Modern Urbanism: Time for a New Vision?
Low-density suburban sprawls, shopping centers, and three-car garages are well-known symbols of the American dream, which by itself a consequence of Modern Urbanism in the United States.
Modern Urbanism was discovered after World War 2, when rapid economic growth, increased demand for cars, and industrialization pushed the development of car-centric places where distance no longer mattered. This urbanism idea has shaped cities into divided areas: shopping centers, living areas, and offices – surrounded by parking of course. Low-density areas – started to be considered as a good. For example, it was often heard that there was a fear you would not be able to evacuate if someone nuked the US, which by itself is bizarre. It also placed a high importance on the highways and roads as it became impossible to travel high distances.
Note: Modern and New Urbanism are different terms.
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Note: Modern and New Urbanism are different terms. 〰️
Because of all these factors, New Urbanism was rediscovered. Its goal is to create synergy where everyone feels comfortable. New urbanists prioritize long-lasting plans, structures, functionality, and accessibility over futuristic design. They are focusing on developing social spaces, accessible parks, and community-oriented spaces that foster connections among residents. In some way, they want to return to the systems that Leonardo Benevolo described in his book History of the City, which is the idea that a person should reach the necessary services he was needed in 15-20 minutes.
Leonardo Benevolo, “History of the City”, 1983
An example of a New Urbanism city is Seaside, Florida. This city is designed with the purpose of increasing public spaces to let people socialize and create walkability in the community. Today, however, Seaside Florida has become a very expensive million dollar community rather than an affordable place for city residents to live as it was originally planned for. (Jagannath 2018).
Seaside, Florida. Reflections on Seaside.
Also, New Urbanism is being criticized for its difficulties in implementation in the United States context. Zoning laws and land use requirements do not necessarily help to achieve desired ideas. For example, it could require wider streets or a large amount of parking spaces. Jane Jacobs, in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, mentioned the North End area of Boston. Which at first was a very poor area with a large amount of slums, but was able to transform into one of the most vibrant in a city. When she noticed that transformation, she called her friend, who worked as an urban planner for a city, but because of his old school approach, he thought that Jane Jacobs was mistaken and mentioned that he would like to reconstruct this community in a lower-density one. That planner said that it is one of the worst areas due to its very high density – 175 dwelling units per acre – for comparison, a typical suburban community usually has only 4. So, what we could see from North End’s example is that higher density could result in better infrastructure. However, it's not supported by the Modern Urbanism approach of urban planners.
We and previous generations already grew up in this toxic and, at the same, over-comfortable idea of suburbanization and Modern Urbanism. Now, it is about impossible to even buy food without a car due to the notion that everyone should have a car, which significantly affects the lower class. Statistics show that more and more people are becoming less socialized. But even disregarding those factors, would you let your kids go outside in a suburban community, or why are young adults moving to bigger and more vibrant cities? As you can see, there are big problems with this. But do not just accept that. The current system could be changed if we inform people we know and make them realize the problems of the current street design approach and truly desire a change..
