Sprawl Retrofit

CNU 21: Living Community Registration Now Open

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:52:48 -0600

Registration for CNU 21: Living Community is now OPEN. Take advantage of our Early Bird rates by signing up before April 24th, 2013.

CNU 21 Living Community will be held in gorgeous downtown Salt Lake City , May 29 - June 1, 2013. Living Community balances the demands of physical, social, economic, and environmental values by connecting people to place and awakening in us a stewardship for our land and each other.

Stewardship is tangible. It is measured by how well we care for the people around us, the places we make and the land that hosts us. This year’s Congress will delve into these issues, contemplate the role of cities within nature and place within cities.

Join Plenary Speakers Richard Louv, Sarah Susanka, Chuck Marohn, Andres Duany, and many, many more at CNU 21. Register today!

Wanted: Artwork for CNU Charter Book

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:17:36 -0500

Want to get published in the new CNU Charter Book (McGraw-Hill, 2013)?

Give us your best shot! (or drawing, illustration, rendering, etc).

Please include a short caption: what principle does your photo/illustration show?

Email to: Emily Talen, CNU Charter Book editor, etalen@gmail.com

Deadline: November 1, 2012

Resolution: at least 300 dpi at target size

Black and white only (you can submit color, but they will be converted to B&W). Please only submit your own material or material for which you have (or can easily obtain) the copyright.

Thank you!

"While the big-box retail model is far from dead, stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Cabela’s are..."

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:26:24 -0500

“While the big-box retail model is far from dead, stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Cabela’s are realizing that the enormous, one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for all shoppers—nor all locations.”

- Walmart, Target, Best Buy & Other Big Box Retailers Embrace Sales on Smaller Scale | Moneyland | TIME.com

““Put things closer together, the services cost less. Put things farther from each...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:10:24 -0500

““Put things closer together, the services cost less. Put things farther from each other, the services cost more for the jurisdiction and its taxpayers. But in the case of many American towns and cities, we haven’t always planned and built in this fiscally conservative way – and that’s one of the biggest reasons why cities are struggling today.”“

“The cost of America’s inefficient sprawl” - CNN

“It’s another example of how the isolated, splendidly landscaped corporate base in the suburbs...

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:13:00 -0500

“It’s another example of how the isolated, splendidly landscaped corporate base in the suburbs has fallen out of favor. Motorola Mobility joins many other companies moving some or all of their work forces from outlying areas to what used to be called, with negative implications, the ‘inner city.’”

- “Nobody home at suburban office parks” - Chicago Sun-Times

"Most large American cities are growing faster than their suburbs for the first time in almost a..."

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:32:26 -0500

“Most large American cities are growing faster than their suburbs for the first time in almost a century, according to a Brookings Institution analysis of census results released last month, largely because young adults are choosing urban apartment life. That population shift, along with Internet competition, have made the car-focused, big-box model less relevant.”

- Retailers Expand into Cities by Opening Smaller Stores - NYTimes.com

"You’ve got to get a mix of uses, but the connectivity is probably even more important,”..."

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:17:34 -0500

““You’ve got to get a mix of uses, but the connectivity is probably even more important,” Dunham-Jones says. “The uses will come and go over time, but if you can establish a walkable network of streets, that’s when you’re really going to establish a ripple effect in changing suburban patterns.””

- The Shopping Mall Turns 60 (and Prepares to Retire) - Arts & Lifestyle - The Atlantic Cities

Cupertino & Apple 2030 // 3D Urban Architecture Showreel (by...

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:38:02 -0500

Cupertino & Apple 2030 // 3D Urban Architecture Showreel (by A l)

Cupertino & Apple 2030

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:37:19 -0500

Cupertino & Apple 2030:

