I think a lot of us are working hard in the public and private sectors to help Walton County. Copied below is the content of an e-mail I just sent out yesterday afternoon to some folks I know, describing just one of the efforts I'm involved with (I'm not sure I can attach the news story though -- it's in today's Breeze-Herald and will be on their website next week I suppose).
I believe our Comp Plan is of enormous importance in determining the economic future of the county, and I believe applying a transect-based approach to planning will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. I intend to post information resources soon, for anyone wanting to learn more. For now, check www.mississippirenewal.com where you can see a 2-minute youtube about the Smart Code as it's being applied to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And if you REALLY want to get into a lot of detail, read Retrofitting Suburbia by Ellen Dunham Jones (pretty technical but well researched; much of the information applies directly to our situation here). Here's the e-mail:
Good news: I'm attaching a story scanned from this week's DeFuniak Herald-Breeze, about the Planning Commission's unanimous recommendation that the BCC direct Planning Department staff to explore countywide transect-based planning.
Better news: so far, every voice I've heard -- from Planning Department staff, Planning Commissioners, citizens, environmentalists, architects, planners, developers, land use attorneys, and concerned citizens -- is that this is the direction we need to be going in. Applying this approach in Walton County will remediate many problems while creating the kinds of communities our citizens have repeatedly said they want, in various broad visioning processes over many years. The transect approach will protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas and improve the quality of life for people living and working in the built environment.
Even better news: the all-volunteer team who wrote the report that started all this (attached) are now creating an educational presentation that explains the basics of transect-based planning, or Smart Codes. Their presentation will be shown publicly in several locations throughout the county; it may also be available for viewing online, for those who cannot attend the public presentations.
Once dates and locations for the presentations are set, details will be publicized widely. I will certainly put this and related information on my Facebook page, and invite you all to check there often. If I can figure out how, I might even start a Facebook transect "cause" and invite you all to join!
I encourage you to investigate this for yourselves, and attend the public presentations. There, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers directly from the authors of the plan. The experience, creativity, talent and skill of this group is enormous, inspiring and synergistic they deserve our thanks for their contribution to the future of Walton County.
Thanks very much for your time and interest.
Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com
Replies
73
Beach Fanatic
Thanks for the post, Susan. I had never heard of transect-based planning, so I went to transect.org and read up on it, it sounds like a good approach. I like the concept of matching the land to proper use to protect both the land and to provide the best living on that land. I am not a huge fan of New Urbanism because it generally wants all of us to live in the same type of space, but this approach differentiates between high and low densities and recognizes that those different densities are appropriate.
It does not square, however, with our County Commission's stated opinion that private property owner rights transcend community needs and environmental concerns. They ignored the FLUM using this logic, and until they get on board with the concept of enforcing a plan, any plan will be ridden with variances to the point of having no meaning.
If you try to apply new rules to land purchased under old rules, our Commission believes that you are depriving the owner of the use of that land as he originally understood it. In addition, if they have already allowed a non-conforming use in the area, every property owner wants (and gets) that same non-conforming use.
It does not square, however, with our County Commission's stated opinion that private property owner rights transcend community needs and environmental concerns. They ignored the FLUM using this logic, and until they get on board with the concept of enforcing a plan, any plan will be ridden with variances to the point of having no meaning.
If you try to apply new rules to land purchased under old rules, our Commission believes that you are depriving the owner of the use of that land as he originally understood it. In addition, if they have already allowed a non-conforming use in the area, every property owner wants (and gets) that same non-conforming use.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Nature favors diversity
Here 4 Good,
I appreciate your comments. I don't have the expertise to address the property rights and nonconforming use question with any authority, but expert planners/architects who've been writing transect/smart codes for communities all over the country tell me that there are all sorts of ways to get past that problem. Please attend one of the presentations and I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than me can provide better information.
As for your statement that New Urbanists want everyone to live in the same sort of place -- nothing could be further from the truth. While the NU's enormously popular and widely published compact/walkable/mixed use developments may seem in some way homogenous, they actually offer exponentially more internal, easily available variety than the monocultures of suburbs, strip malls, office parks, and megamalls (what Jim Kunstler calls the "geography of nowhere").
