The ABC ABCs s of Urbanism
© 2010 Yuri Artibise.
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Table of Contents Introduction
Paid Urbanism
Adaptive Urbanism
Quasi-Urbanism Quasi -Urbanism
Big Urbanism Collaborative Urbanism DIY Urbanism Everyday Urbanism Fine-Grained Urbanism Generic Urbanism Healthy Urbanism Informal Urbanism
Retrofit Urbanism Sustainable Urbanism Temporary Urbanism Utopian Urbanism Vernacular Urbanism Walkable Urbanism X-Urbanism Yuppie Urbanism
Jacobsian Urbanism
Zip Car Urbanism
Kinetic Urbanism
Conclusion: Now I Know
Landscape Urbanism
my ABCs
Messy Urbanism
Appendix: 101 Urbanisms
New Urbanism
About the Author
Open Source Urbanism
Photo Credits
Introduction One of the pervasive trends in contemporary urban studies is the dramatic growth in terms ending with urbanism. It seems like every urban thinker has come up with his or her own urbanism. Indeed,Jason King at landscape+urbanism has described this phenomenon as [Fill in the Blank] Urbanism and come up with his own lengthy list of urbanisms gleaned from a single Google search.
Some of the urbanisms are fanciful and esoteric; others are basic and rudimentary. But all have been seriously considered by at least one person. Indeed, if a term or concept is even remotely connected to a city, simply add urbanism to the end and youll have a new theoretical construct to explore. In writing this series, Ive learned a lot more about some popular urbanisms (new urbanism, urbanism, landscape urbanism); been able to focus on some of my favorites (adaptive urbanism and open-source urbanism); and perhaps even coined a new urbanism or two (yuppie urbanism and Zipcar urbanism).
Adaptive Urbanism: A Process of Perpetual Engagement For many urban observers, and especially urban planners, the design of the city as an end state ̶a vision to be first created and then fulfilled. Adaptive urbanism takes a contrary position. It looks at urban design as a process of perpetual engagement and reiteration. In an adaptive approach, cities are dynamic ecologies that take immersion and collaboration to re-shape, not from outside or above, but from within. The concept of adaptive urbanism is often attributed to New York urbanist Brian McGrath. McGrath. McGraths approach is a significant shift from how we current plan and manage cities. It is important to consider though, especially in our current economic and social upheaval. If cities develop the flexibility and capac ity to respond to shifting demands and external pressures, they will be better able to deal with future economic, environmental or political crises. For more on adaptive urbanism, see On the Origin of Cities: Adaptive Urbanism. Urbanism.
Big Urbanism: Not the Answer Americans like to think big. Urbanism is no exception. Ever since architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham uttered his maxim Make Make no little plans, plans, nearly every urban plan continues to be modeled on it. Despite a generation of planners brought up guided by Ja ne Jacobs and her crusade against the big urbanism of Robert Moses, large-scale redevelopment projects continue apace. Indeed, they appear to be regaining prominence. From Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn to CityCenter in Las Vegas to the various uber-developments in Dubai, city officials and developers continue to think big when reshaping our cities. However,, as we previous learned in the post on adaptive However urbanism, big urbanism is not necessarily a good thing. Indeed, these mega projects leave little room for flexibility flexibility,, and as such are not responsive to shifting economic, environmental or political trends. As a result several big urbanism projects are viewed as relics even before their doors are open.
Collaborative Urbanism: The Secret is Sharing Our urban society is undergoing a substantive shift from the hyper-consumerism hyper-consumer ism and the resultant sprawl t hat defined the second half of the 20th century. Forces such as social technologies, a renewed belief in community, increased environmental awareness, and cost consciousness have us rethinking our old top-heavy and centralized forms of consumerism. In its place, a collaborative urbanism ̶based on sharing, aggregation, openness, and cooperation ̶is emerging. The trend towards increased collaboration is explained indepth in the newly published book, Whats Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption by Rachel Botsman
and Roo Rogers. Collaborative urbanism takes their concept a step further; not only is collaborative consumption reshaping how we consume, it is transforming how we interact with each other and the spaces around us. In other words, it is changing how we live in cities. Here are three examples of collaborative consumption cited by the authors that are at the forefront of collaborative urbanism:
Bike Sharing 2.0 Bike sharing systems such as B-Cycle and Bixi are great but the start-up and maintenance costs are high. Social Bicycles (SoBi) uses mobile technologies and a secure lock system that
...Collaborative Urbanism can attach to existing bikes at a third of the cost of traditional
One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) is applying the same idea to
systems. According to founder Ryan Rzepecki, SoBi could
solar power. By using social media to get neighbors to group
become a new form of personalized public transportation that
together they can negotiate massive discounts with trusted
changes the way people move through cities. [emphasis
providers. Once a group of neighbors get together they are well
added]
positioned to work towards for other home and community improvements (such as the bike and car sharing mentioned above).
Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Zipcar brought the idea of car of car sharing to the mainstream. However, it still introduces new cars when there are millions already sitting idle on the streets, parking lots and driveways for much of the day. Peer-to-peer car sharing enables owners and renters to use the idling capacity of personally owned and underused cars. As RelayRides owner Shelby Clark explains, "This gives the community an affordable transportation option, making it easier to live a car-free lifestyle.
Group Solar Power The rapid growth of Groupon of Groupon has shown the power of consumers banding together for discounts.
Collaborative urbanism is transforming how we interact with each other and the spaces around us.
DIY Urbanism: City Building from the Bottom-Up Do it Yourself (DIY) Urbanism provides a counterweight to
Rather than simply seeking public input, DIY urbanism
traditional top-down urban planning processes. Even before
empowers residents to make the changes they seek and are
the the great recession in 2008 many cities struggled with
create their own positive urban interventions. It is the DIY
reduced public resources. This has left
ethic on the community scale.
various urbanists, artists, and public space advocates to fill many of the voids left by the cutbacks.
