American Makeover Episode 2: SEASIDE, FL THE CITY OF IDEAS
Seaside, FL. Building a traditional neighborhood from scratch. It was a process that started some 30 years ago in Florida. Today the town stands as a testament to tried and true placemaking principles and the traditional development pattern. Of the 600 or so master planned communities in the United States there are a couple examples here in PA that were probably inspired in some ways by Seaside. It’s my hope that a Traditional Neighborhood project is someday built in Lower Macungie. The above 15 minute short film is perhaps the best synopsis of the ideas that make TND developments work.
Idea #1: Create a Town
As in: Not a subdivision or collection of pod like subdivisions. Town implies something. Place implies something. This “something” is typically missing in conventional projects — complete (many uses), complex (mixed uses), compact (close and convenient), connected (through multiple modes of transit and a robust network of route choices).
Idea #2: Incremental growth
Keep debt minimal. Build in small increments, as demand materializes. Avoid the desire to artificially induce large scale projects. Projects should be required to mitigate there impact. Taxpayers should not fund infrastructure projects that do not gaurantee a return on investment. If they can’t and require subsidies to do so, chances are it isn’t a solid investment of taxpayer dollars over the long term.
Idea #3: Versatile Infrastructure
See number 2. Infrastructure should be able to pull double (or triple) duty. Avoid the wasteful and costly sprawl practice of directing new investments to fringe developments where taxpayer ROI is low or negative.
“Is urban sprawl to blame for municipalities going bankrupt?”
Idea #4: Incubator Retail
Low-cost opportunities for proof-of-concept encourage creative experimentation. Some of these experiments will thrive. Some will fail. But entrepreneurs are (and should be) the ones who shoulder the risk while seeking the rewards.
Idea #5: Progressive Retail
Once established, thriving businesses can upgrade to permanent, higher-end space. Part B of Idea 4. A successful business will grow naturally.
Idea #6: Mixed-Use Buildings
Markets don’t necessarily support large, mixed-use buildings early on. Start with modest, one story buildings that can expand over time or be redeveloped to incorporate additional uses once demand has materialized. Organic growth.
Idea #7: Live/Work Units
The “little house on the prairie” is not the only American Dream. We also dream of being our own boss and the live/work unit is the perfect vehicle for serving that dream. Plus, they allow for the development of retail with dispersed risk. Oftentimes developers who fear these investments are the first to admit after build out they are the best selling units.
Idea #8: Agnostic to Style. Form & Function over design standards.
Get the form right above all else. How do buildings interact with the street. Are streets safe for all users not just cars? Does one mode of transportation dominate all others. Recognize and pay special attention to the impact transportation investments have on land uses, community form and function. Culture, economics, climate, and fashion will dictate the style game. In sprawl communities we over regulate design standards as an alternative to fixing the core issues.
Idea #9: Celebrate Civic Buildings
Reserve civic sites up front, but let the community champion their visioning, process and programming.
Idea #10: Amenities for Everyone
Don’t hide or privatize amenities. The most desirable aspects of community should be accessible sources of civic pride.
Idea #11: Good Street Geometry = Free Range Kids
When streets are skinny, pedestrians rule. Avoid STROADS. Build roads to move cars and streets to to generate value. Never try to combine both. Otherwise you end up with a futon.
Idea #12: Recover Trusty Traditions
Patterns evolve for a reason. There is wisdom in tradition. Sprawl was an over-reaction to our love affair with cars. Cars aren’t going anywhere. Nor do smart growth advocates want to limit their usage. It’s a matter of preference. Today more and more often people no longer want to spend a quarter of their lives locked in commute. People are seeking community. The market reflects a desire for walkable, connected communities.
Idea #13: Work with Nature
Embrace and incorporate natural responses to climate.
Idea #14: Pervious Streets
Streets can and should help manage their own impacts. Above all else this is a matter of dollars and cents. We simply cannot afford to continue to pay for inefficient development practices.
Idea #15: Original Green – Less is More
Original Green solutions can solve problems, save money and perpetuate a tactile, craftsman ethos. When we try to regulate our way out of problems the solutions are usually costly.
Idea #16: Vision = Seeing Beyond the Present
“The discipline of vision is not being sunk by present circumstances, reduced to the present circumstances, which often are nothing.” — Andrés Duany
