Ecological Planning Method - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 244

TABLE 13.4
Awahnee Principles

Preamble:
Existing patterns of urban and suburban development seriously impair our quality of life. The symptoms are
more congestion and air pollution resulting from our increased dependence on automobiles, the loss of
precious open space, the need for costly improvements to roads and public services, the inequitable
distribution of economic resources, and the loss of a sense of community. By drawing upon the best from the
past and the present, we can plan communities that will more successfully serve the needs of those who live
and work within them. Such planning should adhere to certain fundamental principles.
Community Principles:
1. All planning should be in the form of complete and integrated communities containing housing, shops,
work places, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily life of the residents.
2. Community size should be designed so that housing, jobs, daily needs, and other activities are within easy
walking distance of each other.
3. As many activities as possible should be located within easy walking distance of transit stops.
4. A community should contain a diversity of housing types to enable citizens from a wide range of economic
levels and age groups to live within its boundaries.
5. Businesses within the community should provide a range of job types for the community's residents.
6. The location and character of the community should be consistent with a larger transit network.
7. The community should have a center focus that combines commercial, civic, cultural, and recreational uses.
8. The community should contain an ample supply of specialized open space in the form of squares, greens, and
parks whose frequent use is encouraged through placement and design.
9. Public spaces should be designed to encourage the attention and presence of people at all hours of the day
and night.
10. Each community or cluster of communities should have a well-defined edge, such as agricultural greenbelts
or wildlife corridors, permanently protected from development.
11. Streets, pedestrian paths, and bike paths should contribute to a system of fully-connected and interesting
routes to all destinations. Their design should encourage pedestrian and bicycle use by being small and
spatially defined by buildings, trees and lighting and by discouraging high-speed traffic.
Regional Principles:
1. The regional structure should be integrated within a larger transportation network built around transit rather
than freeways.
2. Regions should be bounded by and provide a continuous system of greenbelt/wildlife corridors to be
determined by natural conditions.
3. Regional institutions and services (government, stadiums, museums, etc.) should be located within the urban
core.
Implementation Strategies:
1. The general plan should be updated to incorporate the above principles.
2. Rather than allowing for developer-initiated, piecemeal development, a local government should initiate
the planning of new and changing communities within its jurisdiction through an open planning process.
3. Prior to any development, a specific plan should be used to define communities where new growth, infill,
or redevelopment would be allowed to occur. With the adoption of specific plans, complying projects can
proceed with minimal delay.
4. Plans should be developed through an open process and in the process should be provided illustrated
models of the proposed design.

Source: Calthorpe, P. et al., The Ahwahnee principles, in Creating Sustainable Places Symposium , A.B. Morris, ed.,

Herberger Center for Design Excellence, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, pp. 3-6, 1998.