New Urbanism

Is It Really That New?

Thursday 7th May 2009

Introduction

Lets talk:

1. What’s New Urbanism?

2. Is it important?

3. What’s currently done?

4. What’s wrong.

1. What is it?

• Based on 7 C’s

– Context

– Character

– Choice

– Connections

– Creativity

– Custodianship

– Collaboration

1. What is it?

• NZ Urban Design Protocol

“Mixed use - A mix of retail outlets, cafes, bars and

professional offices attracts people to Vulcan Lane

in Auckland at all times of the day and night.”Source: Ministry for the Environment - You are here: Publications Urban

Summary of the Value of Urban Design Online version

“Mixed use - This mixed use development on

Parnell Road in Auckland combines apartment

living with shops at ground level.”Source: Ministry for the Environment - You are here: Publications Urban

Summary of the Value of Urban Design Online version (Source - Auckland

City Council.)

1. What is it?

• New Urbanism (USA)

– 1980’s design movement

• can include (neo)traditional neighborhood design, transit-

oriented development, and New Pedestrianism.

– 1991 Local Government Commission in Sacramento

California had a brain storming meeting

– Meeting was to develop a set of community principles

for land use planning

– Output was the ‘Ahwahnee Principles’

– 1993 Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) founded

1. What is it?

• Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)

– Calthorpe, Duany, Moule, Plater-Zyberk, Polyzoides

• CNU's Charter of the New Urbanism says…

– diverse population

– pedestrian and public transport as well as the car

– accessible

– framed by architecture and landscape design

– celebrate local history, climate, ecology, and building

practice

1. What is it?

• Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk

form DPZ (Duany, Plater-Zyberk)

1. What is it?

• Cluster Land Development (CLD) – a Hamlet

• Regional Center Development (RCD)– a Town or a Downtown

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)– a Town or a Downtown

• Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND)– a Village or an Urban Neighborhood

• Planned Unit Development (PUD)– Futurism ‘TND’

2. Is it important?

• Government says it is!

• “The government seeks improved, reliable access to the facilities and activities that enable all New Zealanders to participate fully in society and the economy.”

• Outcome from NZTS is “Improving access and mobility”

2. Is it important?

2. Is it important?

• Transport disadvantaged issues include:

– Urban form designed around the private car

– Lack of modal choice

– Affordability

– Disability

2. Is it important?

• Mobility is ‘on the network’It is usually measured as the ease of travel e.g. delay,

congestion, steps and grades etc.

• Access is ‘to the network’It is usually measured ‘yes’ or ‘no’ e.g. broadband,

walking distance to bus stop, enough money etc.

• Opportunity is ‘why the network’ existsIt is not usually measured.

2. Is it important?

Access Mobility

Opportunity

Accessibility

2. Is it important?

• Improving Accessibility

– Decreases social severance

– Increases economic competition

– Increases sustainable transport

– Makes better use of existing resources

• All outputs from New Urbanism!

3. What is currently done?

• Smartcode (DPZ)

• Florida Section Institute of Transportation

Engineers (FLITE)

• Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

• and lots of other research…

3. Trip Generation

• Mode shift from cars to walk, cycle PT

• Internal capture rate

• TND vs PUD shift 0 – 60% car trips?

• The facts…

3. Trip Generation (FLITE)

3. Trip Generation (FLITE)

3. Trip Generation (FLITE)

R2 = 0.2025

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

Research Study Site Size (Ha)

Inte

rnal C

ap

ture

(%

)

3. Trip Generation (ITE)

Work

ShopResidential

% Internal Capture

Overall

% Internal

Capture

3. Trip Generation (ITE)

3. Parking Rates

• Office and Residential – reduce by 29%

• Office and Lodging – reduce by 41%

• Office and Retail – reduce by 17%

3. Parking Rates

Office

RetailResidential

Shared Car Park

% Reduction

4. What’s wrong?

4. What's wrong

• Research not quoted (DPZ)

• Research not proven (USA vs NZ)

– But is probably transferable

• Research not applied appropriately

• Research not applied correctly

4. What’s wrong?

• Planned Unit Development (PUD)

Northwood, Christchurch, New Zealand

4. What’s wrong?

• Traditional Neighbourhood Development

(TND)

St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand

4. What’s wrong?

• Planned Unit Development (PUD)

Northwood, Christchurch, New Zealand

4. What’s wrong?

• Traditional Neighbourhood Development

(TND)

St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand

4. What’s wrong?

• Size 4.3Ha

St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand

4. What’s wrong?

• Size ~min 132Ha

Summary

• Good reasons for New Urbanism

• Newish for USA, not so new for NZ

– There is a lot of TND in NZ!

• Concepts still transferable

– Futurism is out, post Modernism is in!

• Technical analysis needs polishing

• Some gross misapplication

New Urbanism

Is It Really That New?

Thursday 7th May 2009