The result has been innovative do-it-yourself projects ranging from activating stalled construction sites, to constructing
In addition to participating in official processes, such as writing
temporary public plazas and parks at street intersections, to
letters to the city or attending public meetings, DIY urbanists
designing pop-up storefronts. They can even include more
take public outreach one step further.
bizarre ideas including guerilla painting, urban campgrounds and street pianos. The possibilities are limitless. Although many DIY initiatives may often be temporary, the impact is often substantial. In some cases DIY interventions have acted as pilot projects that improve the chances of city government officials eventually buying in and supporting the changes in an official way. Regardless of the type initiative, or their permanence, DIY efforts should not be viewed as disruptive violations, or frivolous novelties, but as signs of true urban vitality. With a can-do attitude and a bit of playful mischievousness, these urban pioneers are illustrating that another type of city is possible.
Everyday Urbanism: Celebrating Ordinary Life in the City Everyday urbanism celebrates and builds on the ordinary life and reality in a city. It doesnt envision an ideal urban environment. Rather it explores ways to improve what already exists in incremental ways. The term first gained prominence with the book, Everyday Urbanism by Margaret Crawford, John Chase and John Kaliski in 1999. The book notes that the city (and its planners) ongoing quest to incorporate the elements that remain elusive: ephemerality, cacophony, multiplicity and simultaneity simultaneity. . Every day urbanism builds on the concept of adaptive urbanism and looks at urban planning as a process of perpetual engagement and reiteration. It views cities as a
regular everyday interactions.
conversation between and among its residents. This leads to a dynamic urban form that evolves not from outside pressures or
But unlike DIY urbanism, everyday urbanism isnt simply a
plans dropped from above, but from activities that occur within
bottom up, grass roots approach. Rather, it is a mixture of the
a neighborhoo neighborhood. d.
residents bottom-up expression of their economic, political and social preferences and the top-down decision-making process of
If you have spent anytime in a city, you no doubt have
developers and city governments. Vibrancy may no be able to
witnessed small, understated, often ratty spaces that are
be planned, but it certainly can be encouraged. Developers and
teaming with life and vibrancy next door to large master
city governments can help everyday urbanism survive and
planned developments that look like ghost towns. This is the
thrive by ending their quest for the big urbanist mega projects
impact of everyday urbanism. Vibrancy can not be planned in
and understanding that often times tiny gestures make the
a board room, it needs to evolve on the street level through
biggest different a difference.
Fine-Grained Urbanism: Opportunities for Discovery Fine-grained urbanism promotes small blocks in close proximity, each with numerous buildings with narrow frontages, frequent storefronts, and minimal setbacks from the street. Also, as there are more intersections, traffic is slower and safer. There are virtual no vacant lots or surface parking. This fine grained approach to cities offers many opportunities for discovery discovery and exploration. Like high count egyptian cotton; fine grain urbanism feels luxurious and makes people want linger in or around it. Fine-grained urbanism is not imposed on a community like its coarser cousins. Rather, it evolves over time in a piecemeal way, responding responding to what came before it, and adapting to what comes next. This evolutionary process creates places that are not frozen in the era when they were built. Instead, they are dynamic a nd reflective of a neighborhoods neighborhoo ds changing needs. The resulting urban fabric seamlessly evolves over time from lightly Urban fabric is the physical form of towns and cities. Like
developed residential areas to mixed used retail t o dense urban core ̶
textiles, urban fabric comes in many different types and
if thats what the community desires. In this way, fine-grained
weaves. For simplicitys sake the multitude of urban
urbanism is far more resilient than mega-projects that, when they lose
fabrics are divided into two typologies: coarse grain and
a single tenant, often fail. Just as the tiny gestures of everyday of everyday
fine grain. Fine-grained urban fabric produces what is can
urbanism can makes a huge difference in the vibrancy of a community,
be refereed to as fine grained urbanism.
so can the multitudes of options offered by fine grained urbanism.
Generic Urbanism: Creating Cities without Qualities OR Quality The term generic urbanism rose to prominence with the book S
another commodity, interchangeable from one another. We can
M L XL by Rem Koolhaas, Bruce Mau,Jennifer Sigler, Sigler, and
see the result before us as city after city converge in a pastiche
Hans Werlemann. The book contained an essay by Koolhaas, a
of undifferentiated cityscapes.
Dutch architect and urbanist, titled The Generic City. This
Generic urbanism appears to have started in the American
essay declares that progress, identity, architecture, the city and
suburbs when developers creating interchangeable
the street are things of the past. Koolhaas writes: Relief … its
developments. Over the past half century it has crept into our
over. That is the story of the city. The city is no longer. We can
urban cores, where the truest expression of civic identity were
leave the theatre now…
once found. This is, in part, a result of the effort by city
Generic urbanism describes a non-specific, identity-lacking
governments to attract suburbanites (and their tax dollars)
urban landscape. The generic city has no specific reference
downtown ̶not by offering them something unique or different ̶not
points, either to its history or its residents. Rather it responds
b ̶ut rather the safe and familiar.
