Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Talen (2002) assesses how the physical design principles of new urbanism, as
stated in the Charter of New Urbanism (Congress for the New Urbanism, 2000),
relate to realizing the goals of community, social equity and the common good for
the new urbanism movement as a whole, rather than just in a few high-income
developments. There is a general agreement that good design can contribute to
residents' commitment or attachment to a place, foster localized social interaction,
and help nurture a sense of community. New urbanism expresses community
abstractly, referring generally to the promotion of social identity and civic bonds,
although Talen admits that good design can foster genuine sociologically informed
neighbourhood level interaction. New urbanist planning provides for pedestrian,
bicycle as well as motor vehicle access to physical resources and civic amenities,
thereby clearly contributing to social equity. As for the common good, this can be
interpreted as referring to the protection of the environment, historical buildings and
farmland, the provision of public transport, and the promotion of a place-based,
neighbourhood identity through the provision of spaces for public gathering.
Furthermore, new urbanism is committed to participatory design, making physical
improvements a public matter, building in a capacity to develop a community as
well as a series of buildings. New urbanism therefore recognizes that social and
environmental problems need to be dealt with together and has explicitly linked a
variety of social goals with optimum urban form.
In the UK, the Prince of Wales's new development of Poundbury in Dorset is
based on the principles of new urbanism, particularly regarding the emphasis on
traditional architecture, walkability, and 'car-unfriendly' and community values
(Hardy, 2006). The master plan was designed by Leon Krier and construction started
on the 400-acre site in 1993. Many of the commissioned architects are local and
many of the building materials, like the stone and slate, distinctive of the area. There
is a strong sense of heritage in many of the buildings' design, which has led some
critics to perceive the Poundbury vision as somewhat kitsch. Nonetheless, new
houses have been built to the EcoHomes 'excellent' standard (the highest rating)
with 20 per cent domestic properties designated for affordable housing. By October
2006, 1,250 people were living and 750 working in Poundbury. In 2011, West
Dorset District Council approved plans for a further 1,200 homes, with an agreement
that 35 per cent would be 'affordable', as well as a new primary school and the
likelihood of more jobs being created by businesses located in the town.
Ezio Manzini and the sustainable everyday
For the Italian designer Ezio Manzini (Manzini and Jegou, 2003; Manzini, 2004
and 2005), everyday urban living is influenced by population density, technical
functions and networks (water, transport, energy, waste), the quality of the built
environment, human social connectivity and interaction, and the quality of localized
services. In addition, the size and role of the family or household, social expectations
regarding human social welfare, opportunities for democratic participation, and the
distribution of wealth and knowledge are other more social influences. Cities are
complex places, and so is the experience of living in them. Frequently, what adversely
affects urban dwellers' lived experience may have no obvious or direct cause; if it
does, that cause has its origins in opaque and distant decision-making, or vaguely
