Cooper Young Is Going Green

Going Green is now! We, as individuals, corporations and countries can’t seem to get enough of this new catch phrase. What does “Green” mean and who’s doing it in Memphis?

Strengthening Communities

Cooper Young has been on a revitalization path since 1991 when the Cooper Young Development Corporation (CYDC) was charted and subsequently formed Cooper Young Development Corporation. The mission of this group is to improve the housing stock in the neighborhood to compliment the existing character and create affordable housing to foster a diverse community. This endeavor is largely successful and continues to grow in scope.

The latest “Green” effort, Strengthening Communities Initiatives Grant, is a partnership between the CYDC, Evergreen Historic District Association and David Arant, chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Memphis. David received the grant based on his proposal, The Smallest User, a neighborhood-based energy-efficiency project. To learn more about this initiative please visit Strengthening Communities. Cooper Young was picked based on the neighborhoods participation interest. The following information is a voice of the collective and not necessarily the opinion of each individual.

Think “Going Green”

As a part of the initiative to create a place of quality living, a focus group from Cooper Young, of homeowners and renters, were interviewed by the University of Memphis Journalism team to gather information about energy conservation within the neighborhood. The format presented questions in hopes of getting answers targeting what Cooper Young is doing to conserve energy and go green. Out of the myriad of pointed questions, some of these are highlighted below from the perspective of the homeowner.

What does energy conservation or going green mean and why the Mid-South? The general consensus is that energy conservation means lower energy bills. When asked which phrase is preferred, energy conservation or going green, going green won with no contest. “Using the term energy conservation sounds too painful” remarked one participant. The phrase “Going Green” elicits thoughts of comfort but at the same time implies cost increase.

Tennessee is home to a wealth of natural resources from coal to water. It is also one of the most affordable places to live relative to the quality of life. The group unanimously agreed that preserving these resources for these two reasons should be a prime interest. Memphis has some of the lowest energy rates in the country. The group expressed their concerns regarding low rates stating that cheaper rates enable the end user to be less concerned with energy conservation.

It's easy to understand why they are on the green train. Concern for the environment and saving money top the list of reasons; however, it is hard to prioritize this list because the kids and peer pressure also play a valuable role in going green.

Do “Going Green”

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle! Everyone within the group is doing some form of recycling either curb side or drop off at the recycling receptacles placed on the corner of Cooper and Walker Memphis Recycling. Outside of their immediate dwellings they are setting up recycling centers within the places they work.

For Cooper Young to implement doing green things they had to learn about it. Their knowledge of going green came form a variety of sources including internet, television, neighborhood association meetings, work, MLGW knowledge sheet, and other people.

To be greener the group discussed their changes in purchasing habits. Pre-cycling, which does not cost a dime, is a simple way to start. Investing in universal chargers, compact fluorescent lighting, and cloth shopping bags are just a few. Other changes not only help the environment but are better for your health for example, not using commercial grade cleaner by switching to natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda. To learn of other non-toxic cleaner ideas go to Non-toxic Cleaning Solutions. On a larger scale, some purchased hybrids or highly fuel efficient vehicles over conventional models.

Share “Going Green”

This small voice of the collective that is Cooper Young is interested in reaching out to more of the community. A quick brainstorming session revealed some clever ideas that could be implemented to get any community involved in making a sustainable difference.

Getting buy-in is the number one necessity for getting the community involved and targeting the leaders and stakeholders. To gain buy-in the group suggested sending personal invites to the community that include incentives for participation. Another approach is to hold “green” block parties that encourage recycling and offer information on other green initiatives such as Project Green Fork Project Green Fork and Revolutions Community Bike Shop Revolutions.

It is hopeful and refreshing to see a community’s sensitivity to the impact their actions are making on the world while at the same time taking steps to minimize their footprints.

Making Place: Finding the 'Right' Development for Overton Square

For a community to effectively voice their concern over the potential demise of a piece of history and nostalgic memories, they must be open-minded, willing and knowledgeable about what it is needed to “make place” in the community

In an earlier blog, “A Community’s Fight for Overton Square,” informs the readers of the significance of Overton Square and the Community’s cry for something different. What the meeting did not offer the community was a clear path to helping save Overton Square with viable alternative for a better suited development.

