Urban development should be guided by a sustainable planning and management vision that promotes interconnected green space, a multi-modal transportation system, and mixed-use development. Diverse public and private partnerships should be used to create sustainable and livable communities that protect historic, cultural, and environmental resources. In addition, policymakers, regulators and developers should support sustainable site planning and construction techniques that reduce pollution and create a balance between built and natural systems.
New sustainable urban developments or re-developments should provide a variety of commercial, institutional, educational uses as well as housing styles, sizes and prices. The provision of sidewalks, trails, and private streets, connected to transit stops and an interconnected street network within these mixed-use developments provides mobility options and helps reduce pollution by reducing vehicle trips. Walking, bicycling, and other mobility options should be encouraged throughout the urban mixed-use core and mixed-use neighborhoods with easily accessed and well-defined centers and edges.
Fighting Sprawl
The application of land-use based zoning, real-estate tax laws, and highway design regulations, has created automobile-dominated sprawl conditions where cars are required for almost all activities, leading to ever-increasing congestion and longer commute times. Decentralized suburban or exurban expansion has created developments with no sense of place, which consume exorbitant amounts of land, necessitating huge infrastructure commitments, and often contribute to the deterioration of urban centers.
Development patterns that result in sprawl are not in the long-term interest of cities, small towns, rural communities, and agricultural lands. As communities plan for growth and change, in-fill and redevelopment should utilize existing infrastructure. Public agencies should promote and facilitate processes for remediation of urban sites to relieve pressure to develop at the urban fringe. Plans should identify open lands that can be sustainably developed into green spaces or left alone. In fact, preserving open green spaces in cities is crucial to fighting sprawl because these spaces provide important outlets within the city.
Sustainable urban development means responsible growth and development strategies that are broader in vision and more regional in scale. There are a range of sustainable growth strategies: For instance, urban in-fill, suburban redevelopment, and open-land development can all lead to more diverse housing styles and multi-modal transit. As there is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” solution for every community, appropriate principles must be developed for each. Responsible and innovative development strategies at the federal, state and local levels are needed to guide private development.
Organizations
Active Living by Design
Embarq, Center for Sustainable Transport, World Resources Institute: Urban Sprawl
Natural Resources Defense Council: Smart Growth Resources
National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland
Smart Growth America
Smart Growth Online
Smart Growth, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Smart Growth Planning, Maryland State Government
Resources
The Case for Placemaking without the Sprawl, The Dirt blog
HUD Secretary Donovan on Fighting Sprawl, The Dirt blog
Interview with Kathryn Gustafson, FASLA, on Using Parks to Fight Sprawl, ASLA
New MIT Report: Places in the Making, The Dirt blog
Research
Smart Growth and Economic Success: Investing in Infill Development, U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2014
Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions between Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality (2nd Edition), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013
Building for the 21st Century: American Support for Sustainable Communities, Smart Growth America, 2011
Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs, Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson, Wiley & Sons, 2008
Retrofitting Suburbs: Instant Cities, Instant Architecture, and Incremental Metropolitanism, Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson, Harvard Design Review, Spring/Summer 2008
Sustainable Zoning
The replacement of conventional zoning codes that control land use with those that control physical form can benefit growth and development. Implementing form-based codes can result in communities that fit their place and time, have a mix of uses that are appropriately scaled, enjoy pedestrian friendly well-defined public realms, and are generally more sustainable.
Research
Creating a Regulatory Footprint for Healthy Community Design, Smart Growth Network
Growing Smart, American Planning Association
“Positive Development: From Vicious Circles to Virtuous Cycles Through Built Environment Design.” Janis Birkeland. Earthscan Publications, 2008
"Saving the World through Zoning," Chris Duerksen, American Planning Association, January 2008
Smart Growth Codes, American Planning Association
Reusing Brownfields
The redevelopment of “brownfield” sites enables communities to reuse abandoned areas that are often located in urban centers with existing infrastructure. Communities should take advantage of programs which focus on facilitating the cleanup and reuse of these areas by awarding grants, capitalizing loan funds, providing technical assistance and training, and absolving innocent prospective and contiguous landowners of liability.
Resources
"Cities Use Brownfields to Go Solar," The Dirt blog
"Rebuilding Communities Through Brownfield Rehabilitation," The Dirt blog
"Reconnecting Philadelphia to Its Riverfront," The Dirt blog
Research
Creating Community-based Brownfield Redevelopment Strategies, American Planning Association
“The Cleanup War Chest: State Bond Financing for Environmental Initiatives and Brownfields Redevelopment,” Greg Lewis, Northeast-Midwest Institute, March 2009
“Potential Application of Renewable Energy on Brownfield Sites: A Case Study of Michigan,” Soji Adelaja, Judy Shaw, Wayne Beyea, and Charles McKeown, Land Policy Institute, January 2009
Projects
ChonGae Canal Source Park: Sunken Stone Garden (Mikyoung Kim Design)
From Brownfield to Greenfield, Wellesley, Massachusetts (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc)
Gowanus Canal Sponge Park, Brooklyn, New York (dlandstudio)
Port Lands Estuary: Reinventing the Don River as an Agent of Urbanism, Toronto, Canada (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.)
Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, Los Angeles, California (Mia Lehrer + Associates/ Civitas, Inc./ Wenk Associates)
Red Ribbon, Tang He River Park, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China (Turenscape)
Shanghai Houtan Park: Landscape as a Living System, Shanghai, China (Turenscape)
Tianjin Qiaoyuan Park: The Adaptation Palettes, Tianjin City, China (Turenscape)
Animations
From Industrial Wasteland to Community Park, ASLA
Infrastructure for All, ASLA
Investing in Downtowns
Encouraging businesses, non-profits, governments, and cultural institutions to locate their offices and other facilities within the urban core as opposed to suburban or fringe locations can support sustainable urban development. Investing in an urban core can help support urban core revitalization efforts, and attract and retain businesses and services. Often, tax credits or other incentives are needed to encourage the preservation or rehabilitation of historic properties or green spaces within the urban core.
Resources
"E.P.A. Smart Growth Awards Applaud Projects That Use Collaborative Approaches and Reclaim Public Space," The Dirg blog
Research
Downtown Revitalization Resources, USDA
Projects
Buffalo Bayou Promenade, Houston, Texas (SWA Group)
HtO Park, Toronto (Janet Rosenberg + Associates, Claude Cormier Architects, and Hariri Pontarini Architects)
Penn Connects: A Vision for the Future, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Sasaki Associates)
Spadina Wavedeck, Toronto (West 8 and DTAH)
Open Spaces
Communities should take advantage of government and private initiatives, such as conservation districts and open land trusts, to preserve open space. Open space can help curb scattered development, protect watersheds and natural habitat, maintain historic and cultural assets, and provide diverse recreational opportunities.Emphasis should be placed upon the creation of a diverse mix of uses and housing options within communities, such as an infill redevelopment instead of developing on open spaces.
Organizations
Developing an Open Space Strategy, Sustainable Cities, UK
National Recreation and Park Association
Project for Public Spaces
The Trust for Public Land
Resources
"Goldhagen: Democracies Need Physical Spaces," The Dirt blog
"Reinventing Public Space in NYC: Brooklyn Bridge Park," The Dirt blog
"The Value of Urban Parks," The Dirt blog
Research
“On Common Ground,” National Association of Realtors, 2009
“How Much Value Does the City of Philadelphia Receive from its Park and Recreation System?” The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence, June 2008
“The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature,” Marc G. Berman, John Jonides, and Stephen Kaplan, University of Michigan, 2008
“Green Visions Plan for 21st Century Southern California. 14. Park and Open Space Resources in the Green Visions Plan Area,” University of Southern California GIS Research Laboratory and Center for Sustainable Cities, Los Angeles, California, 2007
Projects
The High Line, Section 1, New York, New York (James Corner Field Operations, Diller, Scofidio + Renfro)
The Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois (Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd)
Orange County Great Park Comprehensive Master Plan, “A Vision of the Great Park for the 21st Century,” California (Ken Smith Workshop West and Mia Lehrer Associates)
Open Space Seattle 2100: Envisioning Seattle’s Green Infrastructure for the Next Century, Seattle, Washington (University of Washington, Open Space Seattle 2100 Coalition)
Remodeling Paradise - Landscape Renovation Round West Lake Region in Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China (Hangzhou Landscape Architecture Design Institute, Beijing Forestry University, Atelier DYJG)
Animations
Revitalizing Communities with Parks, ASLA
Sustainable Landscapes and Buildings in an Urban context
Decreasing impervious pavement areas; providing abundant (usable) interconnected greenways and open space; implementing sustainable stormwater techniques; and planting or preserving vegetation will all help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from urban areas. In addition, siting buildings to maximize passive heating / cooling, using energy-efficient building technologies, including green or cool roofs can help mitigate building emissions.
Communities should also move toward energy conservation and non-oil and coal based alternatives, such as solar, wind, thermal, and biomass, which can reduce dependency on non-renewable resources, as well as minimize air, water, and thermal pollution.
Organizations
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Sustainable Sites Initiative
U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
USGBC / LEED
Resources
"A New Way to Plant Urban Trees," The Dirt blog
Optimize Site Potential (Whole Building Design Guide)
"Philadelphia's Cutting Edge Green Infrastructure Plan," The Dirt blog
"Recreating Wildlife Habitat in Cities," The Dirt blog
Government Resources
High Performance Park Guidelines (NYC Government)
Climate Friendly Parks (National Park Service)
Research
“Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy,” McKinsey and Company, July, 2009
“By-Law to Require and Govern the Construction of Green Roofs in Toronto,” Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, March 2009
“Green Roof Systems: A Guide to the Planning, Design, and Construction of Landscapes Over Structure.” Susan Weiler, and Katrin Scholz-Barth. Wiley, 2009
“Urban Heat Island Mitigation Can Improve New York City’s Environment: Research on Impacts of Mitigation Strategies,” Sustainable South Bronx, October 2008
“Can Good Design Advance Urban Development: On the Harvard Design Magazine Symposium “Can Design Improve Life in Cities? The Cases of Los Angeles, London, and Chicago,” Tim Love, Harvard Design Magazine, Summer/Spring 2008
“When Does Green Infrastructure Make Sense? Comparing Conventional Systems with Green Infrastructure,” Water Environment Research Foundation, June 2007
Projects
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, SWA Group
Geos Net Zero Energy Neighborhood, David Kahn Studio
If you know of useful resources we've missed, please send your recommendations to: info@asla.org