Monoculture does not exist in nature, which clearly favors diversity (see Janine Benyus' book Biomimicry for more fascinating info on that topic). New Urbanism is a form of biomimicry in that it looks to natural models for how to design and make manmade things (like buildings, towns, roads). The transect approach to planning was born of a moment when Andres Duany's brother Douglas (a landscape architect) showed him a natural transect (ocean to sandy beach to vegetation to forest), and that must have clicked in Andres' amazing mind that here's the way to plan for entire regions rather than simply towns and town centers.
But back to that monoculture problem: The whole point of what the New Urbanists have been doing for the last 3 decades is to restore diversity to the built environment, in terms of use, size, density, housing type, street size and configuration, mixes of public, private, commercial, and civic uses. Diversity is what makes these places interesting, and desirable to live in or visit, especially for the up and coming "digerati" and "creative class" demographic groups.
The addition of the transect to the NU's tool kit has expanded their ability to help plan appropriately for all types of spaces and how they relate to each other. The New Urbanists are always trying to find ways to plan the built environment to encourage diversity of residents, businesses, visitors, of their projects. It turns out that their approach is also extremely green, less expensive, and less infrastructre-intense than the above named monocultures or combination thereof.
Seaside (perhaps other NU developments as well, I just know Seaside best) is in a way victim of its own success -- it became so popular that the real estate values mushroomed far beyond anyone's wildest imaginings, meaning only the well to do can own or rent there. I believe the New Urbanists have continued to refine their approach to town and regional planning over the years to ecnourage economic/income, ethnic and age diversity; it was a member of Andres Duany's firm, after all, who designed the first (or was it first-prize winning?) Katrina Cottage. At this point, Andres' laser-like focus is turning sharply towards small, affordable housing (of course the need for good public transit also looms larger and larger). He's even looking at local food self sufficiency, though I don't know if he or any of the other New Urbanists have yet done a project incorporating both affordable housing and food self sufficiency; it would seem a simple matter to remix the Mississippi Gulf Coast plan to include the food part.
I hope I haven't rattled on too long. I have such a passion for the broad usefulness and beneficence of this method to plan human interaction with nature, the built environment, and each other, that I do tend to get carried away!
I'm wondering if at this point, this conversation (if others join and we continue) might be better to have its own thread, or perhaps tie into the Seaside Prize thread over in the Events section? Forgive me if my forum lingo isn't quite right. I'm right brained and details like that are often lost on me.
If someone wants to move this and knows how to do it, please go for it. I'm a bit of a Luddite ;-)
Hope to hear more thoughts on this very important issue. Now back to my paying job ;-)
Here 4 Good,
I appreciate your comments. I don't have the expertise to address the property rights and nonconforming use question with any authority, but expert planners/architects who've been writing transect/smart codes for communities all over the country tell me that there are all sorts of ways to get past that problem. Please attend one of the presentations and I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than me can provide better information.
As for your statement that New Urbanists want everyone to live in the same sort of place -- nothing could be further from the truth. While the NU's enormously popular and widely published compact/walkable/mixed use developments may seem in some way homogenous, they actually offer exponentially more internal, easily available variety than the monocultures of suburbs, strip malls, office parks, and megamalls (what Jim Kunstler calls the "geography of nowhere").
Monoculture does not exist in nature, which clearly favors diversity (see Janine Benyus' book Biomimicry for more fascinating info on that topic). New Urbanism is a form of biomimicry in that it looks to natural models for how to design and make manmade things (like buildings, towns, roads). The transect approach to planning was born of a moment when Andres Duany's brother Douglas (a landscape architect) showed him a natural transect (ocean to sandy beach to vegetation to forest), and that must have clicked in Andres' amazing mind that here's the way to plan for entire regions rather than simply towns and town centers.
But back to that monoculture problem: The whole point of what the New Urbanists have been doing for the last 3 decades is to restore diversity to the built environment, in terms of use, size, density, housing type, street size and configuration, mixes of public, private, commercial, and civic uses. Diversity is what makes these places interesting, and desirable to live in or visit, especially for the up and coming "digerati" and "creative class" demographic groups.
