Archinect - News

Billionaire-backed plan to erect a model California city qualifies for the ballot

2024-06-13T19:25:00-04:00

The billionaire proponents of a brand-new city that would rise from the rolling prairie northeast of the San Francisco Bay cleared their first big hurdle Tuesday, when the Solano County Registrar of Voters certified the group had enough signatures to put its proposal before local voters in November.

The plan calls for up to 400,000 residents to be housed nearly 60 miles from San Francisco on an over 16,000-acre land parcel currently used mainly for tomato, walnut, and plant nursery farming. The group responsible for the development, California Forever, has continued quietly surveying Solano County residents for their opinions since our last update in January. But, the LA Times says: “Project opponents said a recent [independent] poll they conducted found that 70% of the people surveyed were skeptical.”

What could come next might provide a case study for the long-held theories of Ebenezer Howard, Leon Krier, and other noted New Urbanism scholars.

On the potential 'second draft' of the American suburbs

2022-07-28T13:29:00-04:00

It could look like another round of flight from the city. Or what we may be witnessing is a “second draft” of the American suburbs. Many communities that were once white, exclusionary, and car-dependent are today diverse and evolving places, still distinct from the big city but just as distinct from their own “first draft” more than a half-century ago.

The American suburbs are continuing to diversify and gain millennials and increased numbers of immigrants, two groups that have traditionally been confined to cities. More mixed-use and affordable developments are being delivered in suburban areas where single-family constructions have long dominated. Considerations for car-free and walkable communities are also becoming more popular in planning circles, joined by taller buildings, improved restaurant culture, and nightclubs. As Addison Del Mastro noted in the Vox piece, “the makings of a suburban transformation are here.”

Indeed. Home builders are currently attempting to meet a perplexing demand challenge by going smaller and cheaper, leading to a 7% decrease in single-family starts in June. ADUs are also starting to present themselves as affordable solutions, along with more newfashioned inventions like co-living that, in combination, are making the never-ending horizontal sprawl of the suburbs much denser. In the words of one eco...

Influential urban theorist Christopher Alexander has passed away at 85

2022-03-21T17:46:00-04:00

The world of architectural theory is in mourning after news that architect, urbanist, AIA Gold Medalist, and former UC Berkeley professor Christopher Alexander passed away peacefully in his home in the south of England Thursday following a long illness.

Alexander was a pioneering theorist and early proponent of the New Urbanism movement who authored several crucial texts including The Timeless Way of Building and 1973’s seminal A Pattern Language.

Born in Austria in 1936, Alexander read mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge before immigrating to the United States to attend both MIT and Harvard in 1958. Alexander joined the faculty as Professor of Architecture at Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design in 1963.

As a theorist, he was instrumental in developing still-used planning methods first published in The Oregon Experiment in 1975 and known for influencing the development of a software engineering concept that eventually led to Wikipedia. As an architect, he demonstrated ...

Revenge of the Suburbs?

2020-06-22T12:46:00-04:00

American homes are extravagant, having swelled from about 1,500 square feet on average in 1973 to more than 2,400 in 2018. After the pandemic, memory of the novel utility of all that space could justify even more of it. Some companies have already declared their intention to let workers telecommute forever, and real-estate analysts anticipate more companies eliminating or curtailing expensive commercial leases to save money.

The new article from The Atlantic expands on the premise, "Suburbia was never as bad as anyone said it was. Now it’s looking even better."
The incoming changes to built environment due to COVID-19 pandemic, might well be viewed as going back to suburban communities and escape from the density of packed urban environments, the author argues.

As many companies want to keep "working from home" policies extended, city folks might benefit from lesser traffic and lower property values and rents, as this reporter observes.

Jaquelin “Jaque" Taylor Robertson, co-founder of Cooper Robertson, has passed away

2020-05-14T13:39:00-04:00

Jaquelin “Jaque" Taylor Robertson, FAIA, a founding partner of architecture firm Cooper Robertson and the urban designer behind the master plan for Celebration, Florida, has passed away at age 87.

Aerial view of Celebration, Florida. Image by Robert Benson Photography.

