What Can Be Learned From Smart Growth Models?

What Can Be learned from Smart Growth 

Models?

Key aspects of a successful urban environment and how smart growth relates to urban design

It is obvious that our growing population on Earth will continue to increase demands for natural resources and fossil fuels, economic growth, spatial capacity and more.  As people expand from city centers outwards, it becomes more imperative that urban planners be prepared for challenges concerned with urban sprawl and spatial design issues.  Smart growth is a term used for a more sustainable and thought-out plan for the needs of ourselves as well as future generations.  Smart growth addresses many subjects including spatial layout, urban design, architecture, wildlife or open space, entertainment, economics, population growth, and global warming, among many others.  The overall goal of smart growth is to help guide the future onto a more sustainable and efficient path while attempting to mitigate unnecessary economic costs, waste and environmental damage.  When speaking about smart growth on a more localized level, urban layout and design are very important aspects because urban infrastructure is always being built or renovated and urban areas will continuously need to be expanded and spread out.  Urban infrastructure is important for both functionality as well as aesthetic appeal.  Even HVAC and landscaping as well as building engineering and construction are fundamentally important pieces of the smart growth model because they deal with materials use and cost as well as natural resources and economics.  Smart growth is a popularly growing area of study among many disciplines including, geography and land use, economics, agriculture, international studies, engineering and mathematics, politics and psychology.  The whole idea behind this growing concept is to meet our exponentially growing demands while taking care to make conscious and responsible decisions for the future.  Smart growth is a serious of concepts and applications that can be utilized to maintain an efficient, breathable identity in our urban environments.  Smart growth is a fundamental part of an economical and environmentally conscious future and serious efforts need to be made to follow the steps necessary for perpetuating a successful future.  Our urban environments are a huge part of who we are, because they visually and specially shape our perceptions of the surrounding environment and therefore our outlook on life.  The environment that we may have grown up in will uniquely shape who we become as people and is important for building a memorable future.  Smart growth has been studied widely in many countries and is a popularly growing field of study throughout the world as well.  Using smart growth methods, we can create urban environments that make us comfortable, make us feel safe, and even help save us some money in the process.  The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized many places around the United States for the use and implementation of smart growth policies and procedures including Denver, Colorado; Arlington, Virginia; Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Davidson, North Carolina.  Other notorious smart growth hot spots include Seattle and Eugene, Oregon; and Various parts of California including San Francisco and Los Angeles.  It doesn’t matter whether a city is large or small because smart growth policies can be created and adapted to suit differently sized cities with differing populations and demographical characteristics.  The smart growth ideology is one which aims to encompass important positive, clear-minded viewpoints and morals and pushes policy implementations that can help make our communities a better place to live and work.   This message is especially noticed by cities and cultures that struggle with or want to maintain efficiency, environmental responsibility, careful planning and positive thinking.  Smart growth is a response created naturally by our race in order to cope and work through future needs, demands and issues that will always naturally accompany us.  At the most fundamental level – survival and physical/spatial adaptation. Bioliological reproduction and procreation are scientific explanations as to why we have the instinct to survive that we do.  If we as a race are always going to grow and expand, it is absolutely obvious that we must do our best to conserve and plan our urban environments in ways that will be rewarding and future conscious.  Mike Lydon, author of Tactical Urbanism and The Smart Growth Manual, as well as many other popular urbanism articles and writings, states that, “Tactical Urbanism is pure American know-how. It is the common sense that housed, fed, and prospered an entire continent of penniless immigrants.” (Lydon ).  It seems that here Lydon is speaking about urbanism in a uniquely defined way. Tactical urbanism refers to the idea that efficient growth and expansion must be approached in a tactical, organized and meaningful way.  In many continents, urbanism needs to be aggressively strategized.  The rest of the above mentioned quote by Lydon describes how the United States has always had many people without a lot of money who must search to find a better way into the future through means of smarter thinking and awareness.  As the quote says, tactical urbanism is the common sense that housed, fed, and prospered an entire continent.  

Smart growth is not only a specific set of ideas that can offer strategies as to how to spatially manage the future but it is also a fact that the term is also a factor for quality of life.  The overall goals of smart growth models and case studies seen around the world are better conditions and better quality of life derived from those conditions.  We all want better quality of life. Some are more motivated and willing to fight for change than others.  In essence, smart growth is a mechanism used for successful propulsion into the future by means of smart spatial thinking, policy, respect of resources, and morality.  Some might say that the most fundamental part of smart growth is mitigation and the fact that how we grow now shapes the future for ourselves and others to come.  Successful future growth depends on concise, yet out of the box thinking as well as proper mitigation techniques to help us plan for exponential future growth.  It wouldn’t be so far off to say that smart growth actually is a mitigation technique itself divided and analyzed as separate parts for scholarly thinking and understanding.  This idea of smart growth is so crucially important because it is comprised of so many different subjects including economics, building design, demographics, geography and politics as well as many others.  Smart growth is the smart way towards building a more improved future that meets the demands of a growing race.  Another great quote by Lydon in Tactical Urbanism says that,

“Tactical Urbanism is used by a range of actors, including governments, business and nonprofits, citizen groups, and individuals. It makes use of open and iterative development processes, the efficient use of resources, and the creative potential unleashed by social interaction. It is what Professor Nabeel Hamdi calls making plans without the usual preponderance of planning.” (Lydon ).