to urban stereotypes. In doing so, it t urns cities into yet
The concept is an oxymoron. A generic city resists urbanism and its inherent qualities of diversity and culture. All the qualities normally associated with a great city: iconic architecture, vibrant but messy streetscapes, unique neighborhoods, neighborhoo ds, etc. become subsumed by global trends. Public space becomes formulaic; theres nothing to notice to except stoplights. According to Richard Pouly, Pouly, in the generic city the paradigmatic urbanite will no longer be a latte-sipping hipster but the weary sales rep who never completely unpacks his suitcase forgetting if he is in New York York or New Dehli. Koolhaas declared the generic city to be a city without qualities, I would add A city without quality
Healthy Urbanism: A Holistic View of Urban Design Healthy urbanism advocates for a holistic view of urban
Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and
design that considers health, the environment, social
Building for Healthy Communities. Dr. Frumkin notes that Well-
relations, political processes and the economy as part of the
designed communities can be interventions for public health. How
development process. It posits that neighborhood design
we build and maintain our communities transportation systems,
elements including land use, design character, transportation
infrastructure, and public spaces can either exacerbate or reduce
systems, sustainability, sustainability, and density impact a neighborhoo neighborhoods ds
obesity, chronic diseases, injury rates, poor mental health, and the
health, environment and quality of life.
adverse effects of climate change.
The connection between health and urbanism goes back almost as long as cities t hemselves. It was health concerns in many industrial-era cities that drove people out of polluted and unsanitary urban cores and into the first suburbs. Now the tables have turned. Evidence is mounting that the suburban lifestyle is causing health problems. Many chronic diseases ̶including including obesity and diabetes ̶as well as premature mortality, cardiovascular disease and poor mental health are associated with the sedentary and isolated populations exacerbated by our sprawling, auto dominated urban form. One of the leaders of the healthy urbanism movement is Dr. Howard Frumkin, dean of t he University of Washington School of Public Health and co-author of
...Healthy Urbanism An increasing body of evidence backs up this statement. The
It is clear that the quality of our cities impacts the quality of our
doubling of driving nationally between 1983 and 2007 on
healthy and life in general. Hopefully, this renewed interest in
auto-centric streets designed for speed has coincided with
healthy urbanism will be maintained with doctors researchers
skyrocketing injury and mortality rates, exacerbated mental
working with planners and architects to design places that are
health problems for isolated non-drivers, and decreased air
healthy on both a personal and community level
and water quality. Additionally, suburban neighborhoods ̶ dominated by low density, poorly connected street networks, and limited access to shops and services ̶have lower levels of walking. This, in turn, is connected to increased obesity. On the other hand, well-designed urban neighborhoods generate fewer vehicle miles and result in more walking and lower obesity rates than their suburban counterparts. Another impact of urban form on health relates to social capital and mental health. The WHO estimates that by 2020, mental ill health will be the third leading cause of disability life-adjusted years globally. Some research indicates that there are higher levels of social capital in more walkable neighborhoods suggesting that urban form is important. High levels of social capital decrease the risk of social isolation, a social determinant of health linked to increased risk of premature mortality, cardiovascular disease and poor mental health.
Community design and building design have impacts both on mental health and on social capital. D ̶r. Howard Frumkin
Informal Urbanism: Invention Born out of Frustration Informal urbanism focuses on communities ability to absorb, recycle, offer services, set up networks, celebrate, work and play outside the structures imposed by formalized rules. It stems from the need or want to correct or compensate for the shortcomings in existing (or formal) urban plans, whether it be expressed as a worn shortcut through a park that is off the paved path, food trucks, or shanty towns in Caracas. Whereas traditional urban planning tends to follow a formal, top-down approach, informal urbanism is about invention born out of frustration with the status quo. It views the city not as a grand vision to be imposed but as gradual adjustments to be revealed based on need. As a result, informal urbanism creates environments that are versatile and flexible ̶and usually more robust that their formal counterparts. Instead of viewing informal urban interventions as conditions that needs fixing, they should be viewed as learning opportunities. Urban leaders can embrace their robustness by looking, not at what should work, but at what is actually occurring from day-to-day and season to season around their city. The informal patterns that emerge from such observations will often lead to more sustainable urban interventions.
Jacobsean Urbanism: Building on the Observations of Jane Jacobs Jacobsean urbanism is named after Jane Jacobs, an urban writer and activist who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Its foundations were first laid out in an essay entitled Downtown is for People that ran in Fortune magazine in April 1958. This led to a Rockefeller Foundation grant to write what became her defining book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities . This book is perhaps the most influential 20th century text about the inner workings and failings of cities and has inspired generations of urban planners and activists. Jacobsean urbanism is more than simply a critique of the urban renewal policies of the second half of the 20th century. It reaches beyond her written work and extends to her grassroots efforts to preserve local neighborhood neighborhoods. s. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best
government policies urban development are usually inconsistent with
how their neighborhood works, and how to strengthen and
the real functioning of city neighborhoods. Instead, she promoted local
improve them. As such, her legacy is rooted in the idea of
expertise as being better suited to guiding community development,
creating strong and resourceful community, community, instilling
relying on her observations and common sense to illustrate why
belonging and encouraging civic leadership.
certain places work, and how to improve those that do not. In this
Jacobs had no professional training in the field of urban planning. She often contested the formal urbanism approach that depends on outside experts,noting that the prescribed
way, Jacobsean urbanism is closely related to the DIY urbanism and Everyday Urbanism and the antithesis of Big of Big Urbanism covered earlier in this series.