A message from Cooper Robertson marking the architect's passing reads as follows:

Over the course of his long, fruitful and rich life, Jaque’s accomplishments were innumerable, extraordinary and widely varied. He had a staggering breadth of life experiences and a seemingly bottomless well of talents; always setting the bar high, holding to the highest of standards and accepting nothing short of excellence, first in himself, and in his partners and colleagues as well.

The Jaque we remember is that of a tall, dashingly handsome figure, in custom tailored suits from London, matching bow tie and pocket-square, with a winning smile and a twinkle in his electric blue eyes; a mirror to a soul that was fundamentally warm, lovi...

Don't believe the hype: Brick-and-mortar retail is here to stay

2019-09-24T19:30:00-04:00

The hypothetical Retail Apocalypse should be supported by a decline in the total retail establishments, but that's not the case. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 1,044,509 establishments for 2018, for a net gain of 2,413 establishments over 2017 (1,042,096). The 2018 figure also represents a net gain of more than 20,800 establishments since a retail trough in 2011, a low point resulting from the Great Recession.

Sharon Woods, CEO of real estate consultant group LandUseUSA, writes in Public Square, a journal produced by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) presents an opposing, data-driven view of the future of America's retail landscape.

Woods writes, "The future for brick-and-mortar retail is far less bleak than the scene painted by mainstream media. Although e-commerce is taking a larger share of the pie, brick-n-mortar and physical store sales are also continuing to grow. Most of the chain store closures are limited to certain segments of retail—particularly department stores anchors and apparel tenants of sprawling regional malls and strip centers."

As the chart above notes, much of the retail growth is taking place in chain restaurants, CVS HealthHUB stores, and dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

Reviving Main Street, but now it's highbrow

2019-02-21T13:38:00-05:00

Wealthy individuals like Mr. Resnick, well-funded nonprofits and even corporations...have begun buying deserted American main streets, hoping to reinvent them with a fresh aesthetic. The people behind these ventures frequently install their friends and acquaintances in storefronts, while attempting to preserve (or exploit, depending whom you ask) local history. The practice is rarely free of conflict, even when developers have the best intentions.

In Mountain Dale NY, Butch Resnick now owns most of the previously vacant buildings and has hired a "town curator". Jennifer Miller digs into this and other recent examples, including in Monson Maine, Wardensville, W.Va, Cerro Gordo CA, of combining artists, rural-small-town nostalgia and tastemaking to create the perfect blend of artisanal, hipster consumerism scaled down from the lifestyle center to the town.

Nike transforms historic Chicago church into basketball court for young hoopers

2018-09-19T17:33:00-04:00

It has been said that sport is a religion, and a new pop-up court in Chicago facilitated by Nike takes this quite literally. The Church of Epiphany, dating back to 1885, has been converted by the shoe company into its latest Just Do It HQ. Decked out in custom stained glass, the former historic place of worship has become a site for local high school basketball teams to shoot some hoops.

Photography by Mo Daoud.

The conversion is the work of Storey Studio, a British design studio that has collaborated with Nike on a number of colorful projects. Outfitted with a state-of-the-art basketball court, sports gym, and locker room, their latest work was open for the month of August, offering activities such as interactive youth workshops, training, and school clinics. Former Bulls star Scottie Pippen even stopped by to share some advice with local high school athletes.

Photography by Mo Daoud.

This converted church is the latest example of Nike'...

On the ground, a “new suburbanism”?

2017-01-09T16:01:00-05:00

In 2015, 18 percent of all existing housing units on Long Island were multifamily. While that is less than half the percentage in New York metropolitan suburbs over all, change is apparent across the island...12,500 condominium and rental units within half a mile of train stations had been approved over the last 11 years, 7,000 of which have been built. Another 10,000 units could be approved in five to six years.

Marcelle Sussman Fischler reports in from the suburbs around New York City, where luxury, amenity-rich, mixed-used TOD is offering up an urbanized suburbia.

Meanwhile in the Denver region, an innovative public-private financing tool Denver Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Fund, is attempting to "preserve and create affordable housing and community facilities". Denver's official Transit Oriented Development Strategic Plan from 2014.

