Forum Questions:

New Urbanism Index

It seems to me that the new ubanism offers a choice in housing environments. Not all suburbanites desire the same living experiences. The debate should not be an either/or issue but more a discussion of options for young adults, families and our rapidly aging population. For many of us a diverse community (in every sense) is a much more interesting and stable environment in which to live, work and raise our children.

Charles Shaffer of Old Bridge, NJ, comments:

Hello. I Viewed the New Urbanism report tonight on PBS News Hour. I was impressed. I strongly belive that the whole concept is what this country needs. I myself cant stand living in your typical suburban area in which you need to drive to shops or walk through huge parking lots and high traffic streets just to get out of your home. Having lived in cities on and off for some time I have found that when i return to the suburbs i notice more the lack of culture that the urban areas have to offer. PLease build a few areas like this in NJ.

Sincerely yours,Charles Shaffer

Anthony of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comments:

Hello,

I watched the article on New Urbanism and thought it both refreshing and contrived; the refreshment came from the idea that society (not only in the USA, but also here in Canada and much of the "Western" world) has lost some of its way and that we need to return in part to a more humane and communal level of interaction with regards to much of our none work related life. That said, the style of viewed community seemed abit nostalgic, though I must admit a certain warm to it; though I have seen and been through many such projects in Engalnd, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe that have both looked to the past for architectural inspiration and to the present or future for it as well. I would be most happy to live in many of these new urban communities as they offer much that is lacking in the suburbs. We moved to the suburbs to "gain" a sense of individuality and uniqueness; but instead have lost it in, we are most unique and free when given a set of borders and space in which to construct our world(s). I have lived both in urban and suburban settings and far prefer the urbaneness offered by the envisioned community of Ms. Plater-Zybeck's imagination and construct (and related projects) than the mishap of the suburbs of N. America.

JoAnne of Darnestown, MD, comments:

I thinkt there is room for both. Don't kid yourselves,most Kentlands folk who work, commut just like they subdi brethen... I always say 'The Kentlands ... one loves it or hates it, seldom in between'. I have sold several, and had many say "not for me". Does it belong, it sells, doesn't it? then there is a market. It is not for everyone, then what is??? PS Yes I have worked in RS, Politics before that, and for Realtor.com now.

Bunty Rose of Rockport, TX, comments:

New Urbanism sounds like the small town I live in. Lack of traffic jams and the ability to walk to stores is fine. And my town is diverse with many native Texans, rich retirees from many states, and Vietnamese who are definitely part of the community. My question to Ms.Plater-Zyberk is: Where is the economic diversity in these costly "instant towns?" Is this an attractive ghetto for the well-to-do? If it is, that's fine. To each his own. I prefer living in a real town with all types of people.

Chris Bartleson of Gastonia, NC, comments:

I am a huge devotee of this movement. I am a graduate of UNC-Greensboro, where I got a degree in Urban Planning. During that time I saw Andres speak in Charlotte, and that only furthered my enthusiasm. When my husband and I bought our present home in Gastonia, a major determining factor was 1) sidewalks, and 2) community and close neighbors. I think the tide IS turning.

Jess Hansen of Tecumseh, NE, comments:

I do not oppose the new urbanism; anything that will get rid of those ugly cookie cutter houses in the suburbs is welcome. However I find the whole notion of "community living" and restrictions on "how many dogs you have" or "what color you paint your house" to be silly. You want a picture postcard "small town" that will become just as monotonous as what you are replacing. A true community is not a sterile living room where you are afraid to break a lamp; a true community is made up of people living together for better or worst. A true community is not designed; it evolves from its inhabitants.

Augustus W. Fountain III of West Point, NY, comments:

For the past 16 years I have served in the Army and lived on military bases. Those communities are very similar to the "new urban" communities designed by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk et al. I actually prefer the closeness of the community and the ability to walk or ride my bike to work, shopping, and church. The only disagreement I have with the new urbanist are the rules which limit what I can do with my home once it is purchased. If I own property in a community then I don't like the idea of having to get permission to change it in some fashion. To me this community rules committees go against the grain of American freedom and the right to own property. I would like someone to address the rights of property ownership within the concept of this new urban community.

Thank you.