Kinetic Urbanism: Activity over Architecture Closely related to informal urbanism, urbanism, kinetic urbanism views
automatically seek to control it through zoning or permits. This
the urban condition as flexible; less a grand vision than a
activity is often times not evidence of lack of regulation but rather
series of small adjustments occurring over time. Often times,
an unmet need being fulfilled in a innovative way. Indeed it is what
the frenetic quality of city life does not allow most formal
makes urban living so vibrant and exciting. Rather than seek to
planning or political systems to keep pace. Kinetic urbanism
remove or regulate these activities, Urban leaders can embrace this
bridges the resulting gap by focusing on activity, not
entrepreneurism by looking, not at what should work, but at what
architecture. It views events and changes in time as more
is actually occurring day to day and season to season. They should
important than buildings and places in space.
include these patterns of activities in their plans so they can thrive
Rahul Mehrotra, Associate Professor of Architectural Design at the MIT School of Architecture + Planning developed the idea of the kinetic city. According to Mehrotra, the static city is the buildings and structures that architecture deals with. On the other hand, the kinetic city is the part that is making and remaking urban spaces and is in opposition to the static city. He also states that in a kinetic city, events and changes in time are more important than monuments and places in space. While Mehrotra was specially focusing on the informal urbanism taking shape in Mumbai, the concept are applicable to almost an urban area. When urban leaders look at activities such as busking or street vendors on their city streets, they should not
in greater comfort and safety for all residents.
Landscape Urbanism: Recognizing Nature in the City Landscape Urbanism is an evolving field of study and practice
Harvards Graduate School of Design has become the
that views landscape rather than architecture as the basis of
epicenter of the landscape urbanism movement, with three of
contemporary urbanism. For landscape urbanists, a citys
the four founders of the concept, Charles Waldheim (who
landscape is both the lens through which the contemporary
coined the term), Alex Krieger, and Mohsen Mostafavi working
city is viewed and the method through which it is created.
there. The fourth, James Corner, teaches at UPenn, and principle of Field Operations, the notable for the design of High Line Park in Manhattan. Instead of taking built volume as the determining characteristic of the city, landscape urbanists looks at cities as dynamic process characterized by fluidity, spontaneity and randomness. By doing so, they are breaking down the traditional disciplinary and cultural opposition between natural and city spaces. They recognize that nature exists in densely built-up environments and affects not only the current well being of inhabitants, but also the long term prospects of the built form of the city itself. By restoring natures restorative cycles in urban areas, landscape urbanists hope that society will be better able to deal with the exploding urban growth around the world. Some also see promise for helping shrinking rustbelt cities like Cleveland and Detroit
Messy Urbanism: Diversity in Disorder accept ̶most peoples idea of a beautiful city that looks something like Paris or some other city with a continuous urban form. But these types of cities are rare. Most memorable places have a less-than-manicured quality to them. Part of the appeal of messy urbanism is that it leaves room for future improvements in other words, it leave creates space for people to contribute to their neighborhood. In great urban cities, youll find deteriorating buildings sitting next to sleek modern 20-story condos. small businesses at home next door to luxury boutiques. Tree-lined streets of stately houses (some restored, many not) running into bustling commercial boulevards. Streets packed with busses, bicyclists, cars and food trucks. Coupled with a diverse population such messy cities ends up feeling kinetic and exciting, but in a practical Often architects, developers and city planners try to sell their
and walkable way.
redevelopments with glossy brochures and vibrant mock ups.
In The Economy of Cities, Jane Jacobs points out that the
However,, more often than not, these place turn out to either be However
most economically vibrant cities are usually inefficient and
dead, or sterile places. The problem isnt always a lack of uses
impractical. Its this messiness that enables a community to
or diversity; rather it is that these places are often planned to
adapt quickly to c hange. Rather than seeing messiness,
the last window awning or flower bed. They lack the
disorder or clutter, urban leaders should instead see the social
messiness that make a city livable.
and commercial interactions of a lively city. Indeed trying to
The most vibrant cities Ive lived in or visited share one thing in common. They are messy. This is a difficult concept to
clean up and remove the clutter of the city is to throw away the lifeblood of the city itself.
New Urbanism: The New Orthodoxy? New Urbanism is an urban design movement, which promotes walkable neighborhoods neighborhoods that contain a range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s and continues to reform many aspects of real estate development and urban planning. While new urbanism covers issues such as historic preservation, safe streets, green building, and redeveloping brownfield brownfield land. If the movement were to be boiled down to a single concept, it would be creating walkable neighborhoods. neighborho ods. New urbanist developments are more walkable, offer a more diverse range of housing options, encourage a richer mix of uses and provide more welcoming public spaces than traditional suburban developments. Although many well-known new urbanist projects are master planned communities its ideas are also incorporated into existing city cores and even in suburban and exurban neighborhoods. neighborho ods. These neighborhoods can include measures such as traffic calming, pedestrian improvements, parking management, and commercial and residential infill. New urbanism has also inspired a new approach to building codes, called form-based codes . These codes are an important tool for implementing urban enhancements. Rather than dictating the uses of land parcels, form form based codes provide guidelines that define the types of development desired in a
particular area. This provides greater design flexibility and coordination than conventional, land use based codes. While once on the fringe of the urban pla nning field, new urbanism has risen in prominence in recent years, with new urbanist related initiatives like LEED and Smart Growth becoming common staples in the arsenals of urban of urban planners and developers alike. This has led Andrés Duany ̶one of the founders of the Congress for the New Urbanismt̶ o label it a new orthodoxy and calling for a jolt to renew the movement to face the challenges of the next century.
Open Source Urbanism: Where Data Meets Urban Form Meaningful community input in urban development is a common rallying cry, cry, but is rarely achieved. Power Power,, and more importantly,, information, remains tightly controlled by cities importantly and there agencies. It is usually only shared in controlled public meetings and charrettes. Recent advances in technology and social networks offer an opportunity to change this. Open source urbanism works to develop intersections where a
The streets are now alive with data, invisible but all pervasive. ̶ Dan Hill
cities urban form connects with information to directly inform and shape our urban environment. In doing so it is changing
contribute
the way we think of our communities and city life in general. It
Cities are a logical extension of the open source movement.
is rooted in the idea of open source, most commonly
The city is both a product and a generator of immense
associated with free computer programs that can be shared,
amounts of data. Much of this information ̶including
adapted, and further developed by anyone with the ability to
temperature, light rail delays, population density, accident locations and stock prices ̶can be mapped, recorded and shared in real-time through the Internet. Some early success in open source urbanism are Portlands TriMet transit system map and the closing. Based in part on these early successes, cities such as Portland Portland;;Vancouver, B.C.; B.C.; and San Francisco passed sweeping policies requiring departments to use open source software and open data . In addition, the White House has set a high standard for federal agencies to adopt. As more cities and civic agencies see the benefit of sharing their data, such successes will multiply.
