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Smart Growth and Sustainable Cities:

1) New Urbanism: Anti-car, Anti-Suburbia Planning for the US;g

2) Sustainable Europe; 3) The New Asian City

Dick G. Winchell, Ph.D., FAICP,Professor of Urban Planning, Eastern Washington University.

What is Smart Growth and the New Urbanism???

• American concepts in response to urbanism and suburban development.

• American Urbanism (1850-1920) had two Traditions:Traditions:– The American Industrial City

– Small Towns exemplified by “Main Street”

• Both Traditions had mixed-use, pedestrian oriented centers and residential areas, and urban commercial/office concentrations.

American Urbanism (1850-1920)

• All American cities experienced rapid urbanization from 1850-1900, around the concepts of the Industrial city.

• Urbanism exemplified by Chicago—p y gskyscrapers in a dense, mixed use “urban” setting with transit; industrial and residential areas adjoining downtown and spreading out on transit—”Elevated,” streetcar, electric trolley routes

• Commercial development along “strips” of commercial

American Urbanism (1850-1920)

• 1920’s Henry Ford’s mass production of the automobile revolutionized city patterns and form, as cities moved away from urbanism.

• Many urban residents wanted to “escape the city” and move to suburbs with individual homes on their own plot of land, and the suburbs were formed.

• Land use patterns shifted from pedestrian to auto orientation

American Urbanism (1850-1920)

• Streetcars, electric trolleys, electric rail were owned by streetcar companies who owned the initial residential “suburbs.”

• By 1930 most of these private y ptransportation companies were purchased by the auto companies, and then closed, creating a total dependence on the automobile for many areas of the city

• New forms of auto oriented development led to the auto dominated surburbs

American Suburbanization (1920-1990)

• From 1920 until 1990, all American Central Cities lost population, while rapid growth occurred in the areas surrounding the center, in the SUBURBS.

• Suburban development included:• Suburban development included:– Freeways and wide roads for high speed

access over greater distances– New shopping centers and malls

surrounded by parking lots separated from residential areas (big box retail)

– Single family residential areas oriented toward cars

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Smart Growth and the New Urbanism: A Response to

Suburbs (1990-Date)• Failures of “big box” retail led to

abandonment and empty development as new suburban development moved further outout.

• The inefficiency of cities built around cars became apparent– Drive through designs took people away from

urban design– Parking standards required more and more

parking– Segregated land uses required every trip to be

made by carsCongestion

Smart Growth and the New Urbanism: A Response to

Suburbs (1990-Date)

• Planning in America contributed by creating standard zoning requirements based on auto-oriented communities, demand for

ki d t ffi l dparking and more traffic lands.

• Planning standards for commercial required that commercial be separated from other land uses, and surrounded by parking for every business.

• Planning zoning codes became more complex to address auto needs

American Urbanism Seattle

Smart Growth and New Urbanism Address Key Issues

• The need to design for people instead of cars.

• The environmental problems of• The environmental problems of automobiles and auto-based cities.

• The standardization and “placelessness” of businesses and communities designed around cars.

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Smart Growth

• Smart Growth recognizes the problems of suburban development and design of cities which emphasize automobiles and not peoplenot people.

• Howard Kunstler, Home from Nowhere

• American Planning Association-Stuart Meck

• Smart Growth America

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

New Urbanism

• New Urbanism recognizes urban design which focus on people, the natural environment, and urban social

ttisettings.

• Andres Duaney and others

• Council on New Urbanism

• Ahwahnee Principles

Key Definitions

Sprawl is irresponsible development Sprawl is irresponsible development that takes our tax dollars away from our that takes our tax dollars away from our community and destroys farmland and community and destroys farmland and

open space.open space.

Smart Growth is wellSmart Growth is well--planned planned development that keeps tax dollars in development that keeps tax dollars in our communities and provides more our communities and provides more

choices for our families.choices for our families.

1. Mixed Land Uses

2. Compact Building Design

3 Wide Range of Housing Opportunities

Smart Growth Principles

3. Wide Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices

4. Walkable Neighborhoods

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5. Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place

Smart Growth Principles (Cont.)

6. Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty, and Critical Environmental Areas

7. Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities

Dumb Growth Smart Growth

8. Wide Variety of Transportation Choices

9. Make Development Decisions Predictable,

Smart Growth Principles (Cont.)

Fair, and Cost Effective

10. Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration in Development Decisions

Source: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/about_sg.htm

Dumb Growth

Smart Growth

Sprawl Vs. Smart GrowthSprawl Vs. Smart Growth

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Sprawl Sprawl Creates Creates Traffic Traffic

Why Do People Prefer Smart Growth?

Congestion Congestion

Sprawl Provides Sprawl Provides Few or No Few or No Options forOptions for

Why Do People Prefer Smart Growth?

Options for Options for Pedestrians and Pedestrians and

CyclistsCyclists

Sprawl Destroys Sprawl Destroys FarmlandFarmland

Why Do People Prefer Smart Growth?

Between 1982Between 1982--1992, the 1992, the U.S. lost an average ofU.S. lost an average of

45.7 acres45.7 acresof farmland per hourof farmland per hourof farmland per hour, of farmland per hour,

every day.every day.4,000,000 acres in total!4,000,000 acres in total!

Source: American Farmland Trust

Sprawl Sprawl Consumes Consumes

O SO S

Why Do People Prefer Smart Growth?

Open SpaceOpen Space

Spokane Suburbs—City of Spokane Valley

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Abandoned Big Box Store

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New Urbanism Manifesto

• No more housing subdivisions!• No more shopping centers!• No more office parks!p• No more highways!• Neighborhood or nothing!

(Duany, Plater-Zyberk and Speck, 2000, 243)

New Urbanism and Smart Growth Conferences Address Changes inAddress Changes in Retail and Community Design

"Smart Growth and the New Urbanism: New Frameworks for

U.S. Planning."

Creating Change for Suburban Landscapes and future urban development—and future urban development—

Create new Town Centers, and understand new urban design needs for shopping and community activities.

Placemaking encourages “new urban” developments like Southlake Town Center outside Fort

Mixed-use, new urban projects are “hot” in the development industry, yet they require more skill to pull off successfully than the typical suburban shopping center, office park or apartment complex. (Steuteville 2003)

Worth, Texas.

Urbanism Development in Texas

New Urbanist Grocery design has smaller stores and parking integrated with other commercial, office and

id ti l

50,000 square foot Whole Foods Store on Pearl Street, Portland, Oregon, takes up nearly an entire 200’ x 200’ city block. Anchors a 5 block “Brewery Blocks” development. Underground parking, upper floor office, rooftop has food chiller plant. (Langdon 2003)

residential “urban” development. Pearl Street, Portland.

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Ross Perot, Jr., on the balcony of the W Hotel, Dallas

"People are tired of the big house, they're tired of the big yard, and there's a real movement to simplify your lifestyle as children leave," Perot says. "You can move into a beautiful downtown home, walk to the arts, walk to a basketball game, walk to restaurants. There is something unique in the downtown fabric that you couldn't get in the suburbs."

Big Mall Owners see their future in Town Centers

General Growth Properties, the nation’s second-largest owner of shopping malls, has decided to start redeveloping its more than 200 properties by adding housing, offices, hotels, and other elements — and applying New Urbanism’s techniques in some locations.

Thomas D’Alesandro IV, senior vice president of the Chicago-based company, foresees “the reinvention of existing malls into mixed-use centers.” (New Urban News 2007)

Planning for Spokane Valley Smart Growth

Create a New Town Center

Create Walkable Developments with Transit poptions

Restructure 6 lane couplets to two two-way streets with center turn

Encourage mixed use development with mix of residential, commercial and office in the town center

Can the City of Spokane Valley Improve this Landscape??? Can they Build a New Town Center here?Town Center here?

Site for New Town Center, City of Spokane Valley

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New Urban Town Center, City of Spokane Valley

City of Spokane Valley New Town Center and City Hall

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City of Spokane Valley New Town Center and City Hall

Ten Principles Of Smart Growth:

Mix land usesTake advantage of compact building designCreate a range of housing opportunities and choicesCreate walkable neighborhoodsFoster distinctive, attractive communities with a strongsense of placePreserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areasStrengthen and direct development towards existing communitiesProvide a variety of transportation choicesMake development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effectiveEncourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effectiveEncourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.

References

• Steuteville, Robert. 2003. “Developer fascination with urban centers grows.” New Urban News. October/November. http://www.newurbannews.com/whatsnew.html

• Langdon, Phillip. 2003. “Grocery Stores Adapt to Urban Trends.” New Urban News. October/November. http://www.newurbannews.com/whatsnew.html

• Steuteville, Robert. 2004. The New Urbanism: An alternative to modern, automobile oriented planning and development. http://www.newurbannews.com/AboutNewUrbanism.html

• Langdon, Philip. 2008. “New Urbanists step up their progress towards “green“ design”.New Urban News. January/February, 2008. http://www.newurbannews.com/index.html

Citi 2007 “Citi d t t f d t i li t t it ” N U b N D b 2007• Cities 2007. “Cities redo streets for pedestrians, cyclists, transit.” New Urban News. December, 2007. http://www.newurbannews.com/index.html

• New Urban News. 2007. “Big mall owner sees its future in town centers. New Urban News. June, 2007. http://www.newurbannews.com/index.html

• Nasser, Haya El. 2008. Sky’s the new limit for urban living in Texas, and beyond. USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-03-verticaltexas_N.htm

• Kolb, David. 2007. Sprawling Places. http://www.dkolb.org/sprawlingplaces/generalo.html

• The Domain, Austin, Texas. http://www.domainresidences.com/

• Mill Creek, Washington. http://www.cityofmillcreek.com/community%20development/Projects/mill_creek_town_center.htm

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