Neighborhoods - Nodes of Places
Great neighborhoods have a variation of development intensity and character which can result in a wonderfully interesting, vibrant “messy urbanism”.
If real estate development happens in areas that are segregated by use, creating the condition where everyone has to drive everywhere for everything, then that’s sprawl. That development pattern almost always results in monotone, forgettable, utilitarian environments that few people are proud of, where no one wants to spend more time than absolutely necessary to complete their tasks, and where traffic congestion and isolated areas are abundant.
(Google Earth aerial)
Many cities established their zoning codes in the years following World War II when the desire to accommodate cars and trucks eclipsed the need to maintain and create walkable neighborhoods. This myopic desire all but destroyed many urban communities. In suburban areas the result was almost always a pattern of segregated land uses reachable only by car. While many cities have tried to revise their zoning codes since then, these separated patterns of land use continue to adversely affect communities even today. It’s difficult to be a senior citizen, to be a child, to be disabled, and to connect with others in a humanly and meaningful way in these places. People in these communities are isolated.
A community that has a development pattern with nodes – or pockets – of pedestrian-friendly mixed use development (instead of continuous, monotonous regions of like-type development) are healthier, desirable, and sustainable cities. Businesses – especially small local businesses – have a better chance of success when located in walkable mixed-use nodes because they thrive off of one another; they can share publicity, public events, parking, and patrons. Visitors out for an entertaining evening can visit a walkable neighborhood business district, park once, and walk to several destinations throughout the evening.
The most vibrant pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods have a core with a mix of uses in and around them. In addition to street-level restaurants and retail they have: office (including co-working, professional, personal services, etc.), recreation (yoga & dance studios, art classes, etc.), education (media, adult education, etc.) and sometimes even light manufacturing (artisans, maker spaces, etc.). But these uses are difficult to encourage if the zoning is not in sync with a community’s desires for the future, so citizens must ensure that their zoning code allows a healthy mix of uses.
Within these core nodes of mixed-use, and often surrounding them, thriving neighborhoods have a range of housing types. This range of housing, especially when built in reasonable densities (such as: such as condominiums, apartments, rowhouse, etc.) provides businesses with patrons every night of the week and supplies multi-generational living. The people who move into a walkable neighborhood and make it thrive are empty-nester Baby Boomers (who no longer want to clean the gutters of a house that’s too big for them) as well as Millennials (who want to live in an interesting, fun place). These multi-family housing types, located around neighborhood business districts, reduce the quantity of vehicle trips and the number of cars and trucks. By providing a large quantity of people who live in and around the neighborhood business district, multi-family buildings help ensure the safety of an area because they put more "eyes on the street” as Jane Jacobs said.
On-street parking is a must-have for a thriving, walkable neighborhood business district. While it may seem antithetical, this is clearly the case for several reasons:
Street Calming: The street friction of parked cars causes traffic to slow down
Valuable communal parking: so each small business (especially in existing buildings) doesn’t have to provide its own parking lot.
Synergy of clustered businesses: encourages a park-once-and-walk mentality
Even newer, predominantly retail, “life-style” developments have on-street parking. Even though the number of parking spaces on these streets is not nearly enough to provide all of the parking that a life-style development will need, these “teaser” parking spaces provide a sense of vitality that large surface parking lots simply can’t achieve – and the most conveniently located parking spaces.