Augustus W. Fountain III

Jane Johnson of Seattle, WA, comments:

I devoured the book, Surburban Nation, after reading a review in the New Yorker a couple of months ago. While Seattle is known as a city of neighborhoods, and I live within walking/bussing distance of work and shopping, I am particularly upset about auto traffic speeding through our streets. Sport uts are particularly offensive; they plow right through the traffic circle in our intersection, oblivious of anything around them. I found very interesting the book's comments about large firetrucks begetting wide streets, which in turn encourage drivers to speed and drive recklessly. I tend to agree with the comment that the new urbanism may have a quaint/fake-old look, but the argument shouldn't be about architectural style. How about some contemporary designs set in the new-urbanism space with narrow streets and nice sidewalks?

Gordon Reynolds of San Francisco, CA, comments:

I grew up in one of the many suburbs that were developed in the late 50's/early 60's, in a town south of San Francisco named Daly City. To this day, I can barely step foot in the place or drive by it without a nostalgic feeling of nausea overcoming me. And now I find I have nearly the same response to every old or new suburb developed on the same plan as the one I grew up in. That's why I live in San Francisco. To date, I have only been to one new development that made me feel like it was a place I might like to call home, Prospect, Colorado. Elizabeth will probably recognize the name. New Urbanism may not be perfect (though I haven't found anything yet to dislike about it), but THANK GOD there are people like DPZ who have taken on the effort to develop towns and homes that feel like they deserve those names; everything else is a glorified prison (why else would they call them 'gated communities?!). Add one to the 'tipping point'.

Gordon.

Nick Knight of Boston, MA, comments:

I loved your interview!!!!! I view the new urbanism movement as one of the few groups that can help save our cities. I do believe though, you were far to nice when speaking about track homes, and strip malls. Also, I would like to hear more about how to include the major corp. I like small businesses, but I know that they must be made a part of this movement, or risk there political wieght. I would like to here more about including them in new developments in a positive way. Thank you!!!!!!

Milton M. Carrow of Washington, DC, comments:

The critics of New Urbanism are ambivalent. Reston is good, Kentland OK, but not perfect; adopting workable traditional conditions indicates a lack of creativity,but suburban developments are far from satisfactory. The argument is fuzzy. I live in Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC and previously lived in suburbs (Rockland County, NY), exurbs (Weston, Conn), west side Manhattan, NY,and McLean, Virginia (including a subdivision). My experience is that living in a pedestrian scale urban setting (the New Urban model), as in Manhattan and Foggy Bottom is far superior to the sterile, impersonal, automobile driven suburban life(in Weston, there were four automobiles in my family and my commute was at least one and one-half hours each way - in Manhattan I had none and walked or took a bus to my office - in Foggy Bottom I walk to my office - I own a car and drive less than 5,000 miles a year). I think it is patronizing to argue that the New Urbanism is not new - so what - most of the "news" are not either.I believe that, rather than scorning the New Urbanism movement a better approach is to identify places, like Foggy Bottom and Reston, where the pedestrian scale idea can be effectively implemented. I believe many people would welcomethat.

Irene Peyton of Fairbanks, AL, comments:

I am delighted that such communities exist. As a retiree, I want to be part of a real community, with people of all ages who know each other and care about each other. I agree that a community should be made up of people with a variety of income, race and age.

Carol Hannaford of Rockville, MD, comments:

I have been in Kentlands to a conference in the mansion. I was fascinated to learn that it is 10 years old and is an example of "new urbanism." While the concept is laudable, I wonder if in practice it becomes a "gated" community without gates. Unless someone administratively reaches out to ethnic minorities, I doubt that few will attempt to live there. I was awed by the amount of money represented in the residences when I was there 2 years ago.

Roger Hough of Upland, CA, comments:

Did you not find that the questions posed by the PBS reporter were slanted towards traditional BOX tract housing, and I believe that MOST do not want the boxes but it is all that is offered. Congradulations on an excellent topic.

Judge Bruce Birchman of Potomac, MD, comments:

The program last night elicited th e comment by the Kentlands architect that only ten minutes away there was more typical urban sprawl and suggested a bucolic suburban atmosphere with nearby shops and restaurants. The latter is true to a point--but within 500 feet of the theatre and shops pictured is the semi-mega strip mall with a Giant supermarket, Kmart, and Lowes that permits many of the residents to obtain what they need and without which travel of ten-15 minutes would be required to find food and other daily necessities. So the picture that was presented was not as accurate and full as is the case. Also, looming behind the housing picture but unmentioned in the story by either t he architect or Ray Suarez, whose comment I always enjoy, is a large working quarry which is rumored to throw off asbestos fibres in the air, and makes driving near it somewhat hazardous with encounters with large trucks.

