Duany on the Next 30 Years

USA Today recently ran a piece on Andres Duany, City Living Will Be Like a Blast From the Past, where he dishes out his thoughts on what America can expect in the next 30 years.  There are some provocative thoughts in the article.  Here's one of them:

Despite urbanization, the old suburbia will endure. Duany estimates that at least 40% of homebuyers will favor big houses on big lots with a few cars.

"I had someone ask me, 'Why would I want to know my neighbor?'" Duany marvels. "Someone else said, 'No drive-thrus? Have you ever unstrapped a kid out of a car seat?'"

But as much they might like conventional suburbia, many people will not be able to afford it. So they'll try New Urbanism, Duany says, and they'll like it -- shorter commutes, more vital street life, less money wasted on gas and home heating and cooling.

"You have to work hard to support a conventional suburban lifestyle," he says. "People will be pleased by how much they'll be able to ease off."

They also asked him for insight on the five trends he sees in the next 30 years.  Here's what we can look forward to accroding to Duany.

1. Urban Retrofit for Suburbia
2. Gardner on the Roof
3. Government Goes Hyper-Local
4. Buildings that Look Cool and Safe
5. Mormon Settlers as Models

Check out the article if those predictions intrigue you.

City Hall Square - DPZ Concept

We saved the most innovative of the DPZ proposals for last.  Now, to be up front and honest with everyone, it is my second favorite of the three proposals.  The New Canton Street proposal is actually my favorite but this one is a close second.

This proposal creates a true civic square that functions as the heart of the city anchored by all of the traditional institutions of government and culture. It would slow traffic down but still allow it to flow. Remember that 30 mph is the ideal speed for traffic volumes. This design could maintain that. The proposal would create an incredible location for the new Walk of Valor memorial. Additionally, it would provide a home to the new Fulton County library that is being considered and a new courthouse for the city. The Arts Center would anchor Canton Street and create an amazing cultural amenity that all could see. This is a signature project for Roswell. It could transform the face of our city.

Now, if your concerned with what to do with the old library and the performing arts center, I have a great idea. It could serve as an incredible foundation for a Roswell Charter School campus that would give our city center the school it is lacking. I feel there are better locations that are more central to the neighborhood (Oak St & 9 Intersection) but this would be a real opportunity that could happen in tandem with the City Hall Square. Check out the presentation below to see the vision unfold.

All images courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

Could We Use a Traffic Garden?

I thought this video was really interesting and wondered if something like the traffic garden in the clip could work here in the US. The Netherlands has done an incredible job reducing the death rates on its roads over the past 50 years and I can't help but think that it's ideas like this that help make a difference.

I also thought it was interesting that the speaker used the term 'traffic exam' instead of driving exam when he was referring to the test his daughter had to take before getting on the road. It's definitely a different way of thinking.

Actually Implement the. DPZ Master Plan

This is the second post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell.  None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to.  Please enjoy and have a happy holidays! 

We all know what happens with master plans… The community gets excited, people participate and get excited about the future of their community. Then, once the planners are gone, the draft just sits on a shelf and collects dust. This isn’t exactly the case but due to the fact that development and changes in land use patterns move at glacial speed, the community feels that nothing is happening.

What we need to do is actually commit to investing in the infrastructure upgrades that are outlined in our new master plan. Then create incentive and reward systems that will spur the development that we are looking for. Additionally, people need to lose their fear of ‘density’ but that’s a side conversation that I’ll reserve for another day.

My point is that too many master plans end up being dreams instead of actually being implemented. So, the second item on my Christmas wish would be to actually implement the hypothetical DPZ master plan on an accelerated schedule.

A DPZ Master Plan for Roswell

This is the first post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell. None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to. Please enjoy and have a happy holidays!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the Imagine Roswell 2030 process. I think as many of us as possible should participate and I think we will get a decent master plan out of it. However, we need a company that specializes in new urbanist and smart growth planning to come in and organize a master plan that will give us the tools to grow into a truly sustainable community over the next 20 years and beyond. We need to further invest in our city center, reduce the amount of placeless sprawl, create more diverse communities, restructure our land-use policies to be more efficient and continue to embrace our built heritage. The company that the city is currently working with , POND|ECOS, has experience in the Atlanta area and are doing some interesting projects that are environmentally progressive. I’m optimistic but the jury is still out.

Now, when you look at DPZ (Duany Plater-Zyperk), they are simply the best in the game (although their website could use a little work). The company was founded by husband and wife partners Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, pioneers of New Urbanism and Smart growth. Sure other companies come close but none have the New Urbanist and Smart Growth street cred that DPZ has. If you are not familiar with DPZ, they have authored more New Urbanist plans than any other company and they essentially created the Smart Code and they designed Seaside. Need I say more? The ideas and logic that they could bring to the table for improving Roswell would be incredible.

Compare POND|ECOS to DPZ, and there is no contest. DPZ is a firm that has done plans and/or codes for cities like Miami, Baton Rouge, Fort Meyers, Naples, Downtown LA, Sarasota, West Palm Beach… you get the drift. Now, I’m not saying that POND|ECOS can’t get the job done but if we truly want to differentiate ourselves from the rest of North Fulton, we should be looking in another direction for our planning. If we don’t we’ll end up just like the rest of the suburban cities in and around Atlanta.

Now, don’t take this as a railing of POND|ECOS because it’s not. It’s my personal wish for the best there is to offer for Roswell.

Now here’s my take on the pros and cons:

Pros

• Experience – DPZ planners come with unparalleled experience Place Making - Exceptional plans that accomplish the ultimate goal of place making

Cons

• Price – I’m sure DPZ is crazy expensive