Transect Based Planning

[GoodWitch58]

I think I understand this concept...what is happening in Walton County government that is related to this?

 

[AAbsolute]

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

 

[FG]

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.

 

[Susan Horn]

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!

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

 

[beachmouse]

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.

 

[Andy A]

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 Horn]

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.

 

[scooterbug44]

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.

 

[Matt J]

There's always the Cisco park. Baseball, shopping, restaurants, and an elementary school. :roll:

Cisco Field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SHELLY]

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.

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