Also previously, The New Suburbanism by Joel Kotkin.

Long derided by architects, Prince Charles' model town Poundbury might not be all that bad after all

2016-10-27T13:22:00-04:00

If Poundbury is a game, it is one that has become a good deal more convincing over time. For years derided as a feudal Disneyland, where Prince Charles could play at being planner like Marie Antoinette with her toy hamlet in Versailles, this supposed ghost town feels increasingly like a real place...[Strip] away the fancy dress and you find a plan that far exceeds the sophistication achieved by any modern housebuilder.

“We are engaged in creating a convincing fake,” [Ben Pentreath, an architect who has worked in Poundbury] says. “All architecture is essentially wallpaper: underneath, it’s all the same stuff.”

More New Urbanism:

Jan Gehl: "Never ask what the city can do for your building, always ask what your building can do for the city."

2016-05-25T20:18:00-04:00

I’m not so critical about New York, because they have this very firm grid-pattern. Even the newer buildings are lined up on good streets. If you stand in front of the Empire State Building, you can’t really guess how tall it is, because it meets the street in a friendly way. [...] It’s not so important how high the building is, or how much it looks like a perfume bottle, it’s more important how it interacts with the city.

Scott Merrill wins the 2016 Driehaus Prize

2016-01-20T14:29:00-05:00

Scott Merrill, an architect known for his originality and creative application of architectural precedents, has been named the recipient of the 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame. Merrill, the 14th Driehaus Prize laureate, will be awarded the $200,000 prize and a bronze miniature of the Choregic Monument of Lysikrates during a ceremony on March 19 (Saturday) in Chicago.

Scott Merril, the founder and principal designer of Merrill, Pastor & Colgan in Vero Beach Florida, has been awarded the 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame.

Now in it's 14th year, the Driehaus Prize is something like an alternative Pritzker awarded to "a living architect whose work embodies the highest ideals of traditional and classical architecture in contemporary society, and creates a positive cultural, environmental, and artistic impact."

Initiated by the fund manager and philanthropist Richard Driehaus, the Prize comes with a $200,000 check – about double the amount awarded with the Pritzker.

"The jury’s selection of Scott Merrill as the 2016 Driehaus Prize laureate brings into focus his remarkable ability to apply the principles of traditional architecture to a wide variety of building types while integrating unique regional identities,” Driehaus stated in the award announcement. “His work beautifully demonstrates the inherent versatility of tradition...

A trip in Lavasa, India's developing corporate-built town

2015-12-08T18:37:00-05:00

When fully built, [the New Urbanist, corporate development] Lavasa intends to consume 100 sq km...and will cater to a total population of up to 300,000 in five 'towns' built on seven hills...[But] how does it turn itself from a quirky weekend getaway into a fully fledged 'smart city' where people live and work full time?

Previously on Archinect: Lavasa a new orderly, high-tech "city"

In Chicago, forming economically integrated suburbs is more complex than it looks

2015-07-20T15:37:00-04:00

Housing advocates have long debated the merits of moving low-income families from high-poverty urban areas to suburbs like Glenview. The move can be challenging for families, who leave behind family and friends and enter a new, affluent world. But the research is increasingly conclusive: Living in a 'good' zip code dramatically improves kids’ chances of going to college, getting a good job, and escaping poverty.

New Urbanism takes over Chicago’s suburbs

2015-07-07T17:20:00-04:00

But thanks to increased interest from buyers and less resistance from village governments, developers are constructing more new-urbanism-style homes in the burbs. “Millennials and boomers are demanding it,” explains Drew Williams-Clark, principal planner at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

Architecture Critic Mark Lamster: "We systemically encourage bad building."

2015-05-07T18:15:00-04:00

Here is a constant refrain: Why is so much new building junk? [...] The truth is that architects don’t have that much power. Architects don’t design most buildings; they are designed by developers or contractors working from cookie-cutter plans. Perhaps an architect signs off. [...] In any number of ways—our building codes, our housing policies, our preservation statutes—we systemically encourage bad building.

Mueller, Texas: a new urbanism shot at utopia

2015-02-13T20:32:00-05:00

Mueller is the product of the "new-urbanism" concept: the idea that a built environment can create meaningful community. Planners minimize the supremacy of the automobile and shape the environment around pedestrians. [...] One of the criticisms of new urbanism is that its communities look too much like a movie set — too quaint, too utopic. Yet Mueller feels real, with its ample greenways, eclectic yard art and Craftsman-style homes built with lots of native limestone.

Seven Myths About New Urbanism

2014-09-24T15:21:00-04:00

Joel Kotkin, a fellow at Chapman University and an untiring defender of the suburbs, begins a recent column in the Washington Post with a valid question: “What is a city for?” He then proceeds to get that question completely wrong. But really, we should be thanking him. In his article, he neatly sums up many of the key myths emerging from the anti-urbanism set, making my job of debunking these myths a lot easier.

The aforementioned WP column already managed to spark a lively discussion last month here on Archinect.

Editor's Picks #367

2014-05-14T14:10:00-04:00

She explains "Our role then, in Shenzhen, wasn’t to play cultural ambassador or artistic exposition-ers, but to effectively perform the moods of Los Angeles from a distance, through whatever interpretative media each individual deemed to be most fit"...

Amelia published What is the Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture / Urbanism?

Plus, the fifteenth edition of Screen/Print featured Sophie Yanow ’s graphic novel,War of Streets and Houses. The novel examines the student protests in Montreal in February of 2012

News

Orhan Ayyüce alerted readers, to the news that the Sandinista government finally managed to blow down Managua’s iconic Concha Acústica the elegant shell-shaped structure designed by architect Glen Small. snooker-doodle-dandy mourned "Now this is a Sad Day!"

Over at the Atlantic Cities, Sarah Goodyear reviewed her time spent wearing NeuroSky, one of a range of new "brain-computer interfaces" that promise to Measure the Brain's Response to Urban Design. C hris Teeter was looking fo...

Dead-malls and the return of Main Street

2013-03-10T00:07:00-05:00

The link between this New Urbanist development and a mall REIT is significant. It points to a danger raised by city planner Ann Satterthwaite: that post-mall neighborhoods will simply become outdoor malls, as controlled and sterile – and state subsidized – as indoor shopping centers.

Robbie Moore reviews the current state of thought, among urban planners, academics and real estate analysts, studying the future structure of regional towns and suburbs – and the future of public space, after "the mall" has gone. Concepts/terminology include; "Dead Malls, Grayfields and Ghostboxes".

H/T Bruce Sterling

Andrés Duany to 'avant-garde establishment:' It's not about style

2011-04-16T02:25:22-04:00

And yet, few want to know that. The otherwise omniscient Kenneth Frampton was recently heard to say, “The New Urbanists … are they still around?” “They make porches for white Southerners, don’t they?” is Rodolfo Machado’s joshing version. Unfortunately, architecture students from our elite schools believe this more easily than the truth...

Andrés Duany is looking to open a new architectural can of stylistic worms. And he wants you to reply. The gist of the argument can be summed up by the following quote:

"The problem, it seemed to us, was not one of inadequately designed “unprecedented typologies.” Suburban sprawl does not call for aesthetic intervention. It is nothing less than the principal cause of climate change. The car-dependent lifestyle of the American middle class (as well as its export version) is the major contributor to atmospheric and aquatic degradation. And that is just the beginning, as the attendant social and economic problems become even more urgent. When aging boomers are torn from their cars, when the national impoverishment fails the infrastructure, as cheap energy winds down—then the drifting wreck of suburbia will require salvage work. This is the great design challenge of the 21st century."

KATARXIS Moment: Peter Eisenman and Leon Krier, on dishwashing...

2009-06-30T23:18:00-04:00

Vintage 1983... Based on real and virtual quotes, the debate is fictitiously edited by KATARXIS.
Peter Eisenman: "Leon, come on, you cannot build this way anymore today!"
Leon Krier: " You can't, but I can! "
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