Rudolph Widmann

…Are all we need to fulfill our desire for livable, human scaled towns and cities. This is the essence of the argument made by Nathan Lewis, an economist who also writes very eloquently about Cities. This post by Mr. Lewis is about how the work of the New Urbanists misses the boat. It’s an interesting read, as are all his entries.

The French village of Eguisheim

I find this to be a brilliantly simple distillation of many ideas that are out there. Transit oriented development, bike friendly, pedestrian scaled. All of these things are easily accomplished by simply building really narrow streets. How narrow? Think of any great City you’ve travelled to, and imagine the historic district. Rome, Santorini, Venice, Bath, Tokyo-they all have streets that are sized primarily for people to walk. And they wind up being about 15-20 feet wide. The genius of this is that there is simply no accommodation for cars. Cars can pass on some narrow streets, but it is clearly not their environment, so they do not dominate the landscape.

Because the buildings are so close together, it is pretty easy to walk wherever you want. The compact city can fit enough stuff within an easy walking radius. This allows transit to make sense, once the landscape is filled up with buildings and people instead of roads and free (or inexpensive) parking.

The village of Uzes

Miraculously, no one complains about how crappy these traditional cities are. Would it be at all possible to do something like this in the United States? For whatever reasons, we built our cities with very wide streets, even before the landscape was dominated by cars. Christopher Alexander and his team designed a school campus in Tokyo, and this idea is readily apparent in the photos.

Christopher Alexander's Eishin Campus outside Tokyo

It’s hard to even imagine something like this in the United States. We only have a few cities that have traditional cores, such as Boston. Most of our cities are enslaved by the grid, most have huge roadways and tons of surface parking lots. I won’t even bother talking about the suburban development. Why is this important? Because the entire country seems at risk of becoming a giant automobile slum. For most American towns, does anyone bother to visit them because the town-scape is so lovely? Probably not. Does anyone take pictures of the streets? Maybe the buildings, but surely not the streets. Traditional towns have embedded in them the secret to making significant places. These are places that people care about, that have thriving communities, and that reinforce and establish strong social connections. In the US, we have to dutifully get in our cars to maintain our social connections. And that time has no secondary benefit, and rarely is the journey part of the pleasure. It’s all destination, and they are becoming increasingly costly, both in money and in time.

Here’s a photoshopped image of what a local shopping district could look like if we used the 15-20 foot narrow street rule. Not bad, add some housing above, and a train station down the way, and we might be on to something.

Magically narrow street

Danish Architect Bjarke Ingels gives a TEDx talk about how designing for sustainability can make the world better, and it doesn’t mean that we have to feel bad, or have lives that are stripped of good times. Rather, we can design great projects that celebrate life. He sure is having a lot of fun!

Beyond Green Buildings - Eventbrite (link expired)

Well, maybe it’s just lunch. But we’re going to talk about lots of things, with some interesting people.

I plan to talk about what homeowners need to know about the remodeling and additions process, including what to look for in an architect and why it’s usually a good idea to have an architect on the job. I also will discuss the value of design, what it takes to make good design and what makes a good client. Some of this seems obvious, but I have stories to tell that make me believe otherwise. We’ll also go through the steps involved in the project process.

We will also discuss what may be the next step in creating a sustainable living environment; namely a deeper focus on community. From creating common public space with neighbors, to informal sharing of resources, to an increased connection with other people, we’ll discuss strategies to live more sustainably by engaging with your community on a deeper level.

Also presenting:

Ericka Jennings of Green Key Real Estate, talking about trends that increase home values, and how to navigate the legal complexities.

Raines Cohen, who has long advocated for cohousing communities, aging in community, and how to create workable social structures.

Come join us!

El Cerrito, California:

Nearing completion.

Late afternoon sun reflected on the walls.

Roof overhang

Curiosities:

The Can Van!

Great conversation on Kunstlercast this week about the future of cities. I agree with both of them.

Linea Carta; dinner party and dream house (note: dream house / dinner party house in question is one that I designed while at my old firm )

Dickson Despommier and the Vertical Farm.

Gregory Delaune launches his sustainable urbanism blog.

From Rough Type: Utopia is creepy (was that digital panhandling?)

Incredible.

Like beer? Like clever sustainability solutions? Then help The Can Van get rolling!

Good urban design in Berkeley, California

A gentle ramp makes the main space accessible and separated from the car traffic.

