Retrofitting the suburbs – what does it mean?

‘Retrofitting the suburbs’ has almost become a new buzz word in planning circles. Books have been written on it (and here’s a TED talk from the author, Ellen Dunham-Jones, based on it). Dunham-Jones, from an architect’s perspective, talks about reusing old buildings, such as dilapidated malls. But more often that that, I hear that land use and density in the suburbs needs to change – i.e. it needs to be come ‘denser’ (if that’s a word). Here is another article about a competition in Long Island, trying to come up with ideas to design a ‘better burb’. Interestingly, the entrants landed up trying to address all sorts of issues in the suburbs, from housing type and density, to access to jobs, transport, smart growth, even food security.

One thing I struggle with though is that I haven’t read any articles from people who live in the suburbs arguing for why they need to change and how terrible it is living where they live. As urban planners interested in urban issues, the majority of us tend to live in urban areas. So why do people move to suburbia? Although I would not presume to try to answer this question (being an urban dweller myself) I think it is safe to assume that suburbanites place value on different things than urban dwellers. One example would be that they tend to place a higher value on personal space (move out of the City and you can afford a larger house). Another example would probably be that suburbanites value the sense of open space – they don’t like the city because it’s too crowded.

So, based on this, what does ‘retrofitting suburbia’ mean? Does it mean making it ‘urban’? If that’s the case, wouldn’t those people who value their larger houses and lower density neighbourhoods simply move to the next place that’s still suburban?

As a side note, as oil prices increase, a lot of people say it is inevitable that people (current suburbanites) will seek a less car dependent, more sustainable lifestyle because of increased travel costs. I’m not an economist, but as gas costs rise, I would assume that land values in car dependent areas will have to fall due to affordability issues. This means the combined cost of transport and housing would probably stay about the same.

So, what could retrofitting look like?  It doesn’t have to look like how we currently do ‘urban’. It can, in fact it has, to be different. I would suggest that the suburbs have to stay lower density, in most areas, in order for them not to loose their appeal to those already there. W(e don’t want them creating a demand for some suburbs.) But public transit needs higher densities to work. Or that’s what we’ve been told anyway. I would suggest that perhaps higher density hubs are required around transit stations, surrounded by more suburban, outlying areas. This would place many people outside of the recommended distances for walking to a transit stop with densities too low to support a comprehensive bus service to link to the transit stops (although I would imagine there would be a few). What are required, are bicycles. Bicycles increase the distance that can be traveled within the same amount of time. Now pedal bikes will be fine for many, but I believe electric bikes have a key role to play in this vision. They could transport large numbers of people to and from their homes to these transit hubs. They enable lower density neighbourhoods, but still put people 5 – 10 minutes from a high frequency transit stop to get them into the town or city efficiently. I imagine this would cover a lot of commuter trips.

Suburbia also needs more neighbourhood retail stores that people can walk to. Done well, these can form the focal point for a small community. There could even be more higher density residential around these retail areas (such as apartments over the retail units) to help support the retail and possibly some transit service as well.

Of course there are other aspects as well. These are just a few thoughts. The culture of car ownership also needs to change. If you’re not using your car to commute to and from work, it probably makes more financial sense to just pay for a car when you need one – such as a taxi or car sharing. But that’s a topic for another day.

Gateway, Choice and volatility of oil

Gordon Price has been interviewed by The Dependent and the article neatly summarises some of the issues around land use, transportation choice, peak oil and the Gateway Program’s role within it. Read it here.

What will the City look like in 2050?

This is the question the Urban Land Institute started to grapple with yesterday here in Vancouver, as they launched a series of meetings and workshops designed to get people thinking, a) what does 2050 look like, and b) how are we going to make sure we get there.

There are some huge challenges if we are to reduce CO2 emissions by 80%. Mark Holland from HB Lanarc was especially good in his presentation in outlining the challenges we face to meet this goal. He speaks clearly but very intelligently and obviously has a gift in this area. Vancouver and other cities will requires leaders like him to keep pushing forward and keep an eye on the future.

These type of events always inspire. The danger is it is so easy to get back to your desk and loose sight of the bigger picture, focusing on doing what the client wants and winning work. The challenge, as Mr. Holland pointed out, is to push our clients and our projects, keeping site of the longer term, whilst at the same time staying profitable and delivering a solution our clients are happy with now.

How we experince a place

When we travel, our experience of a place will be directly influenced by the type of place we choose to stay at. I just read an insightful article in National Geographic magazine where the author had stayed in three very different types of accommodation in Rome, while on vacation, and how his experience of the city changed dramatically as he moved from place to place (opulence to basic). He wasn’t focusing on geographical changes, but rather how each place made him feel about himself and how he subsequently related to the world around him as a result. Although there are of course differences, I think the points made in the article are relevant for urban planners when we consider how residents experience a place. The mix of accommodation a neighbourhood offers can have an effect on the vibe and character of that neighbourhood’s public places. Thoughtful lunchtime reading. Plus it has great photos. Read the article here.

Unexpected Beauty in an Industrial Park

Yesterday I was surprised by beauty in an unexpected location. I had to take the car to the North Shore Auto Mall to have some scratches removed that were on the paintwork when we bought it. The guy said it would take a couple of hours so sent me off in the direction of a coffee shop. A coffee shop in the middle of an industrial park. I didn’t have high exceptions. Just a coffee. What I found was Thomas Haas. Not just a coffee shop but a full on patisserie. And very, very busy. In the middle of an industrial park – did I mention that? Admittedly, most people waiting for their treats were clutching car keys, but everyone seemed to know each other and it felt like a little community. From a transport planning perspective, there were cars littered everywhere. But it didn’t matter much as everywhere else was closed and it kind of added to the charm. It just goes to show, never underestimate he ability of people to create something amazing in the most unexpected of locations.

