SUSTAINABLE URBANISM

https://www.wheretraveler.com/boston/advice/back-bay-grand-boston-neighborhood-full-surprises

How do mixed-use development contribute to more sustainable communities?

According to Farr, the definition of Sustainable Urbanism is “walkable and transit-served urbanism integrated with high-performance buildings and high-performance infrastructure.” Walkable does not only mean the community is pedestrian friendly, with wide sidewalks that are substantially shaded by and inundated with nature. Walkable means the destination where the community member is trying to go is within walking distance. It’s about getting from point A to point B by foot. More importantly, the decision to go by foot needs to be made over the desire to drive. So the pedestrian-friendly infrastructure needs to be attractive enough where people see traveling on foot as a more enjoyable and convenient means than by car. Farr explains that the goal of sustainable urbanism is where “the creation and support of communities…are so well designed for a high quality of life that people will eagerly opt to meet their daily needs on foot and transit.” 

The goal of a sustainable neighborhood is not possible without mixed-use developments. Everyone has needs and desires. Where these needs and desires are met is what leads to a sustainable place. Mixed-use developments are places where you not only live but its where community members work, play and fulfill all of their needs. However, for mixed-use developments to function properly and cause the community to become sustainable in the long run they have to fulfill three factors consumers always consider: cost, convenience and quality. According to Farr, nowadays “a focus on cost may lead them to Wal-Mart, convenience to the internet, and quality to a smaller shop offering personalized service. However, many people shop only on the basis of cost, not realizing or caring that their purchasing decisions undermine the viability of local businesses.” Therefore, a change in behavior needs to occur. Communities need to be dense and small enough where members begin to form relationships with other community members and develop an attachment to their personal communities. The street becomes an extension of their living rooms, so to speak. “Ideally, a bounded neighborhood increases the potential for residents to develop personal relationships with the local merchants and vice versa, building customer loyalty, creating value and convenience, and changing how people decide where to shop.”

Mixed-use also applies to mixed-housing. Forming a long-lasting attachment to your personal community is not possible unless housing requirements are available for all ages. Farr explains that “neighborhoods that offer a full range of housing types at least allow individuals and families to ‘age in place’ by offering housing suited to every phase of life.” This provides the amenities required by members to continue to invest in their community, continuing to form relationships and continuing to choose local shops to fulfill their needs, resulting in a sustainable community. 

How is quality of life improved by sustainable urbanism?

Based on Farr’s findings, he concludes that “compared to the American lifestyle as we now know it, the quality of a life lived in sustainable urbanism is healthier, happier, more independent and not least of all longer.” Sustainable urbanism “emphasizes that the personal appeal and societal benefits of neighborhood living — meeting daily needs on foot — are greatest in neighborhoods that integrate five attributes: definition, compactness, completeness, connectedness, and biophilia.” In short, these attributes are how quality of life is improved by sustainable urbanism. 

Previously, quality of life was thought to be improved simply by increasing the quality of personal buildings, regardless of location. Quality of life is improved by sustainable urbanism because sustainable urbanism focuses on a wholistic approach to a community, where both buildings and city infrastructures are deemed “green”. “It is no longer acceptable to build a high performance building in a Greenfield, automobile-dependent context and have it certified as ‘green’. It is no longer good enough to develop in a responsible location and build an admirable, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood while ignoring the level of resources required to build and maintain the buildings there.” 

As discussed in Question #1, a mixed-use community feeds into a heightened social network. A defined and compact neighborhood fulfilling all the needs of its inhabitants is easily understood and cherished by locals. A sense of ownership leads to further investment and care. And this sense of investment and care leads to a desire to know and be known by the other locals. The way streets are designed in sustainable urbanism, with generous sidewalks and close quarters encourages sociability. “The limited size of a neighborhood increases the chances of being recognized or met by an acquaintance or friend—of being known. People enlarge their circles of acquaintances and friends by daily contact on the street, on porches, in third places, and through local organizations and activities. This enlarged network of friends and acquaintances can increase well-being and social capital—the advantage created by a person’s location in a structure of relationships.” Furthermore, because sustainable urbanism seeks to provide housing for all ages, community members are encouraged to age in place and, according to Farr, “the lifelong relationships and deep social connections that go along with aging in place…have been correlated with increased health, happiness, and longevity.” 

A city that is composed of well-connected neighborhoods, districts, and corridors, leads to more reliability on a sophisticated city transit system vs individual automobiles, especially in compact neighborhoods already composed of citizens eager to walk instead of drive. Density is key in creating sustainable urbanism, because “increasing density reduces the length of walk trips, can reduce car ownership and use (miles driven per family), and can shift car trips to walking trips, sometimes dramatically.” Density also results in communities that can support district energy systems, “reducing carbon generation by 30 percent and energy consumption by as much as 50 percent.” Coupled with fewer cars on the road due to the connectedness within cities, quality of life is improved because the quantity of pollution is reduced. 

Another attribute that leads to an increased quality of life is biophilia, or the love of nature the humans are born with. Unfortunately, conventional urbanism unknowingly eliminates all systems of nature in order to pave the way for practical urban form. According to Farr, “this disconnect from nature is increasingly thought to contribute to a number of psychological harms, such as increased stress and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” Knowing the importance of nature infused into our daily lives, sustainable urbanism aims to connect people to nature and natural systems, regardless of the density of urban environments. A landscaped sidewalk, surrounded by trees providing shade in the hot summer sun is much more likely to attract pedestrian traffic year round than a sidewalk without accompanying natural elements. Natural elements also provide habitats for birds, animals, and reptiles, attracting pedestrian traffic. The attractiveness of nature aims to promote a walkable lifestyle, impeding a sedentary lifestyle, along with all the life provoking consequences that follow.          

What is an example of sustainable urbanism in Boston?

From spending a week in Boston, attending classes at the Boston Architectural College, I found the Back Bay and Beacon Hill (pictured above) neighborhoods to be a prime example of sustainable urbanism. Both neighborhoods embody all five attributes that describe sustainable urbanism: definition, compactness, completeness, connectedness, and biophilia. 

Definition: The Charles River to the North and High Rise establishments of downtown to the East and South contain these neighborhoods in a defined space.

Compactness: The older buildings, built in close proximity to one another and to the streets promote a pedestrian lifestyle. These buildings are inundated with mixed-use programs, from popular clothing stores (Patagonia) to grocery stores (Trader Joes) to restaurants and coffee shops of multiple cuisines and costs. The narrow streets (seen in the “vehicular transportation diagram”) keep the neighborhood amenities convenient to pedestrians and unhindered by intimidating vehicular traffic.

Completeness: The neighborhoods contain schools for all ages (including Boston Architectural College), mainstream hotels catering to visiting firms, and housing and basic needs for all ages. A pedestrian-friendly environment also welcomes those unable to rely on personal vehicles. 

Connectedness: Aside from pedestrian-friendly streets, public transportation flows through these neighborhoods. I was able to take a bus from inside of the airport directly to my hotel door in Back Bay with ease. 

Biophilia: The Boston Esplanade running the shoreline of the Charles River is a perfect park within these neighborhoods to escape urbanism and find refuge in nature. Commonwealth Avenue is a quaint, historic avenue split by a central park running the length of the avenue. At the end of Commonwealth Avenue are the Boston Public Gardens, providing a vast natural landscape within an urban context that is filled with community members year round.       

                                           

Responses to the following questions are supported by the following Publication:

Sustainable Urbanism, Douglas Farr, 2008