“The project prepared by Shay Levanon and Amir Levanon for the corporate office of Apple in Cupertino is a very impressive piece of work. The approach is at such a comprehensive level, that it is hard to believe that Mr. Shay and Mr. Amir are students in the bachelor program of architecture. Congratulations to both of them, as well as their teacher, Professor Hillel Schocken. Even without comparing this project to the very suburban and over- scaled proposal for Cupertino by Foster + Partners, one can easily observe the excellent qualities of this project. It is a rational and common-sense response to a real challenge - how to incorporate an office campus of a world famous company within the context of a sprawling suburb. As I have argued before, the Foster plan missed an opportunity to correct past mistakes in the way the region grew, and to infuse sprawling Cupertino with a piece of real urbanism. Shay and Amir’s project is doing exactly this: it creates simple and predictable urban fabric, but which is a decent, walkable human environment, instead of a spaceship isolated and disconnected from its surrounding. I was very impressed by the special care and attention given to every step of the analysis, research and design process. Closely following the principles of the New Urbanism for creating walkable, connected and complete communities, the step-by-step methodology of the Sprawl Repair Manual, and the regulatory framework of the SmartCode, Shay and Amir showed deep understanding of the philosophy and technique of good place-making. In addition, they came up with many creative ideas of how Apple can become a real positive force in the community of Cupertino, not only through excellent urbanism but also through innovative funding, branding and implementation.” - Galina Tahchieva

"Safe, walkable neighborhoods are not just an amenity, they’re a matter of life or death. They..."

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:30:32 -0500

“Safe, walkable neighborhoods are not just an amenity, they’re a matter of life or death. They create environments where we can live active, engaged lives. And more walking brings more social interaction, more time outdoors, more recreation, more smiles and more “life” in every sense.”

- The Grave Health Risks of Unwalkable Communities - Design - The Atlantic Cities

"But according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ annual State of the Nation’s Housing..."

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:08:27 -0500

“But according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ annual State of the Nation’s Housing report, released Thursday, sprawl is poised to make a comeback. According to Census data examined by JCHS, the household growth in the 2000s was mostly concentrated outside of cities – city cores only accounted for 21% of growth, compared with 38% in the suburbs and 41% in the exurbs. This was largely driven by prices, a trend that is likely to continue. The current pause in exurban housing development has more to do with cooling demand caused by the downturn than with a major change in lifestyle choices, the Harvard center says.”

- What’s Next For Housing? More Sprawl - Developments - WSJ

"Complete the neighborhood.” Galina Tachieva, author of Sprawl Repair Manual and a partner with..."

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:35:17 -0500

““Complete the neighborhood.” Galina Tachieva, author of Sprawl Repair Manual and a partner with the architecture firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, which is steeped in the principles of new urbanism, spoke to U.S. News from Utah, where she was attending a workshop to convert a mall into a town center to achieve that desirable mixed-use, accessible environment. That’s one approach to revamping where you live. But Tachieva also recommends small-scale solutions to “complete the neighborhood.” For example, she suggests a cul-de-sac makeover—turn it into a “neighborhood center” with a post office, restaurant, hair salon, and recycling center, where artisans could create crafts and profit. This hub could also host residences for seniors to age in place.”

- Can ‘New Urbanism’ Bring Health to Your Neighborhood? - US News and World Report

Sprawl Retrofit Open Source at CNU 20. If you want to get more...

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:53 -0500

Sprawl Retrofit Open Source at CNU 20. If you want to get more involved with Sprawl Retrofit, join the Retrofit-Repair listserv. Email a blank message to Retrofit-Repair-subscribe@dpz.com to subscribe.

Initiative members meet for lunch and Open Source sessions to...

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:18 -0500

Initiative members meet for lunch and Open Source sessions to develop Sprawl Retrofit toolkits.

"Initially a marvel of modern urban design and construction, the roughly U-shaped plaza and its..."

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:21:00 -0500

“Initially a marvel of modern urban design and construction, the roughly U-shaped plaza and its parking lot soon took on some rather odd characteristics that left adults scratching their heads and kids having a field day giving shopping carts a strong push and see which way they’d go.”

- Downtown Nashua shopping plaza coming up on half-century - NashuaTelegraph.com

Sprawl Retrofit at CNU 20

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:01:44 -0500

CNU’s initiatives advance bipartisan reforms that deliver market-based improvements to the economy, the environment and public health. Initiatives work to remove codes, standards, and financial and tax incentives that act as obstacles to the creation of vibrant, healthy, value-driven and better-performing live/work/walk districts.

Initiatives are member-led, so CNU members can share expertise and shape new ideas. At CNU 20, there are several ways to get connected with current CNU initiatives, such as Sprawl Retrofit:

Sprawl Retrofit

202 C Sprawl Retrofit: Wednesday, May 9, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Meeting Room 1 E
Salon: Friday, May 11, 2012, 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Initiative Meeting: Sat., May 12, 12:30 PM, Ballroom A
Discussion leaders include: Ellen Dunham Jones, Galina Tahchieva, Michael Mehaffy, Karja Hansen, Rob Sharp, and John Anderson.