Fourth Street in Berkeley is one of the more successful urban spaces in this mid-density town. It does this without any fancy architecture, within the confines of the existing street grid, and without making extravagant gestures to parking. I think that these elements, rather than being detrimental, are critical to the shopping district’s success. Since I live just a few blocks away, I ride my bike or walk down there many times a week. Following are some of my observations.

One row of shops is vertically separated, which works well in this case.

Without getting too much into the history of Fourth Street, it is an area comprised of a few city blocks in the industrial part of town. The basic design took shape in the early ’80’s, and over the years it has been very successful. Other shopping districts in town have many empty storefronts, yet this area keeps chugging along, with an Apple store opening this past summer. The area attracts many businesses, of many shapes and sizes: global, national, regional, local. There are chains as well as singular enterprises, and many great places to eat.

Non-herioc architecture that helps form good urban space.

Denny Abrams was one of the developers, and the story that I’ve heard is that he crafted much of the central part of the area based on principles learned from Christopher Alexander and his seminal work A Pattern Language. In fact, Abrams is one of the co-authors of the Christopher Alexander book The Oregon Experiment.

Seating nooks in the public area, with the parking lot barely visible in the background.

Some of these patterns are easy to see, and help to create the pleasant environment. Low walls define space, and also function as impromptu seating allow people to take a load off, drink their coffee, and listen to street performers. One of the main public areas is right off of Fourth Street, and is a plinth that is raised above street level. Usually this is a bad move, serving to separate people from the sidewalk, but in this case the designers created plenty of open public space, with lots of movable chairs and tables. This public space is ringed by takeout food shops, coffee and tea shops, and is very well used. It is particularly effective at integrating access, as the main entrance to the upper level is a gently sloped ramp.

Here we are chatting with Manfred, who along with his wife Betty are proprietors of Bette's Oceanview Diner.

Other features that contribute to the good urban design are regularly spaced street trees, lots of convenient seating throughout, and consistent building edges and details that help to shape the public realm. One surprising thing is that the buildings themselves are very bland. Yet by being good urban buildings, they are way more successful at creating a sense of place than a collection of architecturally special buildings would be. The designers worked hard at making a place that is walkable without being hostile to cars, yet without making overly large gestures to them. While it can be challenging to find a parking space, the primacy of people, of the buildings, and of the public space are what make this area so comfortable. The cars have their lots, but these lots are tucked in the back of the blocks. Because there are so many people about, and there is a major crosswalk that is uncontrolled, the drivers on Fourth Street keep their speeds low, and are deferential to pedestrians (which seems increasingly rare).

It’s an area that is worth checking out if you’re in Northern California. The design helps to foster positive social interaction, and that makes it an interesting place to be. While it has its challenges, it is a vibrant destination, and a good model for mid-density urban space.

I was writing this to a contractor that I was recently introduced to, and while it is not a manifesto, it says a little about who I am and what I like to do.

Nice house!

The process of transformation.

(Most of) the 2011 graduating MBA / MPA class at Presidio Graduate School.

A week ago I finished up the MBA program at Presidio Graduate School with close to 100 other future change agents. It was a period of incredible personal and professional growth, and I look forward to evolving my own business to more effectively serve my clients, and to help bring about a more sustainable world that benefits us all. In no particular order, following are just some of the things I learned last semester.

1. Investing in the stock market is risky, high frequency trading is probably not good for you and me, and the big markets are rigged. Just ask your senator how their portfolio did last year.

2. We have evolved as social animals, yet practically our entire modern world is set up to isolate us.

3. Writing a business plan can be hard or easy, sometimes both at the same tim, but it is extremely rewarding.

Here I am presenting to the class. Photo © Heath Cox.

4. My schoolmates at Presidio were (and are) awesome, and will be making a real difference in the world.

Future Change Agents.

5. Having a long, open view is not just pretty, and doesn’t just add value to your house, but can measurably reduce stress.

6. Our brains are not infallible, and in fact often work to mislead us. Read Cordelia Fine’s book “A Mind of Its Own” and be amazed.

7. If you live in Berkeley or nearby, go check out the Shorebird Nature Park at the Marina. As a thought experiment, see how each of the two buildings makes you feel. They are both “green”, yet there is a huge difference. Also, take a peek at the Adventure playground.

8. Meditation works.

9. Playing golf can be fun, but it’s still not the best use of land.

10. Learning is good, change is certain, and learning how to help make positive change is all our task.

Sun at last!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be in San Francisco near the beach for some record temperatures. It felt pretty good to be warm while in view of the Golden Gate bridge, especially after the repeated storms that we’ve had this spring. Maybe some projects under construction will get a chance to dry out a little!