Bringing America's Most Popular Lifestyle Choice to the City
from Middle Class Lifeboat Chapter 11
If given a choice, four out of five people want to live in a small town, rural area or some other natural setting. The emerging lifestyle trends we’ve been discussing so far reflect this desire. But, the fact is, the US gained 100 million people in the past 39 years, topping the three million mark in October of 2006 and most of these three million live in large cities. What’s more, government estimates predict that we’ll top four million within the next 36 years. Accommodating this massive rate of growth will require 70 million new homes and 73 million new jobs. Where on earth will they be? According to Anthony Flint, author of This Land: The Battle over Sprawl and the Future of America, most of them will be in even larger, more densely populated cities.
People have been fleeing big city life in droves for decades. Towns are rapidly transforming into small cities and small cities are morphing into big cities. Obviously we can’t all live in small communities, remote areas or natural locales. There are just too many of us. By the late 1990’s 1.7 acres were developed for every person added to the US population. That’s the equivalent of building 220 parking lots or 16 basketball courts for each of us in the form of housing, schools, stores, roads, etc. But now such sprawl is drawing people back into the cities. When you have to leave home at 6:00 AM to get to work on time and head back again after 5:00 along traffic-clogged roadways, living “in town” is becoming more appealing to many.
Suddenly the city promises new financial and personal benefits for young professionals, empty-nesters and retirees. Eliminating the commute is a big attractor, of course, but the cost of gasoline is making the commute not only unpleasant and time-consuming, but also expensive. Savings on a bigger suburban house can get lost at the pump. Often profits from the sale of a pricey suburban home can buy a comfortable city condo with money left over. The city offers other attractors too. Closeness to where the “action” is, i.e. entertainment, cultural and social activities, medical facilities, and career opportunities. The freedom of having no grass to cut or landscaping to maintain and no meals to cook if you’d rather grab some food at, or order in from, a nearby restaurant or fast food place.
But, does this mean we must resign ourselves to crowded, noisy, smoggy, alienating, barren high-rise living that’s devoid of any sense of peace, tranquility, nature, and close-knit community? Since most of us are going to be living in cities, we had better hope not. Much of what could make our cities truly livable will depend upon the foresight of politicians and city planners, so visionaries are giving considerable thought to how we could create more natural, human-scale urban environments. Several scenarios have emerged.
Might one of these scenarios be attractive to you?
 Scenario One - Richard Heinberg, author of Power Down and The Party’s Over, sums up his perspective quite simply. “We have known for a long time,” he asserts “that the status quo - a society that is machine-oriented, globalized, monocultural and corporate-dominated - is deadening to the human spirit and unsustainable.” He believes what’s needed is a new urban infrastructure that’s “organic, small-scale, local, convivial, cooperative, slower paced, human-oriented rather than machine-oriented, agrarian, diverse, democratic, culturally rich and ecologically sustainable.”
We’re seeing some indications toward this scenario in both cities and suburbs. In cities like Denver  and Santa Monica older downtown commercial buildings have been razed and replaced by low-rise pedestrian-friendly, urban town centers that combine condos, shops and offices. In an effort to lure people back to the city, Cincinnati neighborhoods like College Hill, Columbia Tusculum and Clifton are embracing the town square model of yore to give their neighborhood a community focus and feel.
Realizing people increasingly want to shop where they live, suburban areas like Fairfield OH and Valencia, CA, are seeking to create town centers that provide an identifiable gathering places that counter their image as somewhere best described by American author Gertrude Stein’s quip, "There is no there there." Such low-rise developments often allow people to live, workshop, and recreate on foot should they choose.
“Walkable” cities and neighborhood communities within cities are an increasingly popular choice as evidenced by the rapid growth of the communities known for their walker-friendly character. Architect and planner L. Gene Zellman goes so far so to contend that “maximum livability can only be achieved if a town’s circulation is pedestrian – no cars - and everything is within a short walk.” Many must agree.
