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Suburban Nation
The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream
Presented by Jessica Morton, Joe Dumais, and Katie Hooker
Written by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck
Authors’ Information
Duany and Plater-Zyberk work at a firm designing community-based neighborhoods.
Speck works with them as the director of town planning
Plater-Zyberk works as the Dean
of the School of Architecture at
the University of Miami.
Sprawl Investigation
What is sprawl? Where does it come from and what are the
ramifications?
Why should we care about sprawl? What problems does it pose and what are the
health risks?
What can we do about sprawl? What are the alternatives to sprawl and how
can we change our neighborhoods?
Introduction Faulty, outdated procedure has economic and
quality of life impacts. Suburban sprawl is a symptom of this faulty system; the answer is a return to traditional neighborhood models.
“The deck [is] already stacked against healthy growth by municipal regulations and engineering conventions.” (101)
These conclusions are made with the understanding that:
1. Growth cannot be stopped2. Profit-motive is not the problem with
development3. Most issues are inter-related
What is Sprawl?
Photo obtained from Jstor.
Defining Sprawl
Origins
Components
Consequences
Defining Sprawl Sprawl - To be distributed in an awkward or
uneven manner, esp. as to take up more space than is necessary.
Suburban Sprawl – Unchecked, uncoordinated, haphazard growth outward, esp. resulting from real estate development on the outskirts of a city. The spreading of urban development into areas adjoining the edge of a city.
Obtained on Google images
The Origins of Sprawl The popularity of the automobile Policies of such programs as the Federal Housing
Administration and the Veterans Administration “As long as zoning codes favor low-density development over
the creation of compact communities, developers will not be able to shake their reputation as land rapists, as they turn farm after farm into cookie-cutter sprawl.” (100)
“Even more culpable in this scenario are those surprisingly powerful advisors to the development industry, the market experts.” (101)
Photo obtained from Google.
Levittown, the original subdivision
Sprawl Planning Decisions: Creating the Components of Sprawl
Low-density land useSingle-use zoningFast food chains, built at sites of future
developmentFocus on highway and parking
infrastructure over public spaces
The Components of Sprawl
Housing subdivisions Shopping centers Business parks Civic institutions Roadways
All photos were obtained from Google.
Consequences of Sprawl
Car-dependent communitiesIncreased fossil fuel reliance and pollutionTraffic congestion and increased traffic
fatalitiesDecline in social capitalClass segregation in residential areas
(housing types grouped together, like with like, McMansion with McMansion)
Increased likelihood of obesity and crime
Suburban Sprawl Unmasked
“Subdivisions can be identified as such by their contrived names, which tend towards the romantic – Pheasant Mill Crossing – and often pay tribute to the natural or historic resource they have displaced.” (5)
“The contemporary office park is usually made of boxes in parking lots. Still imagined as a pastoral workplace isolated in nature…in practice it is more likely to be surrounded by highways than by countryside.” (6)
If it has…
A centerA five-minute walkA street networkNarrow, versatile streetsMixed-use zoningSpecial building sites (example: areas for
a farmers market)
…then it’s not sprawl
Sprawl Models
Sprawl Resistant: Traditional Neighborhood Model
www.dpz.com
Photos obtained from Google
*Activity*
Here’s your neighborhood problem: traffic congestion
Tools you can use to combat it: design, policy, or management
An example: You can choose to solve the problem of crime by using design – eliminating potential hiding places and using beautiful and durable materials to display high standards of civic care; by using policy – having zoning regulations require entries and windows to face public spaces; or by using management – having the local cops get to know residents and develop a relationship with the community
Problems of Urban Sprawl
ZoningIsolation and SegregationReliance on Cars and the Traffic ProblemLack of communityResources inefficiencyLoss of talent/jobs/resources for cities
The Problem with Zoning
Tends to make more efficient mixed land use illegal.
Separates everything from everything else.
Promotes auto-travel reliant society.Creates segregated blocks of space rather
than communities.
Isolation and Segregation
Creates isolated blocks of space rather than integrated communities
Segregates residents by separating housing types
Creates a “Move out to move up” lifestyle
Isolation and Segregation
Leads to Fragile NeighborhoodsEnforces sameness and encourages
discrimination and intolerance.
All photos were obtained from Google.
Reliance on Cars and the Traffic Problem
Creates an area entirely dependent on cars for travel
Because of this dependence, design focuses on unimpeded auto travel.
While good for cars, this is detrimental to other forms of travel such as walking or biking
Pedestrian danger increases as well as drivers feel safer speeding and driving carelessly
Reliance on Cars and the Traffic Problem
The Auto-reliant system requires massive road construction
As more roads are constructed, more people take advantage of them producing induced traffic congestion
Traffic congestion motivates construction of more new roads, which in turn induce more traffic
The Lack of Community in the Sprawl
The highly segregated car dependent system requires people to spend much of their time driving
Instead of interacting meaningfully with others, people spend most of their time competing with them for road access
The Lack of Community in the Sprawl
Remaining time not spent driving is spent confined in the cookie cutter housing cluster
With nothing to differentiate any given suburban sprawl area from another, a sense of unique place fails to develop
Without a sense of place or opportunities to meaningfully interact with each other, communities fail to form and people are left in a void
Resource Inefficiency
New Suburban sprawl areas require massive amounts of resource expenditure to create.
The isolated and auto-reliant setup waste huge amounts of time and energy in transit
Huge amounts of resources are also expended on maintaining and expanding roadways
What the Cities Lose
Suburbs are perceived as better places to live, thus those who can leave the cities do so
Businesses leave along with the people The poor who are unable to leave are left
behind in an economically weakening area This leaves cities with a shrinking resource
base with which to try and deal with increasing problems
What the Cities Lose
This in turn further motivates people to leave, which further worsens the situation, creating a vicious cycle
All photos were obtained from Google.
The Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) Model
Model Exceptions:
Old communities No population growth Where city infill is
possible When it will promote:
Unnecessary automobile use
Unnecessary greenfield development
The Duany, Plater-Zyberk, and Speck Plan
1. Mixed-use development
2. Connectivity
3. Discipline of the neighborhood
4. Making transit work
www.Google.com/images
Mixed-Use Development
1. Residence
2. Shopping center
3. Workplace
4. Civic buildings
Connectivity
Neighborhoods should meet
Avoid collector roads
Highways should skirt towns
Discipline of the Neighborhood
Pedestrian Shed “the five minute walk”
Use natural features Zone buildings by size “Pocket parks” Culture to nature Urban to rural
Rural preserve Suburban General urban
Urban center
Urbancore
Making Transit Work
1. Frequent and predictable
2. Direct, logical route
3. Safe and dignified stops
www.tfhrc.gov
The Specifics of the TND Plan
1. The Streets
2. The Buildings
3. The Parking
4. The Style
The Streets
Residential street Yield streets
Travel lanes 10 ft. Parking lanes 7 ft.
Westhaven
Katrina Cottage
The Buildings Houses close to
street Encourage sociability Retail without
setbacks Taller is better
Parking and Style
Mixed-use parking
“If every building were to croon at once, nothing could be discerned from the cacophony” (211).
*Activity* ~ let’s try it again Here’s your neighborhood problem:
traffic congestion
Tools you can use to combat it: design, policy, or management. Use the knowledge we’ve given you; try utilizing a different tool this time.
An example: You can choose to combat the problem of crime by using design – eliminating potential hiding places and using beautiful and durable materials to display high standards of civic care; by using policy – having zoning regulations require entries and windows to face public spaces; or by using management – having the local cops get to know residents and develop a relationship with the community
Government
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOV Agenda setting Rewrite regulations TND ordinance Be proactive Think Globally Public participation Set an example
REGIONAL GOV Create strong regional
governments Create detailed plans Create physical plans
Government cont.
STATE GOV “Tough love” programs Affordable housing Educational goals
FEDERAL GOV Public transportation Tax policies Federal incentives Equal education
resource distribution Coordinate policies Public support for
Private initiatives
Conclusion
A faulty, misguided system gives birth to suburban sprawl, which needs to be replaced by healthy, traditional neighborhood models.
Batavia, Illinois Appleton, Wisconsin Portland, Oregon
Discussion:
1. Of your solutions to the traffic congestion problem, which would be most effective? Why?
2. How realistic is the TND model?
3. How do the authors’ professions affect your opinion of their solution?