There are 3 key aspects of a successful physical urban environment that stand out to help to meet the needs of now and also plan for the needs of the future.    

·         Urban layout/Design – Spatial relationships

·         Urban architecture/Building design

·         Proper access to the surrounding urban environment

Urban layout and design is what helps to shape the relationships made between people and things throughout an urban environment.  Urban architecture, specifically with building design in mind, is what paints the picture of what our environment is, by creating a unique signature or image of an environment that will be perceived differently among individuals.  Proper access to the surrounding network of environments is especially important because of the fact that all life on Earth naturally love to explore and thrive.  We need to be able to access the surrounding environment in order to explore, form relationships and gain access to necessities.  Each of these 3 aspects are individually important and must be utilized in order for continuous creation and adaptation of smart growth environments.   

Spatial relationships of objects and people within a habitat shape the ideas and perceptions of the people living within it.  The physical layout of an urban area is crucially important to providing happiness, access, opportunity and safety as well as the ever important connection to Mother Nature.  How we set up our physical environment will ultimately decide how well we can utilize and access it over time.  Other key factors that can influence or affect a spatial area are weather and climate, population and level of technology.  The way in which people access their environment spatially greatly contributes to how that society will grow and adapt to future conditions.   

The Sustainable Urban Development Reader is a collection of articles and writings by experts in the new-urbanism fields and contains many stories of how cities around the United States are adapting smart growth lifestyles as well as creating policies that help to promote smart future growth.  Topics in the book that are covered include land use, urban design, transportation, ecological planning and restoration, energy and materials use, economic development, social and environmental justice, and green architecture and building.  Examples of these cities are Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Los Angeles, California.  Seattle is a city that began raising awareness towards sustainability through community outreach and participation, which eventually lead to the organization of larger, more funded grassroots and environmental organizations.  Portland is a city that has been known for renovation and restoration of ripe, unused sites among various locations.  One of these locations included the Lloyd District area in Portland, Oregon.  In 2004, the thirty-five block community was in desperate need of an overhaul and refreshment and an ambitious sustainability vision and plan was released by the Portland Development Commission.    In Los Angeles, an Eco Village was created 3 blocks west of downtown that promoted smart ideas such as eco gardens, food trade programs, and other sustainable habits.  The three of these cities are just a few of many around the United States that promote smart growth.  Urban design, urban architecture, and urban access are all aspects of an area located among a city that should be taken into consideration when planning smart growth models, policies and actions. 

Urban design focuses on the general layout of an area—the organization of buildings and other nodes or points of interest and how they are all connected.  A smart and well maintained design will create the feel of an easy to navigate area as well as the perception of a smooth and efficient flow.  Schools are located close to the neighborhoods that they serve, stores are strategically placed between neighborhoods and gas stations are placed everywhere to promote transportation ease.  Access to close entertainment is also a very fundamental part of a smart and well-designed area.  The question is, how can environments be well designed as well as truly smart and sustainable?  What truly separates nice, ordinary cities from cities that promote smart growth thinking?  One way that communities can create a more meaningful urban design is to integrate open space and park lands throughout neighborhoods and cities in generous quantity.  The quality of life and the well-being of people living among cities can be greatly increased by promoting more space for mother nature to grow and thrive within our modern, urban environments.  Other urban design characteristics that must be considered in order to promote smart growth thinking include community common areas, parks, transportation hubs, greenways and paths, streets, schools, health centers, and both private and commercial properties.  Building design and access to surrounding communities and hotspots are also important in the development of a city moving towards smart growth. 

Building design is important for smart growth cities and opportunities for renovations in older buildings are great starting points for cities to implement new building design updates and standards as part of the comprehensive plan.  One example of how sustainability can be achieved through building design is the LEED sustainable building rating system.  This system ranks building and infrastructures on their sustainability characteristics and is a competitive way to promote smart growth and more sustainable new-urbanism projects and visions.  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide.  Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.  The LEED system is also categorized into groupings which can be visualized with the following chart.

The LEED system is a great way to track the progress of present construction projects as well as monitor construction and renovation of newer and older buildings alike.  It is useful to understand that green architecture and design is not just focused on the layout and use of the building itself, but also the ways in which construction and materials use affects surrounding communities and natural resources.  Some materials are more ecologically friendly to use than others and it is important to use both types in proper balance.