There are hundreds of small-scale new urban infill projects underway at this time aimed at restoring the urban fabric of cities and towns by reestablishing walkable streets and blocks.
The big challenge, though, with this scenario now, is that many of these “walkable” urban areas have become so highly desired that few people can afford to consider them. As Robin Rosen, who lives an hour outside of Washington D.C. told us, “My husband loves the stimulation of the city. We’ve looked at moving to some of the low-rise urban developments in D.C., or even Baltimore, but even though we both have good jobs, these places are just too expensive. We’re stuck in the suburbs and still driving to and from every day.”
 Scenario Two - In his book Eco-Cities, Richard Register proposes a different possibility. While Heinberg advocates shrinking the scale of metro life, Register proposes compacting our cities into bigger, ever more dense, multi-story, urban neighborhoods with “walkable centers and transit villages” that rise over wildlife corridors or tunnel beneath them with agricultural areas close to the center.
Register advocates concentrating on tall buildings around public spaces with large trees floating high over the city in rooftop arboretums, supported by pillars built into high-rise apartment and office buildings. He see these structures linked with pedestrian passageways and adorned with moveable greenhouses perched a dozen or two dozen stories above the streets with fruit trees, flowers and berry bushes everywhere along the streets, in window boxes and on rooftops.
Indeed, high-rise residential urban development is underway. Many consider it an inevitability given the predictions for massive population growth coupled with ever-more stringent growth restrictions to curb sprawl and preserve rural and wild land. While what’s being developed is not nearly as fanticiful as Register envisions, they are moving somewhat in that direction. Some, for example, are integrating loft aesthetics into the unit mix — huge windows, open spaces with few walls, exposed concrete ceilings and mechanical ducts, expansive wood or stone floors, etc. Others are providing generous courtyards, rooftop gardens and terraces, decks or walking areas where urban dwellers can enjoy having plants and flowers with little maintenance. Still others are fostering a sense of community within the high-rise, offering alcove doorways for each unit and community gathering places with natural flora in lobby-like plazas and terraced garden areas, not unlike the proverbial “town center.” The high-rise “city-within-a-city” may even have needed services within the building itself from banking and dry cleaning to fast food outlets and even room service.
Again, though, these lovely high-rise units with lovely views are not inexpensive. But some singles and couples without children can save enough on housing and transportation costs to live affordably in these re-engineered high-density areas.
 Scenario Three - David Korten, author of The Post-Corporate World, proposes village and neighborhood clusters of “modest row houses of varied design, ... clustered around courtyards, with lawns, playgrounds, and flowerbeds. Spaces between housing units would be for small gardens, composting, and raising small animals, such as chickens and goats for food.” Housing clusters would bring together all generations, he explains, with older folks helping with housework, gardening and childcare, and families sharing in turn with elder care. Basic food and convenience items would be available from local shops owned and operated by local residents. All this, including medical facilities, schools, library and entertainment would be in easy walking distance and adjacent to green spaces and agricultural enterprises.
Again, while not as visionary as Korten’s scenario, New Urbanism, or Traditional Neighborhood Design, is a growing movement among architects, planners, and developers which coalesced in the 1990’s and has a flavor of what Korten is advocating. It focuses on incorporating pre-automobile age characteristics into new urban developments and into redevelopment areas. Homes of various types are clustered in village-like arrangements along narrow streets that discourage auto traffic. They are lined or interspersed with greenbelts and open common areas that allow for social interaction and children’s activities, and integrated with commercial and agricultural uses.
Characteristics of Traditional Neighborhood Design
1. An identifiable neighborhood center with a transit stop.
2. Dwellings mostly within a five-minute walk to the center.
3. A variety of dwellings, i.e. houses, townhouses and apartments, to accommodate young and old, poor, middle class and wealthy; singles, couples, and families.
4. Shops and offices in the neighborhood of sufficiently varied types to supply the weekly needs of a household located within walking distance of homes.