The Basics to Urban Design

There are two basic elements that are essential to getting the urban design to be a place where experience happens. The first is making public and private conversations mandatory and the second is paying attention to the details. Without places for people to “bump” into each other; without controlling vehicular flow and parking; and without the local community’s personality infused in the development; the essence of place is lost in the bricks and mortar. In the case of Overton Square, the community’s approach to public/private conversation was met with silent treatment from the developer. At this moment it could be determined that this is not the developer for Overton Square.

The Current Design and Its Shortcomings

The Overton Square meeting held November 11th was mostly a call for support and an updated response to the current Sooner Investment Corporation’s (an Oklahoma based company) push to ‘revitalize’ Overton Square. The meeting was open to the public and was led by June West of Memphis Heritage Memphis Heritage. Chooch Pickard, of Memphis Regional Design MRDC, fielded questions from the group as the ‘neutral’ party to the development company and the best interest of Overton Square. This plan, along with highlighted improvements needed, shows the preliminary thinking by Sooner Investments and their idea of “New Urbanism.”

If we look closely at this proposed development, we will see that it neglects the three important rules to urban development according to David Sucher, author of “City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village.” The highlighted areas of the plan demonstrate the breakdown in these three rules. 1. Build to the sidewalk (highlighted orange) 2. Make the building front permeable, no blank walls (highlighted blue) 3. Prohibit parking in front of the building (highlighted yellow)

It is also important to understand that even with government aid in protecting community landmarks, the zoning laws are skewed in the favor of development; therefore, it is up to the community to argue for the “value” inherent in the development. In the case of Overton Square it is the existing buildings along Madison and Cooper. The proposed Sooner development will demolish the existing historical buildings (highlighted green) and replace them with new infill construction.

As June West clearly stated in the meeting, there is no question of the value of the existing buildings and their rich history and nostalgic quality. However, the role of Memphis Heritage is to save historic buildings, not to design urban blocks. Memphis Heritage would like to see a different plan that incorporates the existing buildings with added density and complimentary to the infill of the rest of the square. They are willing to hire outside consultants to investigate the structural integrity of the buildings to ensure the feasibility of their reuse.

On the other hand, Sooner Investments is adamant about not saving the existing buildings in order to create new retail development from scratch. They are in the business of new development, not saving buildings. They are also not going to adhere to the three rules outlined above. This should call into question if Sooner is the right developer.

What Next: give alternatives

What are good alternatives? They are usually products of professionally guided charrettes that involve architects, developers, neighbors of the community and planners. These design meetings will take into consideration the unique qualities of the community and couple them with examples of what is successful in other communities. Rather than talk esoterically about the big idea of what an urban village is, show a visual example of what works and fits and then implement that into the design. The following, taken from City Comforts, is a list of things that can, in harmony, make place:

• Re-introduce public transportation: why not bring back the trolley?
• Create spaces that promote “bumping into neighbors and strangers”
• Follow the three rules: Build to the Sidewalk, No Parking in Front, and Permeable Buildings.
• Calm Traffic
• Make way finding spots
• Create a feeling of safeness
• A place for Children
• Provide necessity elements: telephone shelters, water fountains, public toilets, places of shelter, etc.
• Fit new construction into the existing fabric
• Provide pleasant buffers
• Preservation of Historic Buildings
• Personalize with local art
  

The original Overton Square embodied many of these principles. It was a place that magnetized the street so that a passerby would feel inclined to stop and stroll and at the same time gave the community a place to gather.

Memphis Regional Design held a design charrette open to community to develop designs as a reaction to what was being proposed or in this case, not disclosed. Follow this link to view these alternatives Overton Square Charrette. The question is whether or not these designs provide an alternative that works and if so, who is right developer to implement the plan?

There is an important rule in architecture; if the client or project does not fit, don’t pursue the relationship. Although new life in Overton Square is needed, Sooner Investments is not providing the right proposal for the community.

Disillusion of a Place (A Theoretical Approach to a Place and Placelessness)

The belief of the concentric city as a model for urban planning is held amongst some city planners. However, this idealistic model of a ‘dense center surrounded by rings of decreasing density, farms, and then wilderness’ has many holes these days. Our urban areas, no longer able to perform the traditional role of a concentric entity, are separated from the rural land by an inconsistent and non-continuous blob of suburban development.

Charles Dickens saw the threat of sprawl as ‘hundred thousand shapes and substances of incompleteness, wildly mingled out of their places, upside down, burrowing in the earth, aspiring in the earth, moldering in the water, and unintelligible as in any dream.’ He describes a city of chaos, consisting of parts unrelated to one another.