Sacred & Secular

Based on a recommendation by Gordon Price in his blog, my wife and I visited the Jennifer Kostuik Gallery last night to view a photography exhibit called Sacred and Secular. The artist is called David Burdeny and well, the press release says it best:

Sacred and Secular is an ongoing series of photographs that depict urban edge conditions and built environments throughout the world. In the course of Western architecture and urbanism there is a long history attached to the Ideal, Visionary and the Fantastic as notions to create built space. For his newest series Vancouver photography artist, David Burdeny, sees the scale, colour and density of the urban fabric always generating a unique vernacular. When removed from its context, the vernacular simply becomes kitsch such as the Bellagio in Vegas, or Mont St Michelle vs. Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Spanning across the globe, the locations of his new images are often distant in latitude, typology and syntax, commencing with the category defying works of 21st century “Starchitects” and including recent or ancient manifestations in Dubai, China, Egypt, Europe, Greenland, USA and Canada.

Burdeny’s cityscapes, taken from the water around each, opens your eyes to the different massing and built form from different cities around the world. We really enjoyed our visit. The gallery is in Yaletown and the exhibition runs until March 14th.

Vancouver neighbourhoods

As a little relief from the Olympics I went for a bike ride round some of Vancouver’s neighbourhoods on Saturday morning. Sometimes, living in downtown, you forget there’s a quieter, gentler but just as attractive Vancouver only a few minutes away. (I only mean relatively quieter by the way. If anyone’s from a small town or village they’d think these places were bustling cities.) Anyway, here’s a few photos from my travels.

This first photograph is at Cypress and First Avenue. I love the little independent stores in this area and with the blossom fully out it really does feel like a fantastic area. plus, Fourth Ave is only a couple of blocks south, and the beach is a couple of blocks north. I don’t know if this neighborhood has its own name. Anyone know?

This is at Broadway and Arbutus. I really like the new development at Arbutus Walk, just a block or two south from here. It has a different feel to it than the areas around it, but it fits in well with the original uses on the site (as far as aesthetics and massing goes), it was originally a brewery. It may be too new to call it a neighbourhood though. What do you think? This dry cleaning and laundry store, Fletchers, on the corner of Arbutus and Broadway though, is a throw back to a bygone era. The curved glass on the left is very 50s, complete with revolving sign.

This final photograph depicts everyday life in Chinatown. Now this neighbourhood IS as busy as downtown. It has a very different feel though. When we travel through on the bus we half feel we’ve been transported to China – a little further than we had intended to go!

Thoughts from the Top

No, I’m not refering to myself. Brent Toderian is the Director of Planning at the City of Vancouver. He has wriiten a very interesting blog post on Planetizen.  He talks about the road closures and other transportation measures for the Olympics as the largest ‘traffic trial’ ever. There are even suggestions out there that some of the changes should be made permanent.  Brent briefly outlines some of the increases in sustainable transport that have been seen, in terms of numbers. For example, one day saw 250,000 people use the new Canada Line. Well over the 100,000 estimated. Perhaps his most emotive comments though are concerned with the ‘transformed public realm’. The atmosphere, the celebration, the reclaiming of the streets and the city centre by their residents are all significant changes. Will they last? Brent is certain that a permanent change will follow, perhaps the most significant legecy of the games in fact.

The article quotes some media reaction which includes my favorite quote from the post:

The reason that downtown Vancouver has come to such vibrant life isn’t because of the Olympics per se. It’s because thousands of local residents have reclaimed their city centre as public social space.

It’s my favorite not because I necessarily agree with it, but because whether or not this statement turns out to be true or not has significant implications on the public realm legecy that Brent talks about.

I recommend reading the full article, which you can do by clicking here.

The Olympic effect: Joie de vivre on Robson Street

Robson Street and has never been so busy. The City has been closing the street to traffic and there are just so many people there. It has become the most popular place to go and hang out in the City. From talking to people and from my own experience though, most people are not going there to line up for hours for a particular exhibit or event (five hours in line for the Canadian Mint anyone?!). Most are going to ‘take in the atmosphere’. What does that mean for urban planners and designers who try to understand why people are drawn to certain places?

My suggestion is that people are drawn to people. This of course is not a new idea, but the Olympics have brought it into perspective in Vancouver. People are seeking a communal experience, a sense of community. The high density centre of Vancouver usually means residents walk the streets as relative strangers to each other, not meeting (or even wanting to meet) anyone they know. This time though, people want to experience something as a community. I think it’s more than a communal experience though, people are also drawn to being part of a common identity, in this case Canadian. If in doubt about this, just ask The Bay. I have never seen so many people wearing the same ‘uniform’ outside of a sporting venue. In fact, it is a great visual example of community through common identity.

As urban planners and designers, the best we can do is accommodate these events when they happen, through temporary street closures or similar. Robson Street and Robson Square would not usually be described as great squares or meeting places. However, right now, they’re doing an amazing job. The French have an expression – joie de vivre (joy of living). Robson Street is currently the definition of it. And it is wonderful.

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to my new blog, Planning Picture. My name is Tim Barton. I am a Transportation Planner in Vancouver, British Columbia. Two of my passions are urban planning and photography. So Vancouver is a great place to be located! This blog is an attempt to combine the two. I have a suspicion that they might be a good combination, but you never know. If you agree, and especially if you disagree, with anything I’m saying, I’d love to hear from you and really encourage comments.

I already have a blog, a family and friends orientated thing, called thebartons.net.   Feel free to check it out. It mainly serves to update friends and family back in the UK about what we’re up to here. I also have a very simple photography portfolio website at timbartonphotography.com as well as a Flickr account here.