Interesting project brewing over in Florida. Sounds a little like the developer has been reading our blog here but taking things to a massive extreme. Do you think he can pull it off?

Check it out and come back with your thoughts.

Levi

If you haven’t already heard, the Complete Streets Act, which is before the House and the Senate right now, would ensure that stimulus funds spent on new transportation projects adhere to “complete streets” guidelines. Streets would have to have sidewalks, raised medians, better bus stop placