New Urbanism

[buckett5425]

I watched this great TED talk the other day about retrofitting suburbia, so I thought it would share it with y'all. In the presentation the speaker, Ellen Dunham-Jones, explains some of the problems facing suburbia and many of the solutions to those problems, and some of the solutions have already been realized. I hope y'all find the information pertinent and interesting!

"Ellen Dunham-Jones fires the starting shot for the next 50 years' big sustainable design project: retrofitting suburbia. To come: Dying malls rehabilitated, dead "big box" stores re-inhabited, parking lots transformed into thriving wetlands."

http://www.ted.com/t...g_suburbia.html

[Antrell Williams]

I could only get 5 minutes into the video but this should be held in every city.

[richyb83]

Thanks for the video Buckett...most of it sounds good...retro-fitting dead big boxes & parking lots is a good idea; several places around BR come to mind...not sure if they would all work?? The Belmar example in suburban Denver was a good one...I have always been impressed how it was transformed!

Atlanta is the poster-child for sprawl...Where we are at with property rights in 100 years should be interesting...

[steve3n8]

Interesting article....glad to see "The Grove" still alive, could begin early next year!

Meet the man behind Willow Grove

Richard Carmouche got into the real estate business more than 30 years ago, under the mentorship of builder-developer Walter Bankston. He is the force behind one of Baton Rouge's most high-profile and unusual projects: Willow Grove, the city's first traditional neighborhood development. Despite a bumpy real estate market, lots are selling quickly. Read the Business Report cover story here. Send comments to [email protected].

[richyb83]

It will be nice to see The Grove finally get off the ground...some work/live/play units are unchartered waters for BR. They pulled a Juban Crossing striping all the trees...wonder if the narrow strip between the R.R. & Dawson Creek will be used?? A back entrance into the park in the back of Willow

Here is more about The Grove...

That may also bode well for another project on Carmouche's agenda.

During recent years he has laid the groundwork for The Grove, a TND that will take shape just across the railroad tracks from Willow Grove, immediately south of I-10. Engineering is complete for the 118-acre mixed-use development, which will contain a blend of residential options, a town center, parks and creek-side walkways.

The Grove will feature apartments and condominiums on upper floors of buildings that will also house small offices, retail and parking. Carmouche has partnered with the Domain Companies of New Orleans to develop the first stage of the urban-style project, which could begin to take shape early next year.

Although the project has been launched amid ongoing economic uncertainty, the developer's former mentor is one person who won't bet against it.

The now-retired Bankston says Carmouche has shown that he can make smart decisions no matter what the market conditions. But he says experience and business savvy are helping Carmouche withstand a record-setting slump in real estate.

"Its a cyclical business, and I've seen some very bad markets, but I think this is definitely the worst," he says. "The project you pick, the location and the way you plan and develop it has a lot to do with how well it's going to sell."

http://www.businessr...hind-tnd-rlet1/

[itsjustme3]

Grove has been talked about since 2008. Im not holding my breath for next years construction. It's suprising though. It's a huge tract, next to the mall and access to the interstate. Why all the constant setbacks?

[Antrell Williams]

Grove has been talked about since 2008. Im not holding my breath for next years construction. It's suprising though. It's a huge tract, next to the mall and access to the interstate. Why all the constant setbacks?

I would like to think its because of the real estate/credit market. But I don't know what to think now, its apparently selling lots fast.

[richyb83]

In the "Green Light Plan" thread...had mentioned the Pecue Lane realignment/extension at the new Women's Hospital...and their possible plans for a TND when the property was purchased....here is the unofficial site-plan Dan326 posted back in 08' from the Advocate

[Antrell Williams]

That would be nice. Is that how the Stumberg/Pecue extention will work? Isn't Skate Galaxy in the way? One needs to be able to get straight to the Hospital from Jefferson and vice versa.

[itsjustme3]

That would be nice. Is that how the Stumberg/Pecue extention will work? Isn't Skate Galaxy in the way? One needs to be able to get straight to the Hospital from Jefferson and vice versa.

That does look nice. And I'd be shocked if there wasn't a Hwy engrave from Jefferson. As a matter of fact looking on Google Earth there is a hospital building being built on Jeffeson behind the hospital construction zone so there is almost certain to be a back way to get there.

[Antrell Williams]

That does look nice. And I'd be shocked if there wasn't a Hwy engrave from Jefferson. As a matter of fact looking on Google Earth there is a hospital building being built on Jeffeson behind the hospital construction zone so there is almost certain to be a back way to get there.

