Little boxes on the hillside

Pete Seeger anyone?

Urban design is one piece of our society that is frequently forgotten by the general population. We forget that these communities didn't pop up from nowhere with no planning, that it could look different, and if designed better it could change our lives. We go about our daily lives as though the decisions are put forth by some man behind a curtain determining what roads should look like and how many cul de sacs should confuse us when driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood. And to a certain extent there is, but this idea leads people to believe they have no right to decide what their communities should look like and what amenities should be provided.  For example, in my hometown in Arizona the city has forgotten that its citizens have legs and, therefore, provide no support for those who would prefer to stretch them rather than drive their cars.

My neighborhood street. Characteristic of the design genius of the Southwestern suburb

Street sidewalks are barely wide enough for two people and are lined by cinder-block walls rather than shady flora. Walking down this narrow corridor -interrupted by a traffic light every quarter of a mile- only serves to invite jeers by obnoxious passengers as you walk down this narrow, isolated corridor. Parking lots radiating heat stand between you and your destination, but at least provide a refuge from the automobiles racing down the road at 10 miles over the 45 mph speed limit. But it never occurred to me to think, how could this be different and what is it that's keeping me from walking to the mall rather than driving? I simply assumed my fate had been decided for me, once I turned 16 I needed a car to survive.

I'm aware that this system of urban design had good intentions, for the most part. Individuals wanted the security and cleanliness of the suburbs, with the comfort and convenience of the automobile. Urban designers found the suburban layout to be either cost effective, in good taste, or an efficient way of organizing a city around these desires. The residents, however, neglected to sufficiently express their desire for inter-connectedness (between the buildings and the people), clean air, and physical activity level. Perhaps during the suburb craze many didn't even know they desired these things (and just assumed drinking martinis and crying at the kitchen table once the kids left for school was normal). But as the masses are rediscovering their desire for connected communities and wanting to opt out of the systems that come along with this package of the American Dream, the time has come to retrofit these communities to meet the demands on today's generation. The time has come to pull that curtain aside, and confront what's behind the curtain: bad zoning ordinances.

I came to realize what an important role aggressive zoning codes play in the design of our built environment after taking a course in urban dynamics in my undergraduate career and participating in my professor's research analyzing which specific zoning codes that help to characterize to a "good city" and a "bad city" (according to the APA's designation of good communities). An example of a good city and ordinances observed is pictured. As discussed in my Phoenix example, the way cities decide the rules by which we must build can have a significant effect on our lifestyle and the ways in which we impact the environment. Considering the infeasibility of ripping out and replacing these poorly planned cities, altering the zoning ordinances to reflect the infrastructure we value provides a way to transition into more connected communities. As we continue to build, these new ordinances can be used to adjust our communities and encourage more sustainable practices.


Examples of these ordinances include:

• Building height minimums which encourage density rather than increased land use
• Maximum parking spaces or minimum parking spaces for a larger footage
• Minimum sidewalk widths, decreased driving speeds in pedestrian areas
• Maximum building setbacks to encourage building storefronts to line the sidewalks
• Pedestrian scaled lighting and signage
• Allowance of sidewalk furniture

Comprehensive zoning reforms are capable of implementing these piecemeal ordinances in one fell swoop. Overlay districts outline areas within a city that require more progressive municipal codes that support and conserve desired community attributes. These include cultural overlays, transit overlays (supporting amenities like lightrails and bus systems), and historic overlays. Cities that adopt a package of form based codes can foster community connectedness by requiring new development to fit in with the desired urban form rather than to separate development by use. Cities are able to regulate development according to design with greater judgment, increasing the aesthetics and layout of the public realm.

So while altering the built infrastructure is a tall order, there are measures that can be implemented that allow for greater freedom while simultaneously supporting the urban form desired by the community. By requiring developers to operate within these measures, we can create a system that allows for flexibility and greater use of our outdoor space.