In-Between

This Zwischenstadt, a term introduced by a German planner Thomas Sievert, represents a zone ‘in-between city’, existing ‘between old historical city centers and open country sides, between place as a living space and the non-places of movement, between small local economic cycles and the dependency on the world market;’ simply expressed as the areas of suburbia or sprawl.

The traditional ways of planning have to be modified to fit these new ways of shaping the landscape; however, the method of changing the known ways posts a big question mark. Suburban areas create a new demand on planners, with the necessity of developing new patterns, which would provide and ensure good life and bring a meaning of coherence. In this new scheme, infrastructure plays a key role.

As Tim DuRoche states in The Burnside Blog, ‘This kind of salvational thinking about suburbs and their relationship to the city is not an entirely new idea, but is in fact a planning reflex that has a long lineage and a continuum of thinkers. Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Martin Pawley, Joel “Edge City” Garreau, and Peter Calthorpe, to name a few have all grappled with the schizographic taffy-pull of the town and country polarity.’ This city vs. suburb relationship is logically in the spotlight of planners today.

Place vs. Placelessness

While culturally rich and development dense cities are being pushed into background by empty suburban developments, our notion of a place is being lost in placelessness.

For a comparison, an anthropologist Clifford Geertz suggests that human beings and their interrelationships create a web of places. Each place is significant, containing certain environmental qualities.

These places, geographically a community, a neighborhood or a small town, are rich for their density and distinct character. In between of these places is an absence of place – placelessness, described as ‘a sort of a non-place quality manifest of uniformity, standardization and disconnection from context.’

Edward Relph adds, ‘It is tempting to see place and placelessness as opposite types of landscape – to contrast, for instance, the distinctiveness of a small town on the Costa Brava with a placeless industrial suburb of Toronto—and to assume that place is good and placelessness is somehow deficient.’ While reading Relph’s statement, one must question if there might be a new place created in the described placelessness, or if is it just an unsuccessful effort to try to create a place where there is none.

New Compact Suburbia

The urban reality of suburbs, as oppose to the compact city, presents a political and design task which allows city to become a laboratory that needs reconfiguration of the physical environment as well as its perception and use. The priority is given to the renewal of social cohesion and social links, as impacted by the built environment and the relationship amongst its parts.

Even though there may not be an immediate interest in many recently abandoned or cleared areas and it might be unsure if there ever will be, planners and designers have to deduct about their functionality and prospective use. This uncertainty has to be embraced, as there is still a necessity for a connection to a place. The possible scenarios for new patterns of development are envisioned by shuffling the existing variables. As Jason King points out, ‘While knowing the variables and planning for scenarios is the status quo, embracing uncertainty as a challenge that can be formative allows for a range of 'solutions' that are not static by iteractive.’

Connectivity

The key to patching of the existing holes within the urban fabric is in assuring a necessary density connected by transit. Without density of places, bare bodies are exposed to the arms of placelessness. The blanket for the Memphis area is full of holes and by moving away from the core, urban density is weakened for the gratitude of sprawl. Do our officials really think that there is enough population to allow for that many places within the new I-269 loop or is it obvious that extending the city boundaries will lead to a further decentralization and placelessness? The interconnectivity of places is not provided by loops around but by a high speed public transportation and infill development.

A community's Fight For Overton Square

Yesterday I had the privilege to attend a Memphis Heritage Meeting in regards to the development proposed at Overton Square which includes a new grocery store and other retail development. The meeting room was filled with local residents, architects, planners, and general people who were just interested in voicing their concerns about the potential plan.

The meeting started off with a slide show that showed the history of Overton square the past stores that had previously occupied the space. It was exciting as well as refreshing to see the excitement and reaction of the residents when past stores were flashed across the screen that brought back memories of the neighborhood. It occurred to me right then that the residents who have been living around Overton square had sentimental feelings and attachments to this community and had a very big stake in its development.

Overton Square had originally been part of the trolley car system and therefore had a very unique character. It wasn't some typical community without any unique value but rather a historic district with interesting building characters and an interesting value on community.

