environment + Sustainability
Channel Sponsor: Presto Geosystems | www.prestogeo.com
Figure 1: Kettering Estates development in Lemont, Ill., as originally planned with a traditional site design (left) and the revised site plan incorporating elements of conservation design (right). Also see Table 1.
The New Urbanist and Conservation Open Space movements of the 1980s and 1990s also have played pivotal roles in showing how thoughtful incorporation of open space into residential communities can lead to more livable and market friendly neighborhoods. Adding open space to neighborhoods is not pioneering new territory, but in- stead is a tried and true method for creating livable communities that people desire. To capitalize on Americans’ dreams of home ownership, builders and developers have provided — and continue to provide — eager custom- ers with new dwelling units. Often though, these products are provided in cookie cutter fashion; that is, the similar settlement pattern of a house on an individual lot situated within a large-scale, self-contained development known as the modern-day subdivision. Its roots can be traced far back, but they generally became ensconced in builders’ (and buyers’) minds during the building boom following World War II. Cheap land away from city centers, affordable mortgages, a boom- ing economy, and soldiers returning home starting families in need of affordable housing provided the necessary ingredients for a large housing boom. Developers such as William J. Levitt, with his famous Levittown communities, provided mass produced homes in large subdivisions with little more than the necessary streets and home sites. These sub- divisions are marked by homes of similar style, few trees, minimal landscaping, close neighbors, and lack of any park or open space. This pattern of development, even with the advent of the New Urbanism and Conservation Open Space movements, continues almost unabated to this day.
Open space A smart way to better market residential developments. By Jeff Martin, PLA
Americans have always been enamored with owning their own home — a huge component of the “American Dream.” Too often, though, aspiring homeowners must settle for houses in monotonous develop- ments with no real sense of place. These developments often have little to no interconnected open spaces. For builders and developers, this lack of open space leads to missed marketing opportunities to better position their investments in a highly competitive marketplace. Thoughtful incorporation of open space into residential communities makes for more livable neighborhoods that are highly marketable and help improve sales velocities and increase lot premiums. Specific and easy-to-implement solutions exist for suburban, infill, and rural subdi- visions. Incorporation of open space into residential developments has a rich history in the planning and design of communities throughout the United States. The General Plan of Riverside, Ill., developed by Olm- stead, Vaux & Co. in 1869 — arguably the first planned community in the country — includes significant open space throughout its design. Other historic examples include Savannah, Ga.; Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Radburn, N.J.
42
csengineermag.com
march 2018
Made with FlippingBook Annual report