Bernardo Villagra

Arturo Mears

Arturo Hernández

Cesar Campuzano

INDEX:1___________________________________________ What isSmart Growth

2______________________________ Historical andtheoretical background

3_________________________________________Charter ofnew urbanism

4_______________________________________ Principlesof smart growth

___________________SMART GROWTHVARIETIES____________________

5_______________________________ LEED forneighborhood development

6______________________________________________Sprawl retrofitting

7__________________________________ Project fortransportation reform

8_______________________________________ Childfriendly communities

9________________________________________________Health Districts

10____________________ Smart Growth & the 5principles of urban design

11__________________________________________________References

Smart growth 1.) What is smart growth?

It is a methodology that consists on finding a better way tobuild and maintain our towns and cities, by building urban,suburban and rural communities with housing and

transportation choices near jobs, shops and schoolssupporting local economies and respecting the environment .

2.) Historical and theoretical background

In 1991, the Local Government Commission, a private nonprofitgroup in Sacramento, California, invited architects PeterCalthorpe, Michael Corbett, Andrés Duany, Elizabeth Moule,Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Stefanos Polyzoides, and DanielSolomon to develop a set of community principles for land useplanning. Named the Ahwahnee Principles (after YosemiteNational Park's Ahwahnee Hotel), the commission presented theprinciples to about one hundred government officials in thefall of 1991, at its first Yosemite Conference for LocalElected Officials.

In response to the Ahwahnee Principles emerged a newmanifesto developed by Andres Dwany named; New Urbanism,which is a broad movement that spans a number of differentdisciplines and geographic scales. And while the conventionalapproach to growth remains dominant, New Urban principleshave become increasingly influential in the fields ofplanning, architecture, and public policy. New urbanism is anurban design movement which promotes walkable neighborhoodscontaining a range of housing and job types. It arose in theUnited States in the early 1980s, and has graduallyinfluenced many aspects of real estate development, urbanplanning, and municipal land-use strategies.

3.) Charter of new urbanism

• The Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment incentral cities, the spread of placeless sprawl,increasing separation by race and income, environmentaldeterioration, loss of agricultural lands andwilderness, and the erosion of society’s built heritageas one interrelated community-building challenge.

• We stand for the restoration of existing urban centersand towns within coherent metropolitan regions, thereconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities ofreal neighborhoods and diverse districts, theconservation of natural environments, and thepreservation of our built legacy.

• We advocate the restructuring of public policy anddevelopment practices to support the followingprinciples: neighborhoods should be diverse in use andpopulation; communities should be designed for thepedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities andtowns should be shaped by physically defined anduniversally accessible public spaces and communityinstitutions; urban places should be framed byarchitecture and landscape design that celebrate localhistory, climate, ecology, and building practice.

• We recognize that physical solutions by themselves willnot solve social and economic problems, but neither caneconomic vitality, community stability, andenvironmental health be sustained without a coherent andsupportive physical framework.

• We represent a broad-based citizenry, composed of publicand private sector leaders, community activists, andmultidisciplinary professionals. We are committed toreestablishing the relationship between the art ofbuilding and the making of community, through citizen-based participatory planning and design.

• We dedicate ourselves to reclaiming our homes, blocks,streets, parks, neighborhoods, districts, towns, cities,regions, and environment

4.) Principles of smart growth

• Mix land uses

• Take advantage of compact building design

• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices

• Create walkable neighborhoods

• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strongsense of place

• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, andcritical environmental areas

• Strengthen and direct development towards existingcommunities

• Provide a variety of transportation choices

• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and costeffective

• Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration indevelopment decisions

Fig.1. This diagram

represents the way suburban areas can create small-interconnected commercial areas and define neighborhood centers to encourage the pedestrians and walkability.

Fig.2. Yellow circles indicate a 5-minute walking radiusaround neighborhood centers. Everyone within thecommunity can have equitable access to their daily needswithout the need of an automobile.

After mentioning the principles of smart growthaccording to the new urban principles we can mention anumber of varieties in which we can see how this processtakes action.

5.) LEED for neighborhood development

It is a system that provides independent, third partyverification that a developments location and designmeet accepted high levels of environmentalresponsibilities and sustainability.The background of this system started in the congressfor new urbanism X (2002) in Florida. It encourages

condensed urban planning, mixed use of land and closedistances.

Well-planned developments protect open space andfarmland, revitalizes communities, keeps housingaffordable and provides more transportation choices.

5.1.) Ex. Ward Village – Hawaii

Located in the city of Honolulu this village will become thelargest LEED-ND platinum certified neighborhood in the U.S.A.and according to the directors of the Howard HughesCorporation, which is in charge of the project, what they arepursuing is to create “a dynamic, 21st-century urban masterplanned community celebrating the land’s rich history andcreating a vibrant, highly-livable, and authenticneighborhood that forms the soul of Honolulu.”

This neighborhood will include over 4000 residential unitsand over 300000 sqm of retail and commercial spaces.

This project is pre-certified and is meant to conclude itsinitial phase in 2016. To get this certification theyachieved high standard community-wide design strategies fromthe very early stages of the project such as: Pedestrianorientation and design; efficient land use in a locationserved by transit; water and energy efficiency; recycling andreuse of materials; indoor environmental quality; and parking

and transportation programs that include vehicle and bicyclesharing.” (Hill, 2013)

Fig.3. Fig.4.

Fig.5.

Fig.3. Shows an aerial view of Kaka’ako, the area where theWard Village will be constructed.

Fig.4. Master plan of the Ward Village certified withplatinum LEED-ND

Fig.5. Render of the commercial spaces of the WardVillage.

6.) Sprawl Retrofitting

It consists on a method of transforming existingsuburban developments into sustainable, moreurbanized locales.While lots of suburbs are getting old, “we tend tothink that suburbs should forever remain frozen asthey were originally made, it is time to make themgrow up”. (Dunham, 2010).

The increasing number of properties that are becomingvacant and underperforming create a big opportunitiesto retrofit them into more sustainable places

6.1.) Ex. Belmar shopping & dining district.

This is a picture of theVilla Italia Mall in themid 1980s. A 130000m2

enclosed regional centerwith a 42Ha open-airasphalt parking lot.

In 1999, incollaboration withContinuum Partners,plans were made to

demolish the old mall and replace it with the new Belmar, a325000m2 mixed-use, pedestrian friendly, “downtown district”,which would include in its program an open air mall, officespace, green areas, public art spaces and 1300 familyresidences, townhouses and loft-style condominiums.

22 new city blocks were added to the urban grid and now,Belmar has an income of $17 million annually which is more

than four times the income amount the old mall produced.

Fig.6. These diagrams show the adaptation from the old mallto the new 22 blocks connected to the urban grid.

Fig.7. & 8. An aerial picture of the former mall and a planview of the new development.

7.) Project for Transportation Reform

Stands for the revitalization of our communities'streets. The initiatives within the project call formulti-modal street designs that place the pedestrianback into the public realm, encourage greater safetyand public health, and advocate for the fundamentalsof street networks that enrich our sense of place.

7.1.) Ex. revitalizing buffalo´s waterfront

During the twentieth century, cities all over the world have built highways and elevated freeways crossing large segments of the cities, in order to create solution for traffic and connectivity. However, this highway building has created hugedivisions across the cities and caused a decimation of neighborhoods leading to a reduction of quality life. Citieslike new York , san Francisco , and Seoul have confronted this problems by replacing elevated highways with boulevards,saving large amounts of money and increasing real estate values on adjacent lands.

One example of this initiative is the project of revitalizingbuffalo´s waterfront in buffalo USA, which proposes several projects to revitalize the waterfront that extends through most of the city’s land, where whole neighborhoods and commercial districts could be built replacing highways with boulevards to create stronger connections to downtown and thecity’s existing neighborhoods. In the following figures (3.1and 3.2)are shown some diagrams of the initiative proposals.

Fig. 9. A network of streets and blocks expands access and connectivity to the outer harbor.

Fig.10. a street design option for buffalo´s boulevards including two parking lines,2 travel linesper side and pedestrian and bicycle lines.

8.) Child-Friendly Communities

It approaches to evaluate the impact of the builtenvironment on the social and physical health ofchildren and youth in cities. It promotes theinvolvement of the community, health and well beingthrough strategic interventions in the builtenvironment.Suzanne Lenard proposes some guidelines for reshapingurban environments to optimize children’s health andimprove their lives:

To provide children FREE RANGE in theirneighborhood and city, as appropriate to theirage;

To make certain that there are abundant placeswhere children can INTERACT WITH NATURE in avariety of ways;

Similarly, to make sure there are places wherechildren can INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY in avariety of ways and learn essential social andconceptual skills; and

To shape a BUILT ENVIRONMENT that stimulateschildren’s health and well being, mental andethical development.