I also realized as the slide show progressed that it wasn’t an issue of keeping development out of Overton Park, but more an issue of retaining the character and essence of Overton Square that made it what it was, a community oriented, walkable community. When the facilitator doing the slide show mentioned certain buildings that used to be in the neighborhood, you heard some residents state that they had personally worked on that building, or “they remember the snow cones and parades that took place in the street". It was very obvious that these people cared a great deal about the historic preservation of their community.

It seemed that this euphoria completely turned to disgust when the facilitator flipped to a slide showing the development that was being proposed for the corner of Overton Square. You instantly heard small chatter and people discussing amongst themselves the flaws of design.

It was only a matter of minutes before questions and comments filled the room. “This plan is not for Overton park", stated one resident. Their instant anguish was very noticable as the facilitator continued to talk about the plan.

The plan calls for demolishing everything that remains at Overton Square and replacing it with a grocery store, retail, and restaurants. The original character of Overton Square would be completely lost. We are making midtown look more and more like the suburbs”, stated one resident. There was obviously some disagreement about what goes there, but there was a consensus that some type of makeover needed to be done at the site. “It’s not the development I’d like to see in Midtown,” explained June West, of the Memphis Heritage Society. “I would love to see something much more dense, much more pedestrian-friendly, and bring people to the area.

Overton square had always been a location that locals could walk to and socialize. It was a very walkable, pedestrian friendly establishment that integrated with the character of the neighborhood. The new development is suburban like with street front parking lots that push the building back from the street. Also with only a site plan to look at, many residents were concerned with what the character of the facades would do to the historic district.

People compared this development to the PigglyWiggly development down the street which they feel completely destroyed the character of the Urban area. One architect in the audience went so far as to state, “This is the worst design for an urban area that he had ever seen. And if we don’t stop it now we would risk the chance of losing all the urban character of midtown forever”.

The group that is responsible for this potential development is Oklahoma bases firm Sooner Investment. This group has traditionally been known to do work only in suburban areas, which led local residents to question if this was the best solution for their community. Also as an outside developer, they have very little stake in retaining the character of this community.

It isn’t clear how long this debate over what is best for Overton Square will go on. What is clear though, is that local residents and stake holders won’t go down quietly without a fight. They will continue to voice their concerns to their local government and see what steps can be taken to avoiding losing the character of Overton Square.

South Memphis Revitalization Action Plan Unveiled

Yesterday marked a momentous occasion for the residents of South Memphis, St. Andrew AME church, and the University of Memphis. At a press conference held at St. Andrew AME church, President of the University of Memphis, Dr. Shirley Raines presented Rev. Robinson with the official copy of the 250 page SoMe Revitalization Action Plan (RAP). In attendance of this press conference were several executive members of the University of Memphis, leaders various institutions, many residents of the community and several members of the local media.

What is the SoMe RAP?

The SoMe RAP, commissioned by Rev. Robinson to identify the physical and social conditions and to determine the prescription that addresses these issues in a defined target area of South Memphis. The study area includes the area west of I-240, south of Trigg Ave., east of Lauderdale, and north of Person Ave. The study area includes more than 1800 building lots, 21 churches, 5 schools, and is home to approximately 7,000 people.

Who was involved with SoMe RAP?

More than 100 students and members of the faculty of the University of Memphis from 5 different departments: Anthropology, Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Engineering, and Public Health. Among the members of the university were various institutions that participated including: St. Andrew AME Church, The Works, Inc., Self Tucker Architects and the Memphis Regional Design Center, among many others.

The SoMe RAP Process

This engaged planning process utilized various methods to assess the current conditions, and to determine the needs of the community. Students used the U.S. Census Bureau for data to create an initial assessment of the area. They also did land use surveys, physical conditions surveys, resident interviews, and institution interviews did understand the whole picture in assessing the needs of the community. Also, many focus groups were used to generate more thinking and prescription of the needs of this great community and putting members of this community in an environment of interaction with each other, it served as a valuable method.

Highlights of SoMe RAP

After speaking with thousands of residents in this community, a common need was immediately identified. Access to quality and affordable retail, especially one that meets their grocery needs. Many of the residents find it difficult to access retail because of a lack of transportation, thus, requiring these individuals to pay outlandishly high prices at local retail stores that are preying on the residents misfortune.

South Parkway Pioneer Plaza is proposed to meet this need for neighborhood retail. This retail facility will provide more than 24,000 ft.² providing area for a food market, access to banking, a pharmacy, various restaurants and even a police substation.