Paid Urbanism: Public Policy for Private Profits will quickly find a tangled web of relationships between politicians, bureaucrats, developers and residents. This web entangles everything and everybody; its existence ̶and more importantly, its influence ̶is rarely visible to the public. Left unexposed, paid urbanism can lead to public policy for private profits;; a duopoly that forgets the needs of taxpaying residents profits and links the profits of developers with the power of politicians. As a result, paid urbanism is largely responsible for much of the big urbanism that exists today ̶the oversized and over packaged projects of a scale and nature at odds with their surroundings and the wishes of residents. These developments often need large government subsidies paid for with residents taxes. Unfortunately they are often built to maximize the profits of developers, not the benefits of residents. Contemporary cities exist thanks to a complex system of taxes, subsidies and profit generation. The impact of money cannot be
A necessary evil
ignored when studying our urban condition. In some cases, the
Without paid urbanism, cities as we know them would not exist,
relationship is self-reinforcing: taxes pay for subsidies which
roads and schools would not be built, parks would not be
generate profit, on which taxes are paid. In others, taxes are
maintained, events would not be held. There is nothing
extracted from urban activities and used for less transparent
inherently wrong with the taxes-subsidy-profit (repeat) cycle just
ends.
its abuse. Thus, the solution lies not in completely banning
This paid urbanism has created a Kafka-esque web of bureaucracy. Look beneath the visible facade of a city and you
private development with public, but rather breaking the politician-developer duopoly and allowing residents back into the decision making process.
Quasi Urbanism: Missing the Mark In the entry on Big Urbanism, I noted that in recent years developers have become interested in urban centers once again. Examples of this renewed interest are found in developments like Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn to CityCenter in Las Vegas and CityScape in Phoenix. A common word used to describe each of these is urban. In reality they are only quasi-urban. Instead of enhancing places for residents who already embrace urbanism, these developments are aimed at luring suburbanites to spend money. Just as suburbs tried to entice shoppers by incentivizing megamall developments complete with water parks and roller coasters in the 1980s and 1990s, city cores are now trying to lure people back downtown with urban styled complexes. While
eyes on the street, these faux fenestrations become visual
these quasi-urbanist developments are better than their
barriers that reinforce a feeling of isolation.
suburban consign (hence the use of quasi), they still fall far short of creating a real urban experience.
What these developers ̶and their government boosters ̶fail to understand is that people don not seek urban experiences purely
One glaring example is in the use of windows. While many
for economic reasons. They definitely do not do it to increase
quasi-urban developments have windows facing the street, they
their senses of separation and isolation. Rather, people seek
are often fake windows ̶windows showing the backs of display
urban areas for connection, vitality and local history. Most
shelves, covered by closed blinds or reflective film, or used to
importantly they seek authenticity. Quasi-urbanism may have
display advertising (even the once popular store window
co-opted the urbanist language and even some of its forms; but
displays are increasingly being replaced by generic posters).
until it offers more than blocked windows and generic products,
Rather than providing porosity, light and opportunities for more
it will never create truly authentic urban places.
Retrofit Urbanism: Creating PeopleOriented Places While sprawl remains the dominant growth pattern in the U.S.,
time and money). Others are looking to live in places with
many people are leaving the suburbs for more walkable a reas.
character or community community..
Some are getting fed up with the costs of commuting (in both
As an increasing number of people want an urban lifestyle, the question of what to do with the suburbs remains. It would be unwise and unsustainable to simply abandon them. In addition, even the most optimistic urbanist realizes that not everybody can, nor wants to, live downtown. At the same time, they want a more livable option that what current exists. Instead of starting from scratch and creating an ideal new urbanist development, retrofit urbanism is a hybrid form of urbanism that acknowledges these realities. It looks to incrementally change existing suburban forms to encourage multi-modal transportation, including transit, walking and cycling. in addition it includes a cultural shift towards an increased sense of community and interconnectivity interconnectivity.. The goal is to transform auto-reliant neighborhoods into vibrant, peopleoriented communities. Retrofit urbanism is not as sexy a s building a new urbanist utopia from scratch or building a mega development in the urban core. it does, however however,, represent a more effective way to meet increasing demands for the urban lifestyle and mitigate the worst effects of auto-dominated sprawl.
Sustainable Urbanism: Creating Resilient Cities By now, most people know that a majority of the worlds population live in cities and urban areas. Yet current urban planning systems are not equipped to deal with many of the challenges this population growth has brought. Some of these include: climate change and resource depletion; economic instability and poverty; and, social marginalization and exclusion. Sustainable urbanism is an emerging discipline that combines creating multi-modal places, nurturing diverse economies and building high-performance infrastructure and buildings. It is more than a synonym for green or ecological urbanism. Rather, it looks at the triple bottom line by making sure that our urban centers are socially inclusion, economically dynamic and environmentally conscious. Some key tenants of sustainable urbanism include: compact forms of residential development; mixed use centers with homes, jobs, services and shopping in close proximity; integration of transportation and land use; and, the reduction, recovery, re-use and recycling of waste materials. Many cities and urban planners are already looking at one or more of these issues. The problem is they usually look at them in isolation. This singular approach fails to recognize the overlapping and interrelation between issues. By taking on these challenges in a holistic manner, sustainable urbanism can create
resilient cities that are better able to withstand the economic, social and environmental shocks of the 21st century.