8.1.) Ex. Joining together for Bendigo children (city of Bendigo, Australia).

It was the first Australian city to be recognized as a child friendly city by the United Nations International Children’s emergency Fund (UNICEF). It is an umbrella project to help the city become more child friendly. The initiative includes aspects like; children are equal citizen with same rights as adults, children are asked for ideas and opinions. Also includes programs such as: a community education program. A recognized children´s advocate. A cycling and walking strategy to improve pathways, signage, accessibility and connectivity. A Central Business District Plan that focuses on improving pedestrian access, slowing traffic, widening footpaths and reducing crime. A walking school bus strategy to improve children’s road safety skills, promote exercise, extend social networks and reduce environmental pollution. Onfig. 4 are shown other characteristics of the child friendly city of Bendigo.

Fig.11. This image shows some of theinitiative aspects.

9.) Health district

The Health district concerns the requirements forsafety efficiency and security. The health facilitieshave grown and often the walkability or the liabilityand the connection to these health facilities withthe surrounding neighborhood is deficient most of thetimes.

The Health Districts initiative aims to address theseissues:

Livable, walkable neighborhoods are a criticalcomponent of healthy neighborhoods and of HealthDistricts - districts that contain one or multiplehealth facilities

A team that includes representatives from federalagencies, architectural firms specializing in healthplanning, health systems, and schools ofarchitecture, this initiative will work to advanceurban design and planning criteria for HealthDistricts

9.1.) Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC)

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is dedicated to creatingand maintaining sustainable environments for the greatercommunity, as well as employees, patients, and visitors tothe Medical Campus. BNMC addresses issues of common concernto their member institutions and neighbors, such as publicsafety, way finding, and transportation. Among theinfrastructure projects currently under construction is thecreation of a linear park (Fig 13), which will provide a safeand walkable public space to be enjoyed by patients,visitors, students, neighbors, and employees.

Fig.12. Aerial picture of The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

complex

Fig.13. Lineal Park of The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

10.) Urban Growth’s relation with the five principles of the new urbanism.

Density: One of the Smart Growth objectives is toredensify either urban or suburban areas within thecity that have sprawl tendencies.This is made in order to maintain transportationchoices, lower traveling distances and offeringcommercial spaces near the public.

Design: Neighborhoods can be designed with severalSmart Growth techniques, in order to emphasize thepedestrian use, energy efficiency, land use, transit,compact building design and even orientation.

Diversity: New developments must be inclusive for thegeneral and diverse population, they must be mixused, child friendly and should have the capacity toinclude people from different socioeconomicbackgrounds in order to guarantee the democracy andpeaceful habitability of the society.

Connectivity: A city must be interconnected, and itshould offer not only one but several differentchoices for citizens to move from one place toanother, neighborhoods should have their owncommercial center, accessible for pedestrians andother forms of transportation and should be part ofthe bigger urban grid.

Social Engagement: People should be encouraged toparticipate in the design or evolution of theirfuture habitat, smart growth is an evolving tendencythat aims to create a new way of living, and thestakeholders of this developments should play anactive role in the decisions that inevitably affectthem.

11.) References.

Myers, D. (2013). Belmar: “Urbanizing” a Suburban Colorado Mall.Recovered from: http://urbanland.uli.org/development-business/belmar-urbanizing-a-suburban-colorado-mall/

Hill, J. (2013). “Ward Village Largest LEED-ND Platinum CertifiedNeighbourhood In The US”. Recovered from:http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/02/ward-village-largest-leed-nd-platinum-certified-neighbourhood-us/

Howard Hughes. (S.F.). Ward Village. Recovered from:http://www.howardhughes.com/properties/future-developments/ward-village.html

Duany, A. (S.F.). Aproach to planning and urban design. Recoveredfrom: http://www.dpz.com/Services/UrbanPlanning

CNU. (S.F.). Highways to Boulevards initiative. Recovered from:http://www.cnu.org/sites/files/CNUBuffaloWaterfrontSummary.pdf

Penrith City Council. (S.F.). “A child friendly city strategy”.Recovered from:http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/uploadedfiles/website/children/childfriendlystrategyreport.pdf

CNU. (2001). Charter of new urbanism. Recovered from:http://www.cnu.org/charter

SmartGrowthNetwork (S.F.). This is Smart Growth. Recoveredfrom:http://www.smartgrowth.org/pdf/this_is_smart_growth.pdf