Last, the priceiness of the town homes and detached homes, as well as the high condo fees at the senior apartments makes it another high-cost community that is not easily afforded by local police, firemen, teachers, etc., albeit there is some lower cost altnerative housing in parts of Kentlands.

Dino Serafini of San Diego, CA, comments:

I don't care about whether new neighborhoods look post-modern, antique, neo-traditional or whatever. I'm concerned about efficient use of space and being able to accomodate all necessary land-uses in the limited area we have in urban centers. Why do people feel the need to be isolated from their neighbors, ensconced in their suburban homesteads and massive SUVs? We need to learn to live, work and travel together and to become acquainted with eachother. Any development to have longterm value and to justify its use of land - regardless of its design - must become a community or it is a waste of a very limited resource.

Grant of Grand Rapids, MI, comments:

I am heartened by the growing interest and work in community planning which most readily addresses concerns of noise, vehicular/pedestrian traffic, and community access to goods and services while fostering personal interaction. However, it seems most of this work incorporates traditional building techniques, esp reliance upon stick-built housing. As an admirer of Buckminster Fuller's work and ideas (as well as others carrying on like work), i would like to see community planners take up the challange of integrating new/adapted/combined forms and theories of architecture into their work to address the issues of material and energy conservation and effeciency, reducing home building costs, and the adaptation and use of new technologies and materials to home building. Certainly there is sentimental charm in the gabled brick row house, but until we commit ourselves to challenging (without rejecting) the warmth of tradition with the potential of new and available means of protecting resources--of which aesthetics is only one, and perhaps not the most critical as we see communities and governments sparring over electricity and water--we will not truly progress to meet the full range of needs of individuals and families in the context of a society pressing into larger and more densely clustered populations in the coming 100 years.

Derek Bousé of Salzburg, Austria, comments:

Many of the principles of neighborhood organization you describe can be found in abundance here in Salzburg -- with one obvious exception: the front porch. Just as much as those vast 'display' front-yards in the US (which I'm sure we both find distasteful), the exposed front porch also betrays Americans' tendency to equate privacy with secrecy, and their insistence, therefore, that everyone be able to see everyone else, and that things go on where others can see them. In small towns and villages here, and elsewhere in Europe, there is not the sense there is in smalltown America of everyone knowing everyone else's business (as in, say, Mayberry).

Here, we tend to have BACK gardens or balconies where we can sit in the evening and NOT be exposed to the scrutiny of neighbors. So although I heartily approve of your effort to offer an alternative to post-war American suburbs, I see it in part as another manifestation of Americans' secret loathing and suspicions of personal privacy, and an attempt to force a sense of 'community' by seeing to it that people are exposed to one another, rather than letting community happen 'organically' -- or not at all, if that's how it evolves (not knowing your neighbors is not necessarily a bad thing -- if you value privacy). Indeed, I'm surprised that Americans ever gave up party-lines. So although I applaud the basic thrust of your efforts, I regret that some of the aesthetic preferences seem influenced by MGM's backlot set for "Meet me in St. Louis."-- Derek Bousé

Michael S. Yoder, Ph.D., of Laredo, TX, comments

As a cultural/urban geographer and landscape critic, I am in complete agreement that walking-scale townscapes are healthier places to create a sense of community than the chaotic sprawl that J.H. Kunstler and others critique. New Urbanist ideas are obviously part of the answer of where we need to head. I am, however, a bit skeptical that we could ever (re)build degraded urban areas, as well as create new suburbs, on a large scale using New Urbanist principles under a free market system. It seems that the free market drives (no pun intended) the mindless automobile-oriented sprawling. Do we not need a social democratic or democratic socialist regulated market system to achieve New Urbanist objectives on a scale larger than just isolated suburban communities like Seaside, etc.? Perhaps New Urbanists should consider this point, and become critics of unbridled capitalism as well of the dysfunctional landscapes that the system creates. I consider myself a New Urbanist, and that's what I do. Furthermore, what's to be done to rehabilitate crumbling first-ring suburbs (again, under a free-market arrangement)?

Sincerely,

Michael Yoder, Ph.D.