Temporary Urbanism: Incubating New Ideas for City Living Todays urban cores are redefining themselves in remarkable and lasting ways. Neighborhoods are no longer defined by only one or two activities. City dwellers are increasingly seeking a fine-grain urban fabric, with a blend of culture, commerce
and housing. Empty lots ̶whether filled with cars or covered with trash and weeds ̶acts as holes in this fabric. Developers often talk of empty lots as short-term blanks that will be filled as soon as the economy improves. But temporary conditions have a way of becoming permanent, as countless examples in cities across North America show. As a result, many city centers are blighted with la sting scares on their urban landscape that damper the very civic revitalization the developers once promised. A movement called temporary urbanism is looking to change this. It is showing how ̶with a lot of ingenuity and a little
Mass bike rides or the annual Park(ing) Day events. The goal is to inspire peoples imagination to the potential of not only these vacant sites, but for urban life overall.
investment ̶cities could transform these urban voids into
Temporary urbanism goes beyond exhorting what should be
urban oases. Some lots could be turned into instant parks,
done. It focuses is on what CAN be done by creating tangible ̶if
landscaped with fast-growing trees and shrubs that offer
temporary ̶alternatives to the status-quo. The temporary nature
environmental benefits. Others could be t ransformed into
of these transformations enable citizens to think outside the
outdoor markets,pop-up retail spaces or event locations. Still
block and use the spaces as testing grounds for new ideas about
others could display art or offer casual spots for social
urban living. In the process, it encourages cities to move beyond
interaction. The concept of temporary urbanism is also being
developers empty lots (and promises) and engage residents
taken to the streets through events, such as monthly Critical
about their citys future.
Utopian Urbanism: The Impossibility of Perfection environment will lead to a more ordered and efficient society society.. In the 20th century, proposals as Sir Ebenezer Howards Howards Garden City (1902), Le Corbusiers Corbusier s Ville Radieuse (Radiant City ̶1927 and Frank Lloyd Wrights
Broadacre City City (1952)
were all inspired by the concept of utopian urbanism. Utopian urbanism views separating structures by function as the most rational way of ordering space. As a result, residential areas were completely separated from business are service areas. Road network connected the various functional areas. From a contemporary urbanist perspective utopian urbanism has significant shortcomings. No single plan can anticipate the needs of millions of people. Real cities have grown organically and reflect the variety, diversity and interactions of society over time. Moreover, utopian urbanism is dehumanizing as the Throughout history, history, there have been many attempts to create
put form and structure over the needs of residents.
the ideal environment for the ideal society; in other words ̶ utopia. Utopian urbanism is based based on a concept defined in Sir
For these reasons (and others), few utopian communities were
Thomas Mores Utopia Utopia (1518). In this book, Utopia is the
ever built. Those that were attempted failed to live up the their
name of a fictional island in the Atlantic that is home to an
creators expectations This is a somewhat fitting outcome as
ideal community with a perfect social, political and legal
Utopia has a dual meaning. Not only was it a perfect place
system.
(eutopia) as envisioned by the planners mentioned above, it was also no place (outopia) ̶a place that does not exist and
Many architects preoccupy themselves with designing the perfect city. They believe that a rationally planned
ultimately never can.
Vernacular Urbanism: Creating Meaningful Places of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group. Ver·nac·u·lar:: Ver·nac·u·lar
Most cities ̶even those with grand plans like Burnhams Chicago or Haussmanns Paris ̶derive much of their character from their locality. Their urban fabric is largely defined by factors such as local building materials, climate, access to water, history and most importantly, culture. Alas, for most of the past 60 years, cities, especially those in North America have forgotten to look back. Instead, buoyed by quick and easy access to a variety of building materials and the dominance of the automobile, they have created generic places without reference to a citys location, history or even its residents. These places have focused on the needs of business and commerce and ignored the necessities of people. Vernacular urbanism is the antithesis of generic urbanism. It is an urbanism that is local in character, meaningful for its inhabitants, rooted to its surroundings and connected with history. It is based on the idea that the a city needs to know where it came from and how it relates to its past if it is to be successful in moving forward. While the roots of vernacular urbanism are found in the history of a place, it isnt simply about the old fashion and traditional.
Instead, vernacular urbanism integrates the old and the new. It combines what a city has with what it needs based on local factors. By thinking this was, a city can economically, socially and environmentally sustain itself for generations to come. On a philosophical level, vernacular urbanism can help us understand not only where we are, but who we are as a community and why we are this way. To borrow a line from the late historian Christopher Lasch, vernacular urbanism teaches us about our basic disposition to the world around us.
Walkable Urbanism: Back to the Future Walkable urbanism focuses on creating and enhancing
Such places are often characterized by efficient mass transit
pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income places.
systems and higher density, mixed use developments. These
While many observers connect walkable urbanism with large, high density places like Manhattan or downtown Chicago, walkable urban places have great variability. They are found in
factors enable residents to walk almost everywhere for everything ̶ whether it be home, work, the grocery store or the movie theaters.
lower-density small downtowns like Lawrence, Kansas; Kansas;
Walkable urbanism is nothing new; it was the way towns and
suburban town centers such as Dublin, Ohio, Ohio, and higher-
cities were designed from the first urban settlements about
density neighborhoods in larger cities like LODO in Denver.
