New Urbanism Meets the Existing City [Forum]

Congress for the New Urbanism Harvey Gantt New Urbanism Meets the Existing City I was drawn to and attracted by the philosophy and prin­ ciples of New Urbanism immediately upon hearing about them five years ago. The use of the word n e w affixed to urbanism suggested freshness, vitality and energy. The concepts of liveability, sustainability, small-scale neighborhood development, walkability and more intense utilization of public transportation were appeal­ ing to someone like me, w h o had literally spent decades fighting suburban sprawl. The notion that the public realm was important to building a sense of community meant a lot to me, since I had been an elected official struggling at times to get funding for parks, sidewalks and open space. It was also important to see the concept of connectible streets—old gridiron patterns designed to control traffic without giving automobiles dominance. I could go on and on touting the merits of New Urbanism, for all it has meant for bettering urban settlement pat­ terns and controlling sprawl. But I am also a lover of ol d urbanism, a child of the city. I have spent my entire adult life working in the core city, where development patterns already exist. I grew up in a These resources are struggling against the forces that draw people and investment away from the core. The result has been a tremendous flight of middle Americans chasing the American Dream, coupled w i t h meaning­ less municipal boundaries that have not only accelerated physical abandonment, but also isolated core cities, socially and politically. There are some notable successes, such as Portland, Seattle, Denver, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Charleston, but even in these cites there there are still at-risk neighborhoods with present complex social and physical conditions. There is a real challenge here for New Urbanism. If the goal of the New Urbanism is t o rekindle the American Dream (admittedly an ephemeral and spiritual goal) by building settlements that encourage community, liveabil­ ity, convenience, decent housing and preservation of the environment, then a significant thrust of this movement must focus on the existing core city. This especially means infill development of at-risk neighborhoods, whether in urban or first-ring suburban areas. Are we up to the challenge? I have some concerns: salt-of-the-earth, working-class neighborhood with side­ walks, front porches and stlckball in the street. Today I live within t w o blocks of my office, and walk to restau­ rants and go to pop concerts a few blocks away. These forum pages are pro­ duced under an agreement between the Design History Foundation and the Congress forthe New Urbanism (CNU). CNU, which has no direct affili­ ation with Places, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, receiv­ ing support from membership dues and sponsors, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Fannie Mae Foundation and the U.S. Envi­ ronmental Protection Agency. Inquires about CNU member­ ship should be made to: Congress for the New Urbanism 5 Third Street #500A San Francisco, CA 94108 email: cnuinfo@cnu.org My fascination with New Urbanism has as much to do important work that we must vigorously continue, a with my reaction to the so-called decline of cities, which reasonable argument can be made that they con­ has been reinforced in the popular media which has tribute to more dispersion—thus supporting further helped to create negative perceptions of the urban in the decline at the core. Our attack must be two-pronged, last thirty to forty years. To many people, urban means with as much emphasis on infill as on suburban design. poor folk, too many minorities, crime, drugs and unstable families. It means overcrowding, high density, traffic jams, limited open space, substandard schools and facili­ ties. It means political confusion, abandoned shopping centers and even abandoned neighborhoods. Cities are the places that have the greatest opportunity to which discourage diverse or heterogeneous popula­ make a difference in urban settlement patterns. Cities tions. It is problematic to expect much in the way of have tremendous assets that are too often overlooked. true economic diversity given the laws of supply and They are the home of great medical centers, colleges and demand, which drive prices beyond the reach of lower- universities, cultural facilities, government buildings, middle-class, not t o mention working-class, families. employment centers and the basic infrastructure of streets, utilities and public transportation—not to men­ tion the wonderful diversity of people that reflect what America is all about. • The design of New Urbanist communities all t o o often derives from a single formula or master plan, often Implemented before there is a community to give • It is not clear that New Urbanism principles, as imple­ mented in new towns, offer enough opportunity for economic diversity. All t o o often developers, eager to adopt a new trend, bastardize or subvert New Urban­ ism design principles for their gated communities, • Much of w h a t has w o n us recognition so far has involved greenfield development, new towns in subur­ ban locations. While these settlements are superior to old patterns of suburban development and represent P L A C E S 1 2 : 1