Another concern by many of the residents is the vacant car wash that resides on the corner of Kerr and South Parkway. This facility is a haven to many illicit activities including, violence, drugs and prostitution. This location can serve as an opportunity for the community to take an area of the community that is promoting unhealthy living and transform it into something that promotes healthy living.

It is recommended in the SoMe RAP that this location is transformed into the Renaissance Farmers Market. Currently, there is a contingent of farmers that sell fresh produce along South Parkway and other areas of South Memphis. This will provide a place that can house these individuals, while providing the community with a place for fun interactions, ultimately contributing to a sense of place. Since this revitalization is supporting healthy living, it is further recommended that this be the location for health screenings from mobile health units.

What is Next?

Members of the community and the collaborative are taking the SoMe RAP to the City Council to have this neighborhood plan adopted into the Memphis Comprehensive Plan. There is a community meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the Ruth E. Tate Senior Center at 1620 Marjorie Memphis, TN 38106 to discuss the next steps. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

For more information on the SoMe RAP, please visit http://www.memphis.edu/planning/student_projects.htm.

Transportation Costs and Sprawl

As many posts on this blog will highlight, Memphis has sprawled out a lot over the past fifty years. If you didn't believe us, here's a quick graphic comparison of where people lived then and now.Will the trend ever reverse? If transportation costs were the only factor, then the answer would be a definitive yes.

Gas prices are at levels not seen for a prolonged period of time since about fifty years ago, when sprawl began to rapidly proliferate.

The maps below illustrates the stark contrast in gasoline expenses in 2000 vs. 2008. The dark red that is dominant in the 2008 map indicates expenses that are at least double those of the dominant color in the 2000 map. Gas prices are back down a bit since 2008, but are not likely to ever see the prices enjoyed in the late 80's and 90's again.

Transportation is of course not the only factor that people face when making decisions to live in the suburbs. There's crime, education, housing costs, and a number of other factors. Regardless of those factors, if the cost of using a car stays high, the market will have to adjust somehow.

People can not sustain spending such a large percentage of income on housing and transportation. Housing plus transportation costs are 48% or more of the median income in all of the deep blue areas below, nearly everywhere east of the 240 loop.

As the housing market picks back up and more credit becomes available, I would be curious to see where houses are selling and if there is any sign of reversal in sprawl. My intuition is that it will be less prolific, but not gone. Memphis has too many social problems to deal with before housing and transportation costs can outweigh the perceived costs related to crime and the poorly performing educational system.

Hope VI- Revitalizing Memphis One Community at a Time

HOPE VI, also known as the Urban Revitalization Demonstration, is designed to revitalize the Nation's most severely distressed public housing. Congress and HUD created the HOPE VI grant program in 1992 to provide a flexible source of support for investments in public housing developments and for their residents. In the city of Memphis, since 1995, a determined effort t has been put forth to rid the city of Public housing projects through the usage of Hope VI grants.

Has the program been success in Memphis? And to what degree is success measured? I believe this is a question that doesn't have one correct answer. Supporters of Hope VI would say that the program has created new opportunities for low income residents, while critics would probably say that the program has failed due to its disbursement of poor people into other communities as well as its inability to avoid gentrification.

If we look at the examples of Hope VI that has been implemented in Memphis since 1995, we will see that it has definitely had an impact on public housing in the city.

Public housing in Memphis has been plagued with gang violence, crime, a lack of cleanliness, and other negative factors that have made them undesirable places to live. A lack of maintenance of these housing projects and disinvestment has led to dilapidated communities that aren’t livable. Hope VI has tried to replace these communities with better quality homes that create safer, more livable communities.

Hope VI communities are based on the New Urbanism model which focuses on pedestrian access, walkable neighborhoods, public transit, and green sustainable homes. In Memphis, since 1995 four public housing projects in disrepair have been converted to beautiful communities that have given Memphis new life.

In 1995 Memphis Housing Authority received a $47.2 million HOPE VI implementation grant for the Lemoyne Gardens housing units. This was the first implementation of Hope VI to the city. Lemoyne Gardens was changed to College Park. It has 411 apartments and homes available. These homes were a far cry from the massive deteriorated units that were once in its place. Residents had a stronger sense of community and felt safer walking down their streets. This community is currently a thriving community with a mix of young professionals, college students, and seniors.