5,500 years ago to the mid 20th century. After World World War II, government policy began encouraging drivable suburbanism. This led to the sprawling, low-density cities most North Americans are familiar with. In recent years, interest in suburbanism has begun to wane. The pendulum is swinging back towards more compact walkable neighborhoods ̶the type of places t hat existed before the wide-spread use of the automobile. The return t o walkable urbanism is due to several factors: 1.
A car car depe depende ndent nt life lifesty style le does does not ser serve ve an agin aging g population well.
2.
The nee need d to dri drive ve ever everywh ywhere ere has beg begun un to take take its toll on our health and environment, with driving and long commutes being linked to an increased rate of obesity and higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
...Walkable Urbanism 3.
Creativ Cre ative e you young ng prof profess ession ional, al, inf influen luenced ced by tele televis vision ion shows like Seinfeld and Friends, are seeking a more connected lifestyle, for both economic and social reasons.
This return to pre-war urban form has led Christopher Leinberger,, author of The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a Leinberger New American Dream to coin walkable urbanism as Back Back To the Future Future in reference to the fictional community of Hill of Hill Valley.. Valley
Walkable urbanism is nothing new; new; it was the way towns and cities were designed from the first urban settlements until the mid 20th century.
X-Urbanism: Catchy but not Compelling While an interesting premise (and a great term), it never really caught on outside academic circles. This is, in part because while Gandelsonas research is exhaustive, it is also somewhat convoluted. Another shortcoming is it falls into a common architecture trap by describing the city solely as the object of architecture, without mentioning realities such as land ownership, property values, or even urban design. Finally, as it took over 15 years to research and write, by the time it was published the books methodology and graphic representations were dated. Indeed, while Gandelsonas was researching books such as Joel Garreaus Edge City and Jonathan Barnetts books The Elusive City and The Fractured Metropolis were published. These
books cover much of the same theoretical ground as XX-Urbanism is a theoretical framework for analyzing the American city and its architecture, particularly that of the late 20th century. The term was coined in the 1999 book XUrbanism: Architecture and the American City by architect
Urbanism, but in a more compelling manner. Indeed Edge City has become a classic study of ex-urban sprawl, and edge city appears to have taken the place that x-urbanism sought in the urban lexicon.
and professor Mario Gandelsonas. The book provided a new
Nevertheless X-urbanism remains a compelling concept; it just
way of envisioning cities by examining various configurations of
needs a new, updated perspective. Perhaps it is time for Mario
urban space. The term serves as a visual representation of the
Gandelsonas to revisit his framework. After all a lot has occurred
formal properties of American urbanism ̶fabric, void, grid, wall
in American cities in the 25 years since the book was conceived
t̶ hat reveal the hidden structure of urban areas.
and the decade since it was published.
Yuppie Urbanism: Biting the Hands that Serve Us Some of the most urban neighborhoods in the country are also the most expensive. This means that only a select cross-section of society ̶aka yuppies ̶can afford to live, or even hang out, there. This yuppie urbanism often a direct result of urban policy planning. In the quest for a perfect city, politicians and planners seek higher end condos, retail, restaurants and clubs and even employers. These yuppie friendly establishments are seen as bringing respectability (not to mention tax dollars). A central feature of urbanism is that each neighborhood contain a variety of at tractions and services that serve diverse niches. As Ive written before, the magic is in the mix. Too often, in the quest for t he right type of people, planner and politicians forget this. In yuppie-centric urban neighborhoods, the residential units are often high-end condos and the retail is usually high-end boutiques. Moreover, little in these
Mass bike rides or the annual Park(ing) Day events. The goal is to inspire peoples imagination to the potential of not only these vacant sites, but for urban life overall.
neighborhoodss is more than a few years old. Thus, although neighborhood
This isnt to say that yuppies do not have a place in cities.
the uses may seem mixed, the culture is as monolithic as a
Gentrification is not necessarily a bad thing. It can reflect the
suburban gated community community..
transformation of neglected places into vibrant and successful
Moreover,, yuppie urbanism ignores the very people who make Moreover it possible. These are the clerks who work in the boutiques; the entertainers who perform at the jazz and comedy clubs; the artists who create the work hanging in the galleries; and even the fuppies (future yuppies) working their way through school
areas. The problem lies when cities and planners ONLY attract yuppies (and often discourage others socioeconomic groups) or favors multinational chains like Starbucks over local alternatives. Remember that mixed use does not only refer to business types, but also the people who frequent them.
Zipcar Urbanism: Bridging a Gap in the Urban Fabric Despite the movement back towards walkable urbanism, the reality is that most North American cities favor the automobile. Indeed, there are very few cities that you can live a comfortable car-free lifestyle. While people living in walkable neighborhoods can walk or take transit to most of their destinations, occasionally we a car for such things such as getting to meetings, carting large purchases or responding to family emergencies. Until recently, this need meant choosing between owning a vehicle that may only be used a few hours a week, or going without and facing the costs of taxis or the inconvenience of renting a car from a centralized location for an entire day. The result is that many urbanites are reluctant car owners. Car sharing helps bridge this gap. It provides access to a car when needed, but without the obligations inherent in owning one. It provides an affordable, convenient option for trips otherwise not possible through other means of transportation As car sharing companies like Zipcar becomes more prevalent across North America it will have a profound effect on our urban form. Hence the term Zipcar Urbanism. By reducing unnecessary ownership and use, Zipcar urbanism leads to less traffic congestion, fewer parking lots and higher transit ridership rates: •
Parking lots that were once used to warehouse cars for
20+ hours a day can be put to more productive uses. •
•
Streets once dominated by commuters can become multi-use boulevards. In many cases, reduced car use will lead to increased transit readership and ultimately better frequency and more options. Reduced expenditures on owning and maintaining a car (estimated at $6-7,000 a year), mean that we have more money to offset the costs of urban amenities.
