A great little article from last April's issue of This Magazine lists 16 critical elements necessary for the creation of a sustainable neighborhood (above). Notably absent: cars.
The list grows out of the work of J.H. Crawford, author of Carfree Cities and the Carfree Design Manual, urban planner, and head of carfree.com, the "web's largest database of car-free information."
In his work, Crawford argues for a move toward "medieval forms" of city-building, understandably a challenge given the car-centric development patterns of virtually all North American cities.
“Medieval urban forms are superior to everything that came before or has come since,” writes Crawford in the introduction to [the Carfree Design Manual]. “Once the needs of automobiles can be neglected, a remarkable degree of design freedom arises.”
Zooming out from the issue of cars as a determinant of urban form, one can't help but read the elements illustrated in the diagram as a basic checklist for desirability, informed by sustainability and convenience.
What about a SCHOOL?
Posted by: JC | 10/05/2010 at 08:32
JC--excellent point.
Posted by: Chris | 10/09/2010 at 22:31