In the March issue of Atlantic Monthly, Richard Florida cites examples for the way forward. For example, Pittsburgh housing values have increased over the past year, especially in the center of the city and older suburbs. Florida points out that the region had its own economic collapse 20 years ago with the end of Big Steel. The city and the region have worked creatively to replace steel with new industries and forms of development, especially those related to research of its universities. But the form of Pittsburgh and its region also provides explanation for this.
These descriptions also apply to new neighborhoods. This is particularly true in Denver’s Stapleton and Belmar neighborhoods. The sense of community among the residents there serves them well in surviving economic cycles. So it’s worth examining areas that retained value, whether they are new developments that follow the principles of New Urbanism or traditional towns and cities.
The CNU has been the central source of information on these principles and their applications for 17 years. Bringing together, planners, architects, politicians, developers, economists, environmentalists, and sociologists, it advanced the art of Urbanism. And it has influenced public policy and development practices around the world.
The CNU formed a partnership with HUD in 1996 to develop the design standards for the HOPE VI program, which revolutionized the design of federal supported housing. Next week in Denver, CNU members will meet with Obama administration representatives to address collaborations on:
Raymond L. Gindroz is one of the co-founders of Urban Design Associates and helped pioneer the development of participatory planning methods for neighborhoods, downtowns, and regional plans.