The addition of the transect to the NU's tool kit has expanded their ability to help plan appropriately for all types of spaces and how they relate to each other. The New Urbanists are always trying to find ways to plan the built environment to encourage diversity of residents, businesses, visitors, of their projects. It turns out that their approach is also extremely green, less expensive, and less infrastructre-intense than the above named monocultures or combination thereof.
Seaside (perhaps other NU developments as well, I just know Seaside best) is in a way victim of its own success -- it became so popular that the real estate values mushroomed far beyond anyone's wildest imaginings, meaning only the well to do can own or rent there. I believe the New Urbanists have continued to refine their approach to town and regional planning over the years to ecnourage economic/income, ethnic and age diversity; it was a member of Andres Duany's firm, after all, who designed the first (or was it first-prize winning?) Katrina Cottage. At this point, Andres' laser-like focus is turning sharply towards small, affordable housing (of course the need for good public transit also looms larger and larger). He's even looking at local food self sufficiency, though I don't know if he or any of the other New Urbanists have yet done a project incorporating both affordable housing and food self sufficiency; it would seem a simple matter to remix the Mississippi Gulf Coast plan to include the food part.
I hope I haven't rattled on too long. I have such a passion for the broad usefulness and beneficence of this method to plan human interaction with nature, the built environment, and each other, that I do tend to get carried away!
I'm wondering if at this point, this conversation (if others join and we continue) might be better to have its own thread, or perhaps tie into the Seaside Prize thread over in the Events section? Forgive me if my forum lingo isn't quite right. I'm right brained and details like that are often lost on me.
If someone wants to move this and knows how to do it, please go for it. I'm a bit of a Luddite ;-)
Hope to hear more thoughts on this very important issue. Now back to my paying job ;-)
Thanks for the post, Susan. I had never heard of transect-based planning, so I went to transect.org and read up on it, it sounds like a good approach. I like the concept of matching the land to proper use to protect both the land and to provide the best living on that land. I am not a huge fan of New Urbanism because it generally wants all of us to live in the same type of space, but this approach differentiates between high and low densities and recognizes that those different densities are appropriate.
It does not square, however, with our County Commission's stated opinion that private property owner rights transcend community needs and environmental concerns. They ignored the FLUM using this logic, and until they get on board with the concept of enforcing a plan, any plan will be ridden with variances to the point of having no meaning.
If you try to apply new rules to land purchased under old rules, our Commission believes that you are depriving the owner of the use of that land as he originally understood it. In addition, if they have already allowed a non-conforming use in the area, every property owner wants (and gets) that same non-conforming use.
Beach Fanatic
Thanks Susan. I've started a new thread and asked Kurt to move your comments over there. We'll see what happens -- Kurt can do anything. 
Admin
Thanks y'all - welcome Susan!
SoWal Insider
Can you please boil all this down to a single, simple paragraph...I'm really having trouble reading around and through all the "urbanisms" and "monocultures" to figure out what your aim actually is. Thanx.
Edited
Beach FanaticAuthor
SoWal Insider
So it's essentially subdivisions with shopping and schools centered around a factory....like Hershey, PA used to be---or pretty much what a large military base is like.
Beach FanaticAuthor
But in answer to the request to give a short definition of the transect. I will need someone else to step in and help out with that. Brevity's not my strong suit.
You could spend some time googling around about it and get lots of visuals, short youtubes, etc. It's taken me 25 years of studious immersion to catch on -- but I'm a slow learner, LOL!
You could spend some time googling around about it and get lots of visuals, short youtubes, etc. It's taken me 25 years of studious immersion to catch on -- but I'm a slow learner, LOL!
SoWal Insider
But in answer to the request to give a short definition of the transect. I will need someone else to step in and help out with that. Brevity's not my strong suit.
You could spend some time googling around about it and get lots of visuals, short youtubes, etc. It's taken me 25 years of studious immersion to catch on -- but I'm a slow learner, LOL!