6. An elementary school close enough for most children to walk to and from school.
7. Ample greens spaces, recreation areas and community-wide meeting facilities accessible to all dwellings - not more than a tenth of a mile away.
8. Narrow streets shaded by trees and arranged to provide a variety of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular routes to any destination.
9. Parking relegated to the rear of buildings, usually accessed by alleys.
10. A Self-governing body that decides matters of maintenance, security, and physical changes.
Reportedly more than 600 new towns, villages, and neighborhoods are planned or under construction in the U.S. using these principles of Traditional Neighborhood Design.
This model is being adopted in redevelopment of historic areas in some cities, too, like Beerline B in Milwaukee, Crawford Square in Pittsburgh, Highlands Garden Village in Denver, Park DuValle in Louisville. Most of these developments have websites to explore and many claim they offer “affordable housing,” but too often this phrase has become an oxymoron, especially considering that the value of these properties tends to escalate with each re-sale.
You can find profiles and additional information on “smart-growth” developments like these around the country on the EPA website, www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/case.htm.
 Scenario Four - Richard Manning, author of
Against the Grain, claims the last place we should turn for providing ways to live more naturally anywhere is the politicians, academics, real estate developers, or professional urban planners. As William J. Mitchell, architect and author of E-topia points out that “given the enormous inertia of cities we can expect the city of the next 50-100 years to look a lot like the city of today.” So, what Manning suggests is yet a fourth scenario that appears to be more feasible and affordable for individuals to undertake right now. In this scenario, our future way of life in metro areas will depend upon individuals working independently or coming together to define and create new ways to bring the aspects of the country-life they yearn for back into their existing neighborhoods.
For better or worse, life in the planned developments we’ve been discussing that somewhat resemble the above three scenarios may make urban life more convenient and tolerable, but they tend to be expensive and, so far, still feel pretty much like urban or suburban life as we know it. Certainly traditional rural activities like farming, owning livestock, and nature corridors have yet to make their way into the typical development. But, a growing numbers of maverick metro dwellers who we call Urban Thoreaus are, as Manning advocates, taking matters into their own hands and simply undertaking more country-like ways.
Douglas and Anita Brownfield, for example, work from home in the heart of the downtown area of a mid-sized city where they can walk to most of the services they need. They’re restoring a comfy old house with recycled and environmentally safe materials and replanting their degraded lot with native plants, fruit trees and a food-producing garden. They are working with neighborhoods to create a mini-community where everyone knows one another and helps each other out when needed by pooling talents and abilities.
Lisa and Laird Schlockman are urban farmers. They live in a house on a standard-sized lot in a small city that’s part of an extended micropolitan area. They use permaculture techniques to grow most of their own fruits and vegetables from squash and watermelon to beans and strawberries, all in their backyard. “The more time you invest in providing for yourself,” Lisa explains, “the less time you have to spend earning money to pay others to do it for you.” They’ve been surprised to learn that it takes only about an hour and half a week to plant, maintain and harvest their urban homestead. Within this year, Lisa and Laird expect their urban lot will provide nearly $20,000 in vegetables, fruits and nuts.
But, money isn’t all or even most of what’s motivating Urban Thoreaus. More than the cost savings, Urban Thoreaus are seeking a more natural and comfortable life with access to the city amenities around them. From reforesting to permaculture and backyard sanctuaries to patio and community gardens, Urban Thoreaus are creating a new urban landscape that’s bringing many simpler, healthier, “olden ways” back to the metropolis.
 Choices for Urban Thoreas
As you will see in Chapter 11 of Middle Class Life Boat, there is a whole continuum of ways Urban Thoreaus are enhancing city life with more natural country ways from telecommuting and personal nature sanctuaries to backyard farms and orchards, four-season greenhouse growing and more.
copyright Paul & Sarah Edwards, 2007.
Illustrations by Peter Gullerud - www.petergullerud.com |