There's an entrance, I saw the construction when I was there last but I doubt the TND will be situated how I'd like it to be. I'm sure some of the land that fronts Jefferson has different owners, if Womas bought it ALL then I'd be happy to know development will happen sooner or later.

[richyb83]

Skate Galaxy will not be effected...but the small interior design business will have to move.

[Antrell Williams]

Skate Galaxy will not be effected...but the small interior design business will have to move.

Right, it will.

[buckett5425]

http://www.archdaily.com/230276/infographic-burbs-going-bust/

I saw this cool info graphic on archdaily.com detailing the decline of suburbia. Thought y'all might like to check it out.

The info graphic was created from this presentation:

http://www.archdaily.com/229385/saving-suburbia-part-i-bursting-the-bubble/

A recent report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that Americans, particularly young Americans, are driving less. Much less. Between 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by people aged 16 to 34 went from 10,300 miles per capita to 7,900 miles per capita. [4]

This 23% decrease can’t be explained by economics alone; the trend was also seen among the young employed and financially stable as well.

What has changed, then, is our culture. In Davidson’s words, what was once “a passport to independence [is now] a toxic jail cell.” And as Americans, particularly young Americans, are avoiding cars, it should come as no surprise that they’re avoiding the car-centric suburbs too.

Let's hope Baton Rougean's realize this sooner rather than later.

[itsjustme3]

http://www.archdaily.com/230276/infographic-burbs-going-bust/

I saw this cool info graphic on archdaily.com detailing the decline of suburbia. Thought y'all might like to check it out.

The info graphic was created from this presentation:

http://www.archdaily.com/229385/saving-suburbia-part-i-bursting-the-bubble/

A recent report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that Americans, particularly young Americans, are driving less. Much less. Between 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by people aged 16 to 34 went from 10,300 miles per capita to 7,900 miles per capita. [4]

This 23% decrease can’t be explained by economics alone; the trend was also seen among the young employed and financially stable as well.

What has changed, then, is our culture. In Davidson’s words, what was once “a passport to independence [is now] a toxic jail cell.” And as Americans, particularly young Americans, are avoiding cars, it should come as no surprise that they’re avoiding the car-centric suburbs too.

Let's hope Baton Rougean's realize this sooner rather than later.

More "Suburbia sucks" propaganda.

Young people out of college face student loans and no jobs. I'm shocked younger people aren't buying nor driving as many cars today. lol

btw, when the blog author states in his first paragraph "It’s these conditions that are making thousands flee to cities everyday" then you just have to laugh at the gullible people who this he is correct.

The article is just oozing with a ugly "yeah! Burn the suburbs! Force those suburbian people into cramped apartments in cities bwahaha" mentality.

Edited May 2, 2012 by itsjustme2

[pm_arch]

It's nice that there are references sited...

[buckett5425]

More "Suburbia sucks" propaganda.

Young people out of college face student loans and no jobs. I'm shocked younger people aren't buying nor driving as many cars today. lol

btw, when the blog author states in his first paragraph "It’s these conditions that are making thousands flee to cities everyday" then you just have to laugh at the gullible people who this he is correct.

The article is just oozing with a ugly "yeah! Burn the suburbs! Force those suburbian people into cramped apartments in cities bwahaha" mentality.

The author makes it very clear that he is biased, it's an editorial, but you can't argue with the facts and his facts are cited. I understand that Baton Rouge hasn't begun this trend yet, but its the norm in other parts of the country. If you read the next link I post, the author explains how forcing people to live in apartments in urban areas is a bad idea and he has other solutions to those problems. But I doubt you will pay any attention to that. Also, the solution's the author promotes are the same solutions found in futureEBR.

http://www.archdaily.com/229397/saving-suburbia-part-ii-getting-the-soccer-moms-on-your-side/

People graduating from college don't own or can't afford a car? Most students own or have access to a car as early as high school. Regardless, 18-34 year olds this year drove less than the same age range a decade ago. The recession or college debt is unrelated to those numbers because the downtrend began way before the recession. Its a cultural shift more than economic. Why is that so hard for you to understand? You can stay in suburbia, I dont want you to live in the city, but you have to understand that other people, particularly Generation Y does wants other options other than a spec home and white picket fence. So let Generation Y create places that we would like to live in, instead of trying to make all of baton rouge only have one houseing type, single family.

Let's be honest, would you really want me to be your neighbor? I think not.

[Antrell Williams]

Those fancy city folk wanna cram us in like sarrrdeeens!

Baton Rouge is realizing it. Although most don't. Many poor people already live in parishes surrounding EBR and it will grow as QOL and COL in Baton Rouge increase.