Aside from my suggestions above, I envision Senior Living Villages (ala Century City; Del Webbs Sun City)--only with kids and schools and jobs.
.
Beach Fanatic
I think I understand this concept...what is happening in Walton County government that is related to this?
Banned
Where does large scale manufacturing fit in?
Have you seen what happens when real self sufficient communities are established? You'll find thousands of examples of energy efficient, pedestrian friendly, green communities from 3000 BC through 1800 AD. Should we change the Constitution at all to help each community self govern?
I know Andres Duany. Were you in the Rosemary Town Hall around the time of 9/11 when he preached, Don't worry about how much you paid for your property, there's someone out there who will pay more. That's not an exact quote, but it is very close and is 100% in line with the spirit of what he said. If someone was there and wants to chat with me about it we can do that.
Do New Urbanists use airports or interstates much? Which kibbutz would mine the raw materials we need to keep them up? Will every community have all that a citizen would want to buy or enjoy on a daily basis?
I'm optimistic, but I haven't seen many DPZ communities that didn't look themed (staged) when they were complete. I've seen people and local companies try to pull off this kind of community locally, away from high dollar natural resources and it doesn't seem like the public cares to get involved.
Welcome to Sowal.com
Have you seen what happens when real self sufficient communities are established? You'll find thousands of examples of energy efficient, pedestrian friendly, green communities from 3000 BC through 1800 AD. Should we change the Constitution at all to help each community self govern?
I know Andres Duany. Were you in the Rosemary Town Hall around the time of 9/11 when he preached, Don't worry about how much you paid for your property, there's someone out there who will pay more. That's not an exact quote, but it is very close and is 100% in line with the spirit of what he said. If someone was there and wants to chat with me about it we can do that.
Do New Urbanists use airports or interstates much? Which kibbutz would mine the raw materials we need to keep them up? Will every community have all that a citizen would want to buy or enjoy on a daily basis?
I'm optimistic, but I haven't seen many DPZ communities that didn't look themed (staged) when they were complete. I've seen people and local companies try to pull off this kind of community locally, away from high dollar natural resources and it doesn't seem like the public cares to get involved.
Welcome to Sowal.com
Edited
Beach Crab
Aabsolute:
The DPZ communities you've seen are probably all resorts. Resorts, even well-planned resort towns never look like "real" towns.
The idea is to use observation & scientific method to plan communities by intent the way they were built by custom through several thousand years of human civilization until about 1930.
If you are looking for "real" places using this concept, Montgomery, AL and Pike Road, AL (just east of Montgomery) have both recently adopted the SmartCode, a particular version of a transect-based code.
Transect-based planning doesn't and isn't intended to eliminate use of automobiles, just to make auto use a bit less necessary on a day-to day-basis. For instance: I live in Inlet Beach and ride my bike to work in Rosemary Beach, but I drive across Lake Powell to the grocery store. I probably use the Interstates as much as anybody.
Please note that some thing just don't fit into a transect continuum of neighborhoods, including large manufacturing plants, universities, large hospitals, airports, etc. These would be coded as special districts. One major advantage is that a transect code doesn't try to enforce a single set of rules across the entire range of community and development types.
The DPZ communities you've seen are probably all resorts. Resorts, even well-planned resort towns never look like "real" towns.
The idea is to use observation & scientific method to plan communities by intent the way they were built by custom through several thousand years of human civilization until about 1930.
If you are looking for "real" places using this concept, Montgomery, AL and Pike Road, AL (just east of Montgomery) have both recently adopted the SmartCode, a particular version of a transect-based code.
Transect-based planning doesn't and isn't intended to eliminate use of automobiles, just to make auto use a bit less necessary on a day-to day-basis. For instance: I live in Inlet Beach and ride my bike to work in Rosemary Beach, but I drive across Lake Powell to the grocery store. I probably use the Interstates as much as anybody.
Please note that some thing just don't fit into a transect continuum of neighborhoods, including large manufacturing plants, universities, large hospitals, airports, etc. These would be coded as special districts. One major advantage is that a transect code doesn't try to enforce a single set of rules across the entire range of community and development types.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Thank you for the warm welcome and great questions. I wasn't at RB Town Hall on that occasion, but enjoyed Andres' talks this past weekend and learned a lot as always. Are you familiar with www.mississippirenewal.com?
