New Urbanisms: From Neo-Traditional Neighbourhoods to New Regionalism - Theme Cities: Solutions for Urban Problems - page 36

Prince of Wales 1989 ). His views were themselves very much influenced by Krier
( 1998 ), who advocated a remedy for the modern city by a return to pre-industrial
urban forms, the abolishment of zoning, and the development of urban quarters
(Audirac and Shermyen 1994 ). Certainly the Prince was instrumental in advanc-
ing public awareness of the need for changes in ideas around city-building and
has implemented many of the ideas in the new development of Poundbury out-
side Dorchester in Southern England. Poundbury, developed through the Prince of
Wales's Duchy of Cornwall estate, was started in 1987 as an urban extension to
the small historic county town of Dorchester (Dorset, England) and designed by
Leon Krier. So far 1400 houses have been built, with another 1000 planned, the
whole development being two-thirds privately owned and the remainder rented via
housing associations to create a social mix. In some ways it is far sighted, using en-
ergy efficient measures with condensing boilers, ground heat recovery systems and
photovoltaic tiles, an electric local bus system and using designated spaces at the
rear of the houses to avoid street parking, with main traffic thoroughfares to ensure
local streets are pedestrian friendly. But its designs, mainly in tree-lined streets or
crescents and housing styles, are mainly varieties of Georgian and Victorian forms,
which, although providing a distinctive sense of place, hark back to older ideas.
Two problems that have emerged relate to house prices and employment patterns.
The cost of an average terraced house is a third higher than equivalent sized units in
nearby Dorchester, which reduces the opportunity for young couples, and although
there is a range of larger housing units their prices mean they can only appeal to
mature and higher income groups. In addition, many of the inhabitants commute to
nearby towns rather than working in the adjoining industrial estate. This means that
employment self-containment is limited, a feature reinforced by the fact that many
of the shop units scattered throughout the area have not attracted much attention
from retailers. There is no doubt this is a stylish area, if one appreciates Georgian
ideas, and there is a sense of both community and place. So although it is an ad-
vance from the typical monotonous low density suburban extensions, it does seem
to appeal mainly to higher income and mature groups, despite the mix of housing
types within the streets.

2.5.4 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

This is the fourth variety of ideas stimulated by NU, and draws heavily on the work
of Calthorpe ( 1993 , 1994 ), Van der Ryn and Calthorpe ( 1986 ) and Kelbaugh ( 1989 ).
While also concerned with developing mixed-use neighbourhoods and compact ur-
ban forms, the TOD approach focuses on development around mass transit stations,
to reduce automobile use. Hence it is very much concerned with ideas of envi-
ronmental responsibility and sustainable urban development—particularly as they
pertain to transportation infrastructure, costs, and behaviour. Calthorpe ( 1993 ) has
identified the key features of TOD, which are summarized in Table 2.4 .
Like SG, the TOD approach also generally acknowledges that growth is inevi-
table, but can be better planned for. TOD seeks future growth without sprawl, or at