The author makes it very clear that he is biased, it's an editorial, but you can't argue with the facts and his facts are cited. I understand that Baton Rouge hasn't begun this trend yet, but its the norm in other parts of the country. If you read the next link I post, the author explains how forcing people to live in apartments in urban areas is a bad idea and he has other solutions to those problems. But I doubt you will pay any attention to that. Also, the solution's the author promotes are the same solutions found in futureEBR.

http://www.archdaily...s-on-your-side/

People graduating from college don't own or can't afford a car? Most students own or have access to a car as early as high school. Regardless, 18-34 year olds this year drove less than the same age range a decade ago. The recession or college debt is unrelated to those numbers because the downtrend began way before the recession. Its a cultural shift more than economic. Why is that so hard for you to understand? You can stay in suburbia, I dont want you to live in the city, but you have to understand that other people, particularly Generation Y does wants other options other than a spec home and white picket fence. So let Generation Y create places that we would like to live in, instead of trying to make all of baton rouge only have one houseing type, single family.

Let's be honest, would you really want me to be your neighbor? I think not.

Well said. Last sentence is a very good point.

[cajun]

http://www.archdaily.com/230276/infographic-burbs-going-bust/

I saw this cool info graphic on archdaily.com detailing the decline of suburbia. Thought y'all might like to check it out.

The info graphic was created from this presentation:

http://www.archdaily.com/229385/saving-suburbia-part-i-bursting-the-bubble/

A recent report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that Americans, particularly young Americans, are driving less. Much less. Between 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by people aged 16 to 34 went from 10,300 miles per capita to 7,900 miles per capita. [4]

This 23% decrease can’t be explained by economics alone; the trend was also seen among the young employed and financially stable as well.

What has changed, then, is our culture. In Davidson’s words, what was once “a passport to independence [is now] a toxic jail cell.” And as Americans, particularly young Americans, are avoiding cars, it should come as no surprise that they’re avoiding the car-centric suburbs too.

Let's hope Baton Rougean's realize this sooner rather than later.

Found another echo chamber to vindicate your belief that suburbanites killed the city, eh?

The suburbs will continue to grow (and new ones beyond that) until urbanist come up with reasons beyond walkable streets and public transit- which address only a small part of a huge problem.

Edited May 2, 2012 by cajun

[buckett5425]

Found another echo chamber to vindicate your belief that suburbanites killed the city, eh?

The suburbs will continue to grow (and new ones beyond that) until urbanist come up with reasons beyond walkable streets and public transit- which address only a small part of a huge problem.

The "other" problems were created when the middle class fled the cities. With it they took their ideas, money and resources. Bring those people back into the city and many of those problems would disappear in the areas that are gentrified. I know this is hard to understand in a city like Baton Rouge, but in other cities people have tackled these issues, as young professionals and young families move to and remain in urbanish areas.

Many people in Gen Y most likely won't leave the city to start a family. When their kids start attending the local schools, engaged parents will turn the schools around.

Does a school make a neighborhood, or does a neighborhood make a school?

But the argument goes both ways, good schools won't save suburbia. As fuel prices increase and the financial drain of expansive infrastructure combines with the growing poverty rate of the suburbs, crime will increase. Thus, people with means will flee the suburbs for safe walkable communities, with good schools, low crime, higher quality of life, lower carbon foot print, and less fuel costs. This is all 20 years down the road of course, but it will happen, if not for the fact that the baby boomers(suburban) are being replaced with GEN Y(urban).

[Antrell Williams]

But the argument goes both ways, good schools won't save suburbia. As fuel prices increase and the financial drain of expansive infrastructure combines with the growing poverty rate of the suburbs, crime will increase. Thus, people with means will flee the suburbs for safe walkable communities, with good schools, low crime, higher quality of life, lower carbon foot print, and less fuel costs. This is all 20 years down the road of course, but it will happen, if not for the fact that the baby boomers(suburban) are being replaced with GEN Y(urban).

I don't think they understand that concept in particular.

Times change, and it will keep on changing.

[itsjustme3]

The "other" problems were created when the middle class fled the cities. With it they took their ideas, money and resources. Bring those people back into the city and many of those problems would disappear in the areas

ROTFLOL! yes, by having the middle class move back with their money that would...

1) make drug addicts stop doing drugs

2) make piss poor parents want to be better parents and therefore make schools instantly better.

3) make inner city inhabitants want to respect their (and their neighbors) property

4) would make cities safer

Yes. If only the cities inhabitants and wishful dreamers like yourself could just get your hands on the money that lives out in those evil suburbs.