Hurt Village, located just north of Downtown Memphis is one of Memphis's better known Hope VI grants. Established in the 1960's as an all white neighborhood, this neighborhood became a predominant African American community after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Racial tensions caused most white residents to leave the area along with businesses. In the late 1980's, this area quickly fell into disrepair due to disinvestment and neglect. In 2000 MHA developed a comprehensive plan for the Hurt Village and also applied for another Hope VI grant. MHA was awarded 35 million dollars towards the 150 million redevelopment effort.

Hurt Village, now known as Uptown is becoming one of Memphis’s most desirable communities due to the work and effort that has been put forth by the MHA and Hope VI. It features new urbanism style housing and gives the impression of community that Hurt Village never could achieve.

Other Hope VI projects such as the conversion of Lamar Terrace to University Place and Dixie homes into Legend Park have created similar opportunities for low income residents. They are given the opportunity to become self sufficient individuals who can have pride in their neighborhoods.

So is this a successful achievement of Hope VI? If success is measured by the amount of initial residents that return to the new neighborhoods, one would say that it’s not successful since less than 30% of original residents have returned. But a large percentage of these residents go on to live productive lives in other areas due to the social programs that are readily available to them. Critics also say that the Hope VI grant doesn’t have a one for one unit replacement for housing. But what critics must realize is that the over dense population of these blight areas assisted in the deterioration of them and a less dense community is not always a negative.

The program’s success can’t solely be based on residents, but rather the overall condition of the neighborhood. If these neighborhoods are dilapidated and blight, immediate action must be taken to revive these communities.

They are successful because they improve the overall perception and quality of Memphis, which in turn brings new opportunities to our city. Hope VI has definitely changed the landscape of Memphis and hopefully will continue to improve the conditions of our neighborhoods.

Walk more, drive less – It’s good for you

Much has been said about smart planning and the importance of pedestrian friendly streets. The pendulum may be swinging from car-centric toward people-centric communities.



Happy as a clam in my suburban home

Going back to the 1860s and 70s, Frederick Law Olmstead was promoting an idea of parks for a healthy access to sun and air. It was a revolutionary idea. A few decades back, suburbs were the big hype, claiming healthy, safe and affordable living! American dream finally came true. Levittown and Scarsdale were models for dream suburbs, advertising spread-out homes and private garages.

This is wrong, we are sick

Much has changed since then and even more will change within the decades to come. Public health officials and community planners are rethinking the importance of a motorized vehicle, stressing the need for pedestrian friendly communities, seeking a retrofit of existing suburban neighborhoods to encourage physical activity of their residents. More than ever an emphasis is given to the spread of obesity and chronic health issues linked to a sedentary way of living. Suburban residents walk less, bike less, and are overall less physically fit than their city counterparts.


The importance of cars within the suburban developments is immense. Neighborhoods lacking sidewalks and paths for pedestrians and bicycles could be proclaimed as a symbol for life within the suburbs. Cars are parked in the driveways, allowing for the convenience of driving anywhere at any time, often for a mile, reaching the destination with only a few feet of walking.

‘Walk less; it’s the right thing to do. (?)’

Los Angeles, a city of a million of cars, forces each adult to have a car. Children have to be driven to nearly every activity and remaining physically active becomes difficult. Suburbs of Memphis are just as car-needy. Remembering my move to Memphis eight years back, I used to walk, bike and take public transportation everywhere. My first experience living in Cordova was walking to the convenient store located about a quarter of a mile down the road. I was stopped by a police officer, who wondered if everything is fine, asking me if I need a ride since my car must have broken down. I was advised not to walk but drive next time.

Based on my experience, is it not surprising that walking is becoming unnatural. ‘A quarter of all trips taken by Americans are under a mile, but 75 percent of those trips are done by car. Only one-third of children who live less than a mile from school now walk to school’, as stated by Dr. William Dietz, a director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical activity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Georgia Tech published a study about daily walking, which said that Americans and Canadians use their feet for far fewer trips than people in other developed countries. For a comparison, people in Italy walk 54 percent of their trips, people in Sweden 49 percent while Americans only about 10 percent. The dependence on vehicles has led to an elimination of 90 percent of historic American pedestrian connectivity. While passenger cars account for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, they account for up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States.

