"California is expected to grow by 12 million people in the next 20 years. Many other states, while not growing as fast, are also experiencing major migrations to suburban areas as much as we may like development to focus on infill and redevelopment, such efforts will only solve part of the growth problem. Even Portland, Oregon, with its urban growth boundary and strong urban design policies, satisfies only 30 percent of its growth with infill and redevelopment."

California is expected to grow by 12 million people in the next 20 years. Many other states, while not growing as fast, are also experiencing major migrations to suburban areas as much as we may like development to focus on infill and redevelopment, such efforts will only solve part of the growth problem. Even Portland, Oregon, with its urban growth boundary and strong urban design policies, satisfies only 30 percent of its growth with infill and redevelopment. There is a critical need for a new paradigm of growth on undeveloped sites - one that complements urban infill and revitalization. This paradigm would match a new circulation system with the new forms of land use now emerging through the New Urbanism and Smart Growth movements. Our transportation network is still a suburban grid of arterials punctuated by freeways. On occasion, a transit line may overlay this auto-oriented framework, supporting transit-oriented development and the revitalization of some historic towns and cities. But short of that, New Urbanism and Smart Growth are forced to take place within a network designed for sprawl.

The old way--

The old paradigm is simple: a grid of arterials spaced at one-mile increments with major retail located at the intersections and commercial strips lining its inhospitable but very visible edges. Overlaying the grid in rings and radials is the freeway system. The intersection of the grid and freeway is fertile ground for malls and office parks. This system is rational, coherent, and true to itself, even if increasingly dysfunctional. To insist that we must build transit rather than freeways is simplistic, just as calling for infill development to the exclusion of new growth is unrealistic. This is not to say that transit and infill are trivial pursuits, but they are not and never will be the whole story. We must develop a new circulation pattern that will accommodate cars as well as transit and will reinforce walkable places rather than isolating them. Bringing daily destinations closer to home is a fundamental aspect of urbanism, but it is not the complete solution to our access needs. More than ever, regions define our lives. Our job opportunities, cultural interests, and social networks go beyond the borders of any single neighborhood or town. Even if we double the percentage of walkable trips in a neighborhood and triple transit ridership, there still will be massive growth in auto trips - not to mention an exploding quantity of truck miles. We need a system that accommodates all modes efficiently at the same time that it supports urbanism throughout the region.

External Links:

More Information: www.perspectives.cutr.usf.edu/articles/New_Urbanism/0020.pdf

Further Reading:

The Urban Network: A Radical Proposal