Edited May 3, 2012 by itsjustme2

[dan326]

There's already plenty of good reasons to live in the city(or suburbs) but I believe the majority of human actions are performed on the amount of emotional reward (just think of the way politicians win elections and why people eat big macs instead of salads{or even vice versa}). Which I guess is all to say that I don't think there can be much reconciliation; people like what they like and don't what they don't.

Edit: I'm guessing my statement makes since but I'm not quite sure what the original point of debate was or rather what we're supposed to infer from it.

Edited May 3, 2012 by dan326

[Antrell Williams]

ROTFLOL! yes, by having the middle class move back with their money that would...

1) make drug addicts stop doing drugs

2) make piss poor parents want to be better parents and therefore make schools instantly better.

3) make inner city inhabitants want to respect their (and their neighbors) property

4) would make cities safer

Yes. If only the cities inhabitants and wishful dreamers like yourself could just get your hands on the money that lives out in those evil suburbs.

I value every one of your posts very much. I don't know what buckett is thinking, using logic and cited resources?! Get outta here buckett!

Edited May 3, 2012 by Antrell Williams

[cajun]

The "other" problems were created when the middle class fled the cities. With it they took their ideas, money and resources. Bring those people back into the city and many of those problems would disappear in the areas that are gentrified. I know this is hard to understand in a city like Baton Rouge, but in other cities people have tackled these issues, as young professionals and young families move to and remain in urbanish areas.

Many people in Gen Y most likely won't leave the city to start a family. When their kids start attending the local schools, engaged parents will turn the schools around.

Does a school make a neighborhood, or does a neighborhood make a school?

But the argument goes both ways, good schools won't save suburbia. As fuel prices increase and the financial drain of expansive infrastructure combines with the growing poverty rate of the suburbs, crime will increase. Thus, people with means will flee the suburbs for safe walkable communities, with good schools, low crime, higher quality of life, lower carbon foot print, and less fuel costs. This is all 20 years down the road of course, but it will happen, if not for the fact that the baby boomers(suburban) are being replaced with GEN Y(urban).

Wishful thinking.

You are out of your mind if you think that middle income people with kids are going to stay in town and suddenly change the failure factories that are inner city public schools.

Without a change, you'll see urbanist style areas in the suburbs before you'll see people returning to the actual inner city with their children.

There isn't even a drive within the EBR school board in town to even attempt to improve itself. The outsider they brought in last year was rejected as an uncle tom in a huge embarrassing debacle. NO DESIRE to change.

Sadly, if things remain the same with schools, you will see the employers leaving town for the suburbs. All efforts to improve the city will be fruitless without changing public schools.

I've lived in a dozen cities larger than Baton Rouge. I have seen young people settling in gentrified areas (this isn't uncommon in Baton Rouge).....but absolutely no evidence that they stay there en masse when/if they have kids.

In fact, the few urbanism dreams I've lives in would be the last place I would allow my children to grow up. No sane person wants their children to attend school in an environment where those kids whose parents actually care are a tiny minority who almost certainly will be the victim of violence and ridicule.

Take DC for example: great public transit, great parks, great museums, and overal plenty of things to do. It is also the most dangerous city in the country with the worst public schools that I've ever seen with absolutely no hope of changing without a massive cultural shift.

Because conditions are so terrible in the city, DC has spawned some of the country's best suburbs. The metro rail has acted almost as an enabler to the sprawl as it expanded to outlying areas. Many employers moved to outlying areas as well.

The big difference btw DC in Baton Rouge is that DC attracts way more younger single people who don't have a need for some of the public services that the city can't provide. Even with their steady supply of young people moving they haven't even made a dent in correcting their problems. There literally isn't a thing Baton Rouge can do to bring that many young people in, so unlike DC- Baton Rouge has to actually role up its sleves and make changes. There isn't the political will in town to accomplish that.

When people stop blaming those who left for problems in the inner city, they might start finding innovative ways to provide a compelling alternative to a suburb. Those responsibilities are far, far beyond the scope of an architect or urban planner.....but I'll say the problems started long before any of us were born and won't likely be fixed in the next 50 years.

It is no surprise to me that the people who can look beyond the harsh influence of public sector unions and race politics are the ones fighting for charters. It is outright inhumane to subject less fortunate children who actually want to make something of themselves to some of EBR parish schools. If it becomes successful, it could eliminate one of the main reasons people make the decision to leave.

It's a huge gamble, and about a million things can go wrong, but in this case the status quo is so disgraceful that something major has to be done.

Edited May 3, 2012 by cajun