles are applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities

8. Smart Transportation

-A network of high-quality trains connecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods together
-Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation

9. Sustainability

-Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations
-Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems
-Energy efficiency
-Less use of finite fuels
-More local production
-More walking, less driving

10. Quality of Life

Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

Books on New Urbanism

Feedback

Give me a reason why you don't want to move into a new urban community

Reply

Demaw Nov 27, 2009 @ 10:00 am | delete

The mindset of individuals will have to change. Folks admit driving 2 blocks when it probably would be easier to walk. People will spend money going to a gym but will not walk anywhere. Some can't tolerate outside weather be it hot or cold because they are never outside for any length of time. Some drivers act like pedestrians are interlopers and honk while they are trying to cross the street. 5*