Taken together these factors, among others, show how Zipcar urbanism can play an instrumental role in enhancing the urban fabric of our cities.
Now I Know My ABCs...
Phew... its over! I hoped you enjoyed reading these entries as much as I did writing them. Over the course of writing each of these 26 entries I have taken a peek at a range of urban theories and phenomena, ranging from the fanciful to the rudimentary.. In writing this series, I've learned a lot more about some rudimentary popular urbanisms (new urbanism, landscape urbanism); urbanism); been able to focus on some of my favorites (adaptive urbanism and open-source urbanism); and perhaps even coined a new urbanism or two (yuppie urbanism and Zipcar urbanism). Writing this series has also taught me t hat these 26 urbanisms cover but a small fraction of the diversity of urban c onstructs that exist. On the next page is a list of 101 urbanisms that will highlight the broad scope of contemporary urban studies. In the meantime, I would love to know which which of my ABC's you you found most interesting or compelling. Please send me an email at
[email protected] indicating your favorite urbanism.
Appendix: 101 Urbanism While the previous 26 urbanisms may have seem an exhaustive list (it certain felt like one when writing it!), it is only a small sample of the many fields of urban study. To illustrate the number and diversity of thinking on urbanism, I have created this list of 101 urbanisms. Lest you think I pulled these from thin air, I made sure that each one has at least one meaningful link on Google; several have books or serious academic journals dedicated to them. Accessible Urbanism
Adaptive Urbanism* Agrarian Urbanism
Everyday Urbanism* Exotic Urbanism Future Urbanism
Agricultural Urbanism
Fractal Urbanism
Agora Urbanism
Fine-Grained Urbanism* Generic Urbanism* GeoUrbanism
Jacobsian Urbanism* Kinetic Urbanism* Landscape Urbanism* Layered Urbanism Living Urbanism
Parametric Urbanism
Stereoscopic Urbanism
Participatory Urbanism
Suburban Urbanism
Political Urbanism
Sustainable Urbanism* Sustainable Temporary Urbanism* Trace Urbanism
Post-Modern Urbanism
Magical Urbanism Market Urbanism
Post-Traumatic Urbanism Post-Traumatic Propagative Urbanism Provocative Urbanism
Green Urbanism Guerilla Urbanism Gypsy Urbanism
Messy Urbanism*
Queer (anti)Urbanism
Transnational Urbanism Transnational True Urbanism Unitary Urbanism
Mobile Urbanism Networked Urbanism
Quasi-Urbanism* Radical Urbanism
Utopian Urbanism* Vertical Urbanism
New (Sub)Urbanism
Real Urbanism
Village Urbanism
New Urbanism* Noir Urbanism Nonconforming Urbanism
Recombinant Urbanism
Clean Urbanism
Healthy Urbanism Urbanism** Holistic Urbanism Holy Urbanism Indigenous Urbanism
Vernacular Urbanism* Walkable Urbanism* Water Urbanism
Collaborative Urbanism* Dialectical Urbanism Digital Urbanism
Informal Urbanism* Infrastructural Urbanism Instant Urbanism
Nuclear Urbanism
Retrofit Urbanism* Retrofuture Urbanism Second Rate Urbanism
Disconnected Urbanism
Integral Urbanism Introvert Urbanism Inverted Urbanism
Anti-Urbanism Augmented Urbanism Behavioral Urbanism
Big Urbanism* Border Urbanism Braided Urbanism Bricole Urbanism Bypass Urbanism
DIY Urbanism* Ecological Urbanism Emergent Urbanism
Occupancy Urbanism
Open Source Urbanism* Opportunistic Urbanism P2P Urbanism Paid Urbanism*
Relational Urbanism Resilient Urbanism
Slum Urbanism Social Urbanism
Web Urbanism Xeriscape Urbanism
X-Urbanism* Yuppie Urbanism* Zoomorphic Urbanism Zip Car Urbanism*
About the Author About Yuri Yuri ̶aka the Incurable Urbanist ̶has spent the past four years creating community in the urban desert that is better known as Phoenix. Find out more at yuriartibise.com or the links below.
About Yurbanism Yurbanism Yurban ism explores urbanism, placemaking and c ommunity ommunity.. It explores the Y of urbanism by sharing ways to make our cities more livable, community-oriented places one block at a time.
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Photo Credits 1.
(and (a nd pa page ge nu numb mber ers) s):: Fli Flick ckr/ r/Leo Reynolds / /Letter Letter and
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Flickr/bixentro / /M M
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Flickr/Leo Reynolds / /Letter Letter N
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Flickr/rachel_titiriga /ne.O.n
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Flickr/otherthings / /P P
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Flickr/Eva The Weaver / /Q Q raised and pink
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jeremy.wilburn / Flickr/ jeremy.wilburn /R R
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Flickr/Rafal Kiermacz / /S S
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Flickr/mag3737 / /T T
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Flickr/TooFarNorth / /u u
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Flickr/Eva The Weaver / /V V - Vip
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Flickr/Eva The Weaver / /W-att? W-att?
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Flickr/sulamith.sallmann / /Halteverbot Halteverbot
32.
Flickr/Eva The Weaver / /Y Y - goodYear
33.
Flickr/ximilian / /Bassiano's Bassiano's alphabet - Z
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Flickr/designwallah / /B B
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joshfassbind.com / Flickr/ joshfassbind.com /C C
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Flickr/bixentro / /D D
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joshfassbind.com / Flickr/ joshfassbind.com /E E
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Flickr/designwallah / /F F
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Flickr/billaday / /Today's Today's photo-a-day photo-a-day is brought to you by the letter K
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Flickr/D.C. Atty / /alphal alphal
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