Posted Mar 13, 2014, 4:27 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Sorry for resurrecting such an older thread, but I had some thoughts after looking through photos of Verrado/Agritopia and reading some of the commentary.
1) It's really too bad that the New Urbanism model was adopted so late in the game in Arizona, with places like Tempe and Chandler fully built out. Obviously, developers were going to head back to the far suburbs at some point, and at least there's hope it will be done in this fashion, but it's too bad there isn't a "New Urbanism 1.2: Adapting Communities for Economic Prosperity" that focuses on how developers can adapt projects to be more in line with New Urbanism with the idea being the creation of a more viable and sellable product in the market.
It would be great to see shopping centers converted to mixed use, or turned inside out with parking behind and shaded walkways placed in front. It seems like getting developers to buy into that kind of renovation model could be one of the only ways for areas like Midtown to revitalize. It might never be economically feasibly to tear down Park Central and build 4 mixed use high rises with underground parking, but what about simply creating a system of streets that make the original mall the economic center of a mixed use community?
It's just kind of overwhelming to look at Central Phoenix, let alone the Valley altogether, and think of having to start from scratch on top of the crap built post-WW2 that it would be almost comforting to know that at least some of it is salvageable.
2) The problem with saying the craftsman designed houses in Verrado, for example, are creepy because they're simply recreations of a style from s different era is that there isn't really a style dominating the 2000s in residential architecture when it comes to single family homes.
I live in New Jersey and you could pick up the Roosevelt district and place it next door and it would fit in. Similarly, several midcentury homes wouldn't cause anyone to look twice. And, now, just like in Arizona, new homes are constructed either as recreations of Victorian or Colonial, or done in our version of the "faux Tucson" which are these monstrous bi-level homes with attached garages (rare in older neighborhoods here) and fake brick or stone facades (usually 2-3 per 1 torn down original home).
I think the difference is that here, our recreations are done with quality materials and the interiors include high-end finishes, like moldings, fireplaces, and period touches like wainscoting and built-ins. Whereas in Verrado, from what I understand, the interiors are essentially identical to your faux Tucson homes, giving the exterior a faux feel.
3) So, It seems then that the ideal New Urbanism town would include a mix of architectural styles with interiors that are consistent with the period and quality of the exterior architecture. Seeing a 2-story Colonial next to a midcentury ranch would give off less of a creepy feel and also allow a mix of incomes and age groups to purchase within the community- obviously, the ranch would be less expensive. All of this would make the community seem more authentic, IMO.
There still seem to be some issues:
1) Because of financing, there won't ever be a fully developed town center, and so residents will need to leave and drive quite far for certain goods.
Should developers leave room for expansion in the future in the commercial center? Or, create smaller communities, with each phase getting it's own center, so that eventually, a built-out development would have 6, 1-square mile "towns" with CBD's that all complemented each other's?
2) The heat of Arizona's summers make this impossible, but ideally, the garages would be detached IMO. Living and growing up in an older neighborhood, you really get to know those around you when you are outside of the home, and the #1 deterrent to that happening nowadays is the garage, whether you put it in the back or the front. As long as it's attached, you'll still pull in and head right in your secluded home.
Were many people actually outside using their porches and outdoor spaces? Otherwise, New Urbanism isn't working from a social perspective, only from a sustainable community perspective, because it wouldn't be fostering interaction any more than other communities.
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