Even urbanists agree that certain improvements need to be made in suburban development, especially since suburbs will absorb most of the 100 million new Americans in the next four or so decades. We have to start to get it right more often. For those of you involved at some level with suburban development, this will be of interest to you. Last week The Planning Center, based in Orange County, California, released a report entitled ”Five Steps Toward a New Suburbia.” Download it here - Five Steps Towards a New Suburbia. The report is a follow-up to last year’s “The New Suburbanism: A Realist’s Guide to the American Future.” 

This is exciting for me because I contributed a couple of the case studies that appear in the report, the bulk of which was written by Colin Drukker of The Planning Center and Joel Kotkin, an Irvine Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. The Five Steps takes a measured approach to the planning challenges of suburbia and looks at how to improve it from an economic, environmental, physical, social and governmental perspective.

The case studies provide concrete examples of successful suburban development and strategies from around the country. More importantly, by offering some solutions, the Five Steps report gets a number of ideas out on the table for discussion. At least I hope so, but you’ll have to read for yourself. For more information, contact either me or The Planning Center at www.planningcenter.com.

I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on and off for over half of my life. I took annual work trips around the country with my church youth group in high school, was Vice President of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus chapter one year, and most recently, worked up the street from Jimmy Carter in Puebla, Mexico in 2004.

Needless to say, I was fascinated to learn more about Habitat’s Urban Programs, which, due to the complexity of working in urban areas, seeks alternatives to the single-family style of Habitat home that we all know. An article written by me about the Urban Programs and the efforts on the part of Habitat appeared in the March/April issue of Multifamily Trends, an Urban Land Institute publication. Read it here.

Habitat for Humanity Article

During the research for this article, Susan Haigh, President of the Twin Cities Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, explained that they like to tell people they don’t build affordable housing, they build market rate housing and keep it affordable through mortgage financing.

Although it didn’t make it in to the article, that quote stuck with me. I think it is important to consider that notion as we frame the affordable housing debate. Indeed, there need not be a white hot line between market rate and affordable housing, and that line will certainly become more blurred if Habitat and other affordable and for-profit housing developers increasingly partner on projects in our cities.

The affordable housing challenge is fascinating, and I look forward to continuing this discussion with many of you as time goes on. 

About a month ago I ventured to Charleston, South Carolina on business. I had been there years ago, but not since I heard the mayor of Charleston, Joe Riley, give his inspiring slide show about placemaking. I was on a mission to see one of the places he helped make in Charleston.

If you have not heard Mayor Riley speak, you are missing out. The man is quotable and very inspiring. He says things like “most Americans don’t want density or sprawl.” I suppose he is right. “There’s no reason to build anything that won’t add to the beauty of the city.” “Great cities give their finest edges to the public, without fear.”

It was with these latter two quotes in mind that I set out from my hotel and realized with delight that I was a half-block from one of Mayor Riley’s signature projects, Waterfront Park. It consists of a lovely pier and promenade, complete with fountains, flowers and large swings that face the water, can seat four, and are very popular. It is indeed a fine public space that adds to the beauty of the city.  

During his presentations, Mayor Riley likes to tell the story of Clarence, a Charleston resident who is unable to travel, but spends a lot of time on the waterfront. The mayor asked him once why he does that. Clarence replied that he simply loves to come out to the waterfront at sunrise and watch the beautiful ships go by.

I made it a point to get up the next morning and watch the sunrise from a Waterfront Park swing. I looked for Clarence, but realized that was silly since I had no idea what he looks like. The important thing was to experience a grand public place that exists largely because of visionary leadership from Joe Riley.

To see Waterfront Park was a sort of homecoming in one sense. Mayor Riley has a moral imperative that “our cities must be a place where every citizen’s heart can sing.” His presentations are inspirational, and it was important for me to see and experience an example of what he is trying to convey. Great design can win awards, but if the end result is a place like Waterfront Park for all people to enjoy, including Clarence, then indeed we have all won.