The shape of things to come...

Design is an important part of what I do as a City Planner. While I do not engage in the specific design of buildings or open spaces, much of what goes on in the City is directly influenced by laws that I helped to write. It is important, then, to know what some of the basic tenets planners subscribe to when it comes to design are and how to best implement them in the City.

There are basic elements of every City that are the same: roads, commercial areas, industrial areas, residential areas, open spaces, etc. The interplay between these various areas becomes important as the demands placed on the land increases. Further, the appropriate transition from one kind of land use to another helps give each district a distinct feel and character. This adds (perhaps ironically) to the overall cohesive strength of the City and ensures the vitality and continuity of the whole.

European cities have the luxury of thousands of years of history. The places they have and the paths that connect them are well known and well established. As a result, people find it easy to connect with a certain place. Their experiences add new layers on the existing well-worn fabric of the City and fortify the importance of the place in the collective conscience. Many Asian cities are the same.

American cities, however, often face challenges this way. Rapid expansion and growth leads to places that are disposable in feel if not in actual practice. People at times feel a need to experience the bucolic ideal of yesteryear with the strange nostalgia for the European cityscape that they have not fully experienced (vacations to Europe notwithstanding). Indeed, Europe has become almost a Disney-like experience for many Americans - a place to go and enjoy a lifestyle that they long for but do not know how to enjoy or create.

What, then, to do? Is there a way to create a hybrid of both practices, enabling a place that feels American but incorporates important ideas and lessons learned from Europe and Asia?

In the last few years there has been a trend for the upper middle and upper class folks to move back into the downtown areas. This presents several interesting challenges for cities - many of which have been discussed in a previous post. But for our purposes today, I wonder why it is that this phenomenon is taking place anyway. Is it that people are longing for higher density that is available in downtown areas? Greater walkability? Easier access to cultural activities? Closer to work and restaurants? Cache? Difficult to say. Whatever the reason, they are relocating in these areas because their needs are not being met in the suburbs. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from these downtown areas.

More on this later. The ideas are still percolating. I would be interested in your thoughts on any of this...