Functionality is a major goal and improvement area for the smart growth model, but what does it truly take to create an urban environment that can compete with the growing and changing world?  It is useful to approach urban design from a local spectacle, at a city or neighborhood level.  Quality cities are created by a network of quality neighborhoods and towns so to examine the fundamental levels of smart growth it is necessary to examine neighborhood design and local spatial concepts.  It is well known the key characteristics of a neighborhood that makes it great or not so great to live in.  Many are obvious, but the following are some examples: Open space to infrastructure ratio, architecture and roadway dimensions, general functionality, spatial density, etc.  When designing a neighborhood with the smart growth model in mind, it should be expected that the neighborhood has characteristics that fit a spatially conscious and nature friendly master plan.  It should also follow strict but necessary guidelines and regulations that are set in place to guide and regulate spatial efficiency.  A neighborhood with more land and less population density per area is more design friendly and desirable but is costlier and inefficient.  In contrast, a neighborhood with very high population and infrastructure density is space-saving and spatially efficient, but it can feel crowded and over populated and is less desirable by many.  The biggest challenge of truly following a smart growth model is finding the balance between efficiency and comfort.  There will always be pros and cons to each decision made in the planning of a neighborhood, and each should be evaluated very closely when planning for a green community. 

In a municipality, the physical landscape, on public and private property, are guided and maintained by enforcing a set of codes or regulations which moderately control the physical creation or layout of a plot of land including its internal and surrounding infrastructure.  For example, both residential and commercial infrastructure have specific building codes while the surrounding infrastructure, the streets, sewers, parks, etc. also have codes specific to their nature.  By creating a standardized set of physical codes and regulations, we can control and actively monitor the progress of our built environment.  In the context of smart growth, neighborhoods need to be efficiently designed.  Streets should be just wide enough for cars to pass.  Crosswalks must be placed adequately in order to promote proper pedestrian support.  Streets and communication signals must be adequately placed and programmed to account for changing traffic density.  Residential neighborhoods should be built in combination with an adequate amount of parks and open space acreage.  Neighborhoods should be designed to compete within the flow of a larger city.  For example, grocery stores, health centers, financial institutions, and other necessary services should be placed strategically and closely to the surrounding neighborhoods.  Design review is required through the establishment of design standards and guidelines through several zone districts, as well as separate rules and regulations applied to certain properties throughout the city.  Design standards and guidelines are frequently established through the general development plan process and encouraged through small area plan recommendations. 

The image above is an excerpt from the City and County of Denver Streetscape design manual.  The table of contents indicates the organization of the streets and surrounding structures.  Denver attributes to the smart growth way of design by stating,

“The idea that our use of resources today should not impair the quality of life of future generations is a central goal of Comprehensive Plan 2000 and Blueprint Denver.  Additionally, Greenprint Denver was launched in 2005 to advance and further support the integration of environmental impact analysis into the city's programs and policies, alongside economic and social analysis.”

An example of some of the regulations regarding streetscape design and layout can be read as follows.  In this case, the code is referring to the use and design of sidewalks. 

Sidewalks must maintain a clear unobstructed pedestrian path. In downtown Denver, 10 feet width is required. In other areas 10 feet width is desired but as little as 5 feet may be allowed in constrained locations.  A 5-foot width is the minimum for residential areas.

The design manual not only lists spatial specifications but also recommends trees and plants that should be used throughout the city for best results.  All of these specifications are in part what influence the decisions that must be made in order to lean towards a smart growth community.  Conservative design will reduce material use and the use of native plants and trees will extend street tree and plant life.  Recyclable materials can be used in the creation of new fixtures, and LEED systems can be put into place to strengthen efficiency and increase equity and sustainability.  Denver does a good job at providing streets that aren’t just for cars anymore.  They include busses, trains, pedestrians and bicyclists and specific design standards are mandatory for these mix use pathways.  Smart growth is a better way to build and maintain our towns and cities. Smart growth means building urban, suburban and rural communities with housing and transportation choices near jobs, shops and schools. This approach supports local economies and protects the environment.  At the heart of the American dream is the simple hope that each of us can choose to live in a neighborhood that is beautiful, safe, affordable and easy to get around. Smart growth does just that. Smart growth creates healthy communities with strong local businesses. Smart growth creates neighborhoods with schools and shops nearby and low-cost ways to get around for all our citizens. Smart growth creates jobs that pay well and reinforces the foundations of our economy. Americans want to make their neighborhoods great, and smart growth strategies help make that dream a reality.  Denver remains a good example of a city that implements smart growth thinking into the comprehensive planning process.  Smart growth planning along with the codes and regulations that support it, is fundamentally important for creating future cities that are comfortable and useful.