Assoc. Prof. of Geography and Urban Studies

Evelin Wander of Angwin,CA, comments:

A glimmer of hope in the bleak landscape of contemporary suburban city planning. I hope people will think about it and come to their senses. I personally wish a place like this will be built somewhere close by. I'd love to live like that. I am from "the old country" and miss the naturally evolved little towns and villages very much. If we have to built it up from scratch, why not do it right!

Anne McCallick of Torrance, CA, comments:

Loved your segment on The Newshour. It is about time this idea takes place. When will you do such a communtiy in Calif? Hurry! Not much space is left, at least near the ocean. Maybe above S.F!!??

Stephanie Macari of Atlanta, GA, comments:

"Critics argue residents care more about privacy and security than community, and that most people want detached homes with yards and multi-car garages at arm's length from the folks next door. The idea of sharing a block with neighbors who make far lower incomes also frightens some people. Critics, in short, say New Urbanism simply won't sell."

Although sprawl may be what people "want," it is no longer a viable option. Land and other natural resources are not bottomless pits from which we are entitled to grab whatever we want. They are limited resources, and we need to take that into account when we plan cities. We also need to inform consumers of the horrendous waste produced by cars in terms of pollution, resource usage, and physical and mental harm to the people the use them or are forced to live side by side with them. Then perhaps people will "want" something besides an automobile-centered society. People who are involved in marketing and advertising should know that more often than not, they are the ones who tell the consumer, not so subtely either, what it is they want. If there is something out there that is better for our communities, our nation, our planet, then we should promote it until it sells.

Robert Stokes of Columbia, SC, comments

Is new urbanism a social movement or is it a reflection (through market research) of what consumers really want? And if it is the latter, why should we care about it enough to have such high brow discussions about it asension? Were there theoretical discussions about the split level, or the cape cod? I've seen developments that pass themselves off as new-urbanist designs, they are essentially suburban style housing curiously smashed together. Lets cut to it, new urbanism is a marketing buzzword where builders pay lip service to the notion of quaintness and community. Give me the old urbanism any day.

Dan Johnston of Christiansted, Virgin Islands, comments:

New Urbanism

Having lived in Southern France for years and now in the US Virgin Islands, I now find most of urban mainland US intolerable. What I understand of new urbanism seems to me to be what might better and more fairly called "Eurbanism". Am I wrong ?

Helan Manion of St. Cloud, MN, comments:

New Urbanism

These ideas are great! I have your book on order. I live near St. Cloud, MN, which has got to be one of the ugliest, sprawling, ill-planned city of strip malls and franchises I have ever seen. Most people I talk to agree. I applaud your efforts and hope the ideas spread!

Robert Skorodinsky of Rohnert Park, CA, comments:

Given the scarcity of materials, clean air and open space within an urban setting, the building of two and three story apartments and condominiums with an excellent walking, biking, bus and rail system seems ideal. I believe, if this was built, people would embrace such an urban area. What would it take to get such a city built?

Kevin Kraiss of Dallas, TX, comments:

Kudos to those attempting to bring a sense of community back to the American landscape. Having grown up in Chicago, I enjoyed life in a sociable atmosphere which provided easy access to parks and a diverse mix of shops and restaurants. I recently took a job transfer to the Sunbelt, where I've been shocked by the nature of most new developments. There are few to no public spaces, and, contrary to popular belief, almost no yards. It is not hard to imagine the impact this physical pattern of development has upon the social structure in these areas. No wonder many Americans spend so much time in the Lazy Boy in front of the TV - they are prisoners in their own homes.

Tom Shay of Presque Isle, MA, comments:

I've been talking and writing about this subject for years. The movement has been developing for a long time in many places (mostly rural) by people gathering in small "intentional" communities out of the "eyes" of media and the experts. It nice to see these ideas moved to the forefront! We need more models to look at and copy as we move forward. But I think these concepts need to be applied everywhere not only in cities, but suburbs and rural areas as well. One such rural community, "Brazos de Dios", between Austin and Waco, was drawing around 10,000 people for their fall harvest festival some years back. They even put up a vistors center to answer all the questions about how they were living and what they were doing.

I've seen comments suggesting that all of this is not "new". It doesn't matter. If the way we physically relate improves the sense of community then it solves a problem(s) many of which the "free market" can't address. It can't address them because it can't identify them. We've got to decide at some point that doing right is at least as important as the thickness of our wallets. But that would take vision.