“Brain trust break out meeting at recent Sprawl Retrofit...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:03:19 -0500

“Brain trust break out meeting at recent Sprawl Retrofit Initiative.” - Robert Sharp.

Call for a CNU 20 Speed Presentation Competition!!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:10:00 -0500

The Sprawl Retrofit Initiative invites the public to participate in a video competition for the best speed presentation of a sprawl retrofit project. The presentation must discuss a project that has never been presented at a Congress (view previous Congress topics here). To enter your presentation, send a link to a short 6-minute YouTube video to Caitlin Ghoshal at cghoshal@cnu.org by the end of business day April 27, 2012.

The Sprawl Retrofit Initiative leadership will select four winners to present at CNU 20 in West Palm Beach. Winners will give their speed presentation at the Sprawl Retrofit Lunch on May 12, 12:30 PM in Ballroom A.

In addition, any Congress attendees interested in the Sprawl Retrofit Initiative will get together for the remaining time during the lunch, or for longer if desired, and review our progress since the Sprawl Retrofit Retreat in Miami.

* Winners are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and registration for the Congress. All entrants must follow the above instructions to qualify. *

The Disappearing Shopping Mall by Dan Malouff

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:00:40 -0500

The Disappearing Shopping Mall by Dan Malouff

Sprawl Retrofit Retreat March 29-30, Miami

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:55:04 -0500

Below is a “short” account of our Sprawl Retrofit Retreat, which took place last week, March 29-30, in Miami. The group included the list from the agenda I sent you last week but we also had a dozen or so people who participated remotely. In spite of the imperfect technology some of them presented and some were active in the subsequent discussions and break-up sessions.

You will be happy to learn that the event was a success. Our group worked very hard these two days and came up with a solid strategic plan how to move the Sprawl Retrofit Initiative forward.

Of course we created tons of work for ourselves, which now we need to complete but the level of enthusiasm for the initiative and its importance was so high that I am sure we will have substantial results to share with you at the CNU in West Palm Beach, if not before.

This week we will be sending around the notes, presentations and draft documents we produced during the retreat so that all of you are informed and have the opportunity to contribute if you wish so. If you would like to volunteer some of your time, please let us know and we will find a great task for you immediately!

We discussed the big questions such as how to make the CNU experts visible by projecting a unified and inspiring message about the initiative but also by producing implementable, market-ready tools that can immediately help municipalities, planners, developers move in on retrofitting sprawl. The incredible serendipity was that on the eve of the retreat Josh Martin proudly announced that the South Carolina Commercial Center Revitalization Act (based on a document formerly known as the Sprawl Repair Act) was passed by the SC Senate subcommittee and is moving towards adoption. Josh testified at the Senate and was instrumental to initiate this groundbreaking legislature and move it through the process. What he shared with us is that there is an immediate need for a whole series of practical tools for South Carolina as the act builds the foundation of mall and shopping center retrofitting but at the local level municipalities need specific action steps. This urgent need became central to the retreat and the group mobilized around the assembly of a series of toolkits based on prior experience but also innovative ideas which we came up with in Miami. For now the toolkits include:

1. Diagnostic Tools: Programming and Timing
2. Incentives: Financing and Codes
3. Alternatives to the Wall Street Types
4. Precedents/Visuals/Best Practices Toolkit

For the above we used the Open Source approach urged and assisted by Edward Erfurt and Eliza Harris. We split into smaller groups and produced first draft outlines of our toolkits. Later in the day we had additional break-up sessions on: Initiative Branding, Strategic Partnerships, CNU 20 and others. We will be sending notes on all of these. The ultimate goal is that we produce a simple user-friendly “book” with all of these toolkits that can be handed/downloaded to the public and private sectors in their pursuit of sprawl retrofitting strategies and tactics.

I would like also to share the CNU 20 planned events for the initiative as you may want to participate in all or some of them.

We will have our first chance to discuss and work on the initiative on Thursday morning, May 10, when there will be an Open Source Plenary. The second event with be a Friday evening salon where we will be exploring crossover and partnerships with the CNU initiatives and other entities. The third event is the Saturday Initiative lunch for which we have some really exciting ideas which we will share later. There are additional events in which initiative members will participate, present and work, and this is also something we will be sending around later.

Galina Tachieva