No, not everyone’s soul is lost forever! New model found

While most zoning laws in the US still require two parking spaces per a residential unit, EPA is promoting car reduced communities. The Main Street model becomes more and more popular and focus is shifting toward retrofitting of existing neighborhoods, infill developments and downtown conversions. A larger percentage of Americans is looking for a car reduced or utopian car-free communities to live in; however, their options are limited. A more compact, pedestrian oriented neighborhood is becoming a model for the first decades of the 21st century. While the 1950s embraced living in the suburbs with no parks, sidewalks, retail centers within reach by foot or bike, the 2010 model promotes these features.

Quarry Village

Quarry Village in Oakland, CA is one of the utopian prototypes of living with no car dictatorship. Even though the ownership of a car is not forbidden, it is not celebrated. This is a planned community which is easily accessible via the Bay Area Transit System. The neighborhood is being developed between the Cal State Hayward and the Hayward BART station, within a short distance from the university. Originally a piece of land purchased for a freeway extension, the community will include housing units ranging from studios to six bedroom townhouses, with estimated prices starting at $160,000. (More information at http://quarryvillage.org/)

Greg Ramsey of Village Habitat Design (http://www.allthingshealing.com/tabId/197/itemId/538/CarReduced-and-CarFree-Pedestrian-Habitats.aspx) lists the primary objectives to be incorporated into a car reduced / free community as follows:

1. Reduce car ownership and create cluster parking areas at the outskirts of the community. These cluster parking areas can then be converted over time to a place to house shared and rental vehicles. Greenfield development (building on land that has previously never been built on) will ultimately have to be bonded to insure financing for community transportation links (shuttle to town/city). Charging commensurate impact fees for new cars can pay for the community transportation infrastructure.

2. Develop or convert existing streets to pedestrian, bike and electric cart/moped streets. Existing neighborhoods can start with the conversion of one street and then proceed to every other street, etc.

3. Develop effective community and public transit links. Car reduced/free communities can only be as effective as their transit links. A community shuttle can be an effective way to connect the communities to more substantial public transportation.

4. Development of pedestrian-proximity mixed-use communities, including residential, agricultural, energy production, wildlife habitats, workplaces, and community/civic buildings.

5. Development of pedestrian scaled spaces and buildings that respond to privacy gradients, celebration of community, social interaction and links to nature.

Conversion will occur by increments while new communities can be designed as full pedestrian habitats. These communities will be devoid of highways and streets as we know them today.

As odd as this may seem at the moment, as the natural resources become scarce and the nations will face more global issues, car-free communities will become a vital model for development.

Our friends over-seas

Europe is already a couple of steps ahead by implementing new zoning and regulations. In 2000, Britain put forth a comprehensive effort to reform planning and to discourage the use of cars. All new development has to be accessible to public transit. The new 2001 planning document set new regulations, limiting permits to many housing compounds, restaurants and shopping malls that did not follow this new rule.

Copenhagen focuses on converting streets into pedestrian zones, reducing the impact of cars and therefore traffic and parking requirements. The existing parking lots are being converted into public squares.

Germany’s prototypical suburb of Vauban, near the French-Swiss border, went even further and forbade cars all together. Street parking, driveways and home garages are not allowed in this upscale community. Streets are completely car free, except the main thoroughfare which connects Vauban with downtown Freiburg. There are only two large garages to park on the community outskirts, offering parking spots for about $40,000 each. Communal car rental as well as a car-sharing club by families are locally available. This suburb is an example of a growing trend in Europe to separate suburban life from auto use.

Back home

Within the US, hundreds of groups, which are environment oriented, mayor’s offices and the American Association of Retired People, promote development of communities that would be less dependent on cars. Existing suburbs are slowly being modified, to become more efficient, dense and people friendly with the access to public transportation. The River Trails Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service is countrywide helping communities to develop walking trails.

While tightly knitting the holes in the existing urban fabric, new patterns are being developed. A landscape with connection to public transit can create an interesting combination. All over Europe green lines are carpeting railways. This idea not only looks pleasant but also helps to reduce the heat island effect and storm water runoff. (http://www.landfx.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=28&p=3960)

For the past few years, Memphians have been talking about the Green Belt Rail system on the old CSX rail line. By incorporating the light rail line as a part of this belt, both purposes would be served - a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) catalyst throughout the area and a place of relaxation for the Memphis’ residents. While this would not change the suburbs, it has a potential to spark a development along the line and connect the next suburbs to downtown/ medical center jobs, while promoting walking within the TODs and along the green belt.