Yes the projects tend to look staged, and in some way, they are. But the design concept is that the bones of the towns are solid and flexible enough so that over time, they will be loved enough to be real (like the Velveteen Rabbit, LOL). I don't think anyone expects any new development, New Urbanist or otherwise, to have patina and grit on day one -- that takes time, use, adjustments and adaptations.
Yes I've seen many examples of sustainable cultures from way back and even in more recent history (pre-automobile dominant). There are sustainable communities right now all over the planet, usually started by grassroots groups and/or utopian visionaries; William McDonough is designing entire regions for China that will be completely sustainable/green/closed loop/self sufficient. Findhorn and Gaviotas are two existing communities that come quickly to mind; I'd love to visit them both.
I think the challenge before us today is to return to that level of sustainability within the modern context, which includes airports, interstates, Peak Oil, global warming, and a dire need to transform agribusiness into a more localized small-farm way to supply food. Your questions about airports, manufacturing and interstates speak directly to this challenge; but I am not the expert who can provide those answers.
Please come to one of the presentations and speak up!
Yes the projects tend to look staged, and in some way, they are. But the design concept is that the bones of the towns are solid and flexible enough so that over time, they will be loved enough to be real (like the Velveteen Rabbit, LOL). I don't think anyone expects any new development, New Urbanist or otherwise, to have patina and grit on day one -- that takes time, use, adjustments and adaptations.
Yes I've seen many examples of sustainable cultures from way back and even in more recent history (pre-automobile dominant). There are sustainable communities right now all over the planet, usually started by grassroots groups and/or utopian visionaries; William McDonough is designing entire regions for China that will be completely sustainable/green/closed loop/self sufficient. Findhorn and Gaviotas are two existing communities that come quickly to mind; I'd love to visit them both.
I think the challenge before us today is to return to that level of sustainability within the modern context, which includes airports, interstates, Peak Oil, global warming, and a dire need to transform agribusiness into a more localized small-farm way to supply food. Your questions about airports, manufacturing and interstates speak directly to this challenge; but I am not the expert who can provide those answers.
Please come to one of the presentations and speak up!
Where does large scale manufacturing fit in?
Have you seen what happens when real self sufficient communities are established? You'll find thousands of examples of energy efficient, pedestrian friendly, green communities from 3000 BC through 1800 AD. Should we change the Constitution at all to help each community self govern?
I know Andres Duany. Were you in the Rosemary Town Hall around the time of 9/11 when he preached, Don't worry about how much you paid for your property, there's someone out there who will pay more. That's not an exact quote, but it is very close and is 100% in line with the spirit of what he said. If someone was there and wants to chat with me about it we can do that.
Do New Urbanists use airports or interstates much? Which kibbutz would mine the raw materials we need to keep them up? Will every community have all that a citizen would want to buy or enjoy on a daily basis?
I'm optimistic, but I haven't seen many DPZ communities that didn't look themed (staged) when they were complete. I've seen people and local companies try to pull off this kind of community locally, away from high dollar natural resources and it doesn't seem like the public cares to get involved.
Welcome to Sowal.com
Beach Fanatic
Where does large scale manufacturing fit in?
Where it's zoned to fit in. The original plan for Columbia, Maryland (which along with Mission Viejo, California counts as the big developmental ancestors of New Urbanism) called for a large industrial park. At one time GE had an appliance factory in the park. After it closed, the land was redeveloped as a large scale white collar office complex.
Columbia, Maryland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mission Viejo, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm not a huge fan of the New Urbanism label because it always seems to indicate cutesy and fake, and doesn't seem to properly account for the idea of the necessity of some large scale development. (While I like the idea of being able to see a doctor in a small neighborhood office for general health issues, if I get cancer, I want to have treatment in the big honkin' megahospital because the megahospitals have a higher number of specialists and higher success and survival rates for procedures than the small town hospitals do) But I do like the concept of large scale planning in order to better enable people to work and shop near where they live. Life's too short to be spending an hour and a half commuting in your car every day.
Beach Fanatic
It has been years since I first became interested in community development and planning but this thread has been most interesting and a revelation to me.
Susan, I don't know your back round but you obviously have a strong interest in aesthetic community planning. Maybe you should be our Walton County Planning Director but I wouldn't wish that on anyone with what little I've seen here regarding long range planning. At any rate, welcome to SoWal. Your input on these issues is greatly appreciated.
Susan, I don't know your back round but you obviously have a strong interest in aesthetic community planning. Maybe you should be our Walton County Planning Director but I wouldn't wish that on anyone with what little I've seen here regarding long range planning. At any rate, welcome to SoWal. Your input on these issues is greatly appreciated.
Beach FanaticAuthor
Andy A. -- Thanks for the kind words. I'm enjoying this conversation and so glad to see the level of interest here.
It has been years since I first became interested in community development and planning but this thread has been most interesting and a revelation to me.
Susan, I don't know your back round but you obviously have a strong interest in aesthetic community planning. Maybe you should be our Walton County Planning Director but I wouldn't wish that on anyone with what little I've seen here regarding long range planning. At any rate, welcome to SoWal. Your input on these issues is greatly appreciated.
SoWal Expert
New Urbanism isn't just about designing cute little houses in resort towns. The ideas of building an interactive community, dimishing dependence on a car, and bringing things to a human scale work in a wide variety of situations and locations.
I've worked on New Urbanism projects to revitalize poor areas in major cities, to provide affordable housing, to incorporate ancient ruins into a living part of a city instead of a crumbling waste of space, to expand a small university, to design a worship facility for an inner city church, you name it.
I've worked on New Urbanism projects to revitalize poor areas in major cities, to provide affordable housing, to incorporate ancient ruins into a living part of a city instead of a crumbling waste of space, to expand a small university, to design a worship facility for an inner city church, you name it.
SWGB
There's always the Cisco park. Baseball, shopping, restaurants, and an elementary school. :roll:
Cisco Field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cisco Field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SoWal Insider
The biggest obstacle to the "Transect-Based New Urbanist" trend is going to be changing the mindset of the folks who can afford to buy into these contrived urban developments--most are into "no thru street, cul-du-sac, gated communities." In a place where folks are anal-retentive about their zipcode, I think you've got a hardsell on your hands.
.
.
Edited
Beach FanaticAuthor
For anyone interested in learning more between now and the local presentation -- these websites are loaded with articles, photos, illustrations, links to information about places already using this approach, and free Smart Code downloads. I just persued the 55-page .pdf about Pass Christian, Mississippi's plan (I found it on the Smart Code Central site). Very informative, lots of good illustrations.
http://www.smartcodecomplete.com/index.html
http://smartcodecentral.com/index.html
http://www.transect.org/
http://www.smartcodecomplete.com/index.html
http://smartcodecentral.com/index.html
http://www.transect.org/
Beach Crab
Hello Susan,
Thanks for visiting transect.org and discussing these important ideas. Even though I don't live in your county I hope it's OK if I jump in and help with a few questions. There is a Facebook Cause with the following brief explanation of what transect-based planning entails. (The video you posted is very misleading. The initial shots could actually be a walkable T-3 Sub-Urban Zone, a perfectly good human habitat, if it is adjacent to more mixed-use areas (higher Transect Zones) so people can choose to walk to useful destinations and activities. Here's what's on the Facebook Cause page:
Stop Sprawl and Protect Neighborhoods with Transect-based Planning
We promote understanding of the built environment as part of the natural environment, through the planning methodology of the rural-to-urban transect.
***
Auto-dependent sprawl has been exacerbated by single-use zoning, which separates Residential areas from Office and Retail.
In transect-based planning, these single-use zones are replaced by diverse habitat zones called Transect Zones.
A transect is a path or cut through the environment, used for sampling and organizing habitat elements. We sample streets, buildings, and plantings.
This provides the DNA for new transect-based plans and codes that protect and create compact, walkable neighborhoods while preserving open lands.
Visit the Center for Applied Transect Studies at Center for Applied Transect Studies for open source planning tools and education for your community and region.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Sandy Sorlien
Director of Technical Research
Center for Applied Transect Studies
Miami, FL and Philadelphia, PA
Thanks for visiting transect.org and discussing these important ideas. Even though I don't live in your county I hope it's OK if I jump in and help with a few questions. There is a Facebook Cause with the following brief explanation of what transect-based planning entails. (The video you posted is very misleading. The initial shots could actually be a walkable T-3 Sub-Urban Zone, a perfectly good human habitat, if it is adjacent to more mixed-use areas (higher Transect Zones) so people can choose to walk to useful destinations and activities. Here's what's on the Facebook Cause page:
Stop Sprawl and Protect Neighborhoods with Transect-based Planning
We promote understanding of the built environment as part of the natural environment, through the planning methodology of the rural-to-urban transect.
***
Auto-dependent sprawl has been exacerbated by single-use zoning, which separates Residential areas from Office and Retail.
In transect-based planning, these single-use zones are replaced by diverse habitat zones called Transect Zones.
A transect is a path or cut through the environment, used for sampling and organizing habitat elements. We sample streets, buildings, and plantings.
This provides the DNA for new transect-based plans and codes that protect and create compact, walkable neighborhoods while preserving open lands.
Visit the Center for Applied Transect Studies at Center for Applied Transect Studies for open source planning tools and education for your community and region.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Sandy Sorlien
Director of Technical Research
Center for Applied Transect Studies
Miami, FL and Philadelphia, PA
SWGB
Sandy, feel free to post and give us more information. 
Beach FanaticAuthor
A couple more online resources
2 pages on transect and comprehensive environmental management
http://www.smartcodecomplete.com/documents/article_MiltRhodes.pdf
2 pages on transect as it relates to agriculture at varying scales. From what I?ve heard at recent Planning Commission meetings about the proposed FLUE (Future Land Use Element of Comp Plan) amendment, there is strong and very valid concern in the agricultural areas of Walton County about protecting farms and farmers from incursion, especially by residential development, and the inevitable complaints about spraying, dust, noise, farm odors, night harvesting, etc.
http://www.placemakers.com/library/AgriculturalTransect.pdf
2 pages on transect and comprehensive environmental management
http://www.smartcodecomplete.com/documents/article_MiltRhodes.pdf
2 pages on transect as it relates to agriculture at varying scales. From what I?ve heard at recent Planning Commission meetings about the proposed FLUE (Future Land Use Element of Comp Plan) amendment, there is strong and very valid concern in the agricultural areas of Walton County about protecting farms and farmers from incursion, especially by residential development, and the inevitable complaints about spraying, dust, noise, farm odors, night harvesting, etc.
http://www.placemakers.com/library/AgriculturalTransect.pdf
Beach Comber
This concept is exactly what the county needs to address the critics of the land development code and comp plan. The benefits of this style of zoning allows uses to go in place as long as the design of the project meets the transect criteria. This allows many different kinds of projects to be installed as long as parking and building styles are observed. We need more thinking peolpe involved in the county system. Keep up the good work and the discussion.
SoWal Insider
New Urbanism isn't just about designing cute little houses in resort towns. The ideas of building an interactive community, dimishing dependence on a car, and bringing things to a human scale work in a wide variety of situations and locations.
I've worked on New Urbanism projects to revitalize poor areas in major cities, to provide affordable housing, to incorporate ancient ruins into a living part of a city instead of a crumbling waste of space, to expand a small university, to design a worship facility for an inner city church, you name it.
To make this concept work, doesn't there have to be some kind of major salary-generating corporation to serve as the central hub of such a place? One cannot center a major "urbanist" community (that includes schools and such) around a Mayberryesque town center whose main revenue sources are a candle shop, a coffee bar, a deli and a bookstore.
Everyone is singing the praises of the new airport--so who would be the first to move their family into a community that is within biking/walking distance to their job as Passenger Wanding Superintendent?
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