Green Cities, Garden CitiesGreen Cities, Garden CitiesA new paradigm for healthy, livable communities

Quality of life

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BuBut this is the key: how much we drivet this is the key: how much we drive

0 20 40 60 80 100 120Household Density

Veh

icle

Mile

s/ H

ouse

hold

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25.000

30,000

Annual Vehicle Miles/Household vs Household Density

The issue that most affects other issues is land use.The issue that most affects other issues is land use.

Nothing impacts land use like transportation infrastructure.

Nothing impacts land use like transportation infrastructure.

Roads tend to produce land-consuming development

Transit tends to produce land-conserving development

Roads tend to produce land-consuming development

Transit tends to produce land-conserving development

“Activity intensity” = jobs + residents/acre

“Urban Design to Reduce Automobile Dependence,” by Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy

Intensity below 14 people/acre begins rapid acceleration of car dependency

Curve flips for driving

“Urban Design to Reduce Automobile Dependence,” by Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy

“Commuting in America,”Transportation Research Board

car dependency begins to decrease, transit use increase at about 4 people/acre

car dependency begins to decrease, transit use increase at about 4 people/acre

Sharp changes occur around 11/acre, 23/acre

Sharp changes occur around 11/acre, 23/acre

Transit usage

Private vehicles

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The trick is to use as little land as possible for development.

Compact development

The trick is to use as little land as possible for development.

Compact development

Central goal:Reduce distances

humans have to travel to gain access to goods, services, and each other.

Central goal:Reduce distances

humans have to travel to gain access to goods, services, and each other.

Hottest Topic on Earth270,000 references on Google

The European Union plans a future in which

regions with multiple centers

organize into collaborative

economic clusters that form

sustainable networks of access,

mobility, and green infrastructure.

The European EcoCityPolycentric region, polycentric cities

SOURCE: United Nations SecretariatWorld Urbanization Prospects:

EcocitiesEcocitiesMinimize impairment of environment and human health

Randstad, Netherlands

The concept:multiple centers organized

into collaborative economic

clusters that form

sustainable networks of

access, mobility, and green

infrastructure

The concept:multiple centers organized

into collaborative economic

clusters that form

sustainable networks of

access, mobility, and green

infrastructure

Leon Krier

By Ebenezer Howard1898

Center to edge: 3/4 mileFifth Avenue:1.6 milesGrand Avenue:3.3 milesRailroad5 miles

3/4 mile3/4 mile

GULF COAST INSTITUTE DAVID CROSSLEY

GULF COAST INSTITUTE DAVID CROSSLEY

GULF COAST INSTITUTE DAVID CROSSLEY

Bailly Romainvilliers, France, 3,500 people, 2.4 sq mi

Bailly Romainvilliers, France, 3,500 people, 2.4 sq mi

Villeneuve de comte, FranceVilleneuve de comte, France

Pontcarre, France, 2,000 people

Isopolitan cities: Concept

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Pedestrian network

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Bicycle network

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Transit network

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Private vehicle network

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Industry

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Population density

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Green belt/forest

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Open space

Source: Dirk Bolt

Isopolitan cities: Canberra Center

Source: Dirk Bolt

“Houston was designed around

the car.”

“Houston was designed around

the car.”

Houston began as a smart growth port.Houston began as a smart growth port.

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With great urban designWith great urban design

Grew this way for more than 100 yearsGrew this way for more than 100 years

1927 Until the 1940s, Houston was transit-oriented

Until the 1940s, Houston was transit-oriented

But in 1942, the story was about to change…

1927 VMT is lower in old transit neighborhoods

VMT is lower in old transit neighborhoods

2012

2012

123

4

5

HoustonIs polycentricHoustonIs polycentric

6

Central Business District

Town Center

Railway

Local Center

Transit Cities

Bus or LRT route

Livable Centers:Livable Centers:A Strategy for Regional MobilityA Strategy for Regional Mobility

Smart Growth Initiative January 23, 2008January 23, 2008

Types of Centers

Neighborhood Center (82)

Town Center (23)

Regional Center (3)

Urban Core (1)

Types of Centers: Neighborhood Center

Neighborhood Center

Area: 207 acres ( ~ 20 blocks)

Grid Cell: 3 x 3

Time to walk from center to side: 6 min

Population + jobs range: 3,000 – 10,000

Museum District

Number Currently in Region: 82

Min activity intensity: 14.5 pop + jobs/acre

Measuring Impacts

Single-Occupancy Vehicle (SOV)Trip Reduction:

10%

10% =

100 Neighborhood Centers

OR

32 Town Centers

OR

7 Regional Centers

OR

4 Urban Cores

10% =

15 Neighborhood Centers

AND

10 Town Centers

AND

4 Regional Centers

Trip Changes

Changes in Trips by Mode with Centers (in trips/day)

SOV

Transit

Walk/Bike

-1250000

-1000000

-750000

-500000

-250000

0

250000

500000

750000

1000000

VMT Reductions

Total Daily VMT (in Millions)

Current

Centers

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

10.35% Reduction

Emissions ReductionsEmmissions Reduced (in Tons/Day)

VOC

NOx

0

5

10

15

20

9% reduction in VOC and 9.5% reduction in NOx

1:30

“this may be the first generation of Americans to live less long than their parents.”

Dr. Robert N. Butler, International Longevity Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

“this may be the first generation of Americans to live less long than their parents.”

Dr. Robert N. Butler, International Longevity Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

“Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness…. Long-standing studies show a relationship between the absence, or inaccessibility, of parks and op sp e with i h cri e rates depression, and other urban m ad es ”Dr. Robert N. Butler, International Longevity Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

“Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness…. Long-standing studies show a relationship between the absence, or inaccessibility, of parks and open space with high crime rates, depression, and other urban maladies.”Dr. Robert N. Butler, International Longevity Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

“There is a sense that cities are and ought to be places where nature occurs.”

Timothy Beasley, “Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities”

“There is a sense that cities are and ought to be places where nature occurs.”

Timothy Beasley, “Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities”

Sustainable corridorbuilding blocks of a sustainable region

Sustainable neighborhoodbuilding blocks of a sustainable corridor

Massive loss of greenspace,including prairie, forest, marshland,

riparian, and agricultural land.

“Fingers of nature”in every neighborhood

Green Cities, Garden CitiesGreen Cities, Garden CitiesA new paradigm for healthy, livable communities