Building community
Chapter 20 of the New Urbanism Best Practices Guide
Author Douglas E. Morris has argued that loneliness, depression, violence, and other individual or societal troubles can be traced at least partly to the physical breakdown of community. This chapter argues that physical structure does not determine how we live, but it does influence behavior and affect people’s well-being. Evidence is presented from Harbor Town in Memphis, Celebration in Florida, Orenco Station in Oregon, Kentlands in Maryland, and elsewhere.
How does New Urbanism build a sense of community? Planning professor Emily Talen cites two ways: by integrating private residential space with surrounding public space and by designing and placing the public space carefully. This chapter considers social and economic diversity in HOPE VI and market-rate developments, and looks at techniques for achieving this diversity — such as bringing houses, apartments, and condo units close to workplaces, stores, restaurants, and other places where people spend time.
This chapter looks at New Urbanism’s techniques for creating more “eyes on the street” and at community-building events and activities, including newspapers, community intranets, celebrations, races, yard sales, tours, and classes. The relation of cohousing to New Urbanism is discussed. Jan Pomerantz, who works with community-building organizations, tells how nonprofit organizations can enhance community life. Real estate attorney Doris Goldstein plumbs the dissatisfaction that often pervades relations between the developer and the residents, and offers methods for averting disappointment. These include setting up the homeowners association wisely, training homeowners for leadership, and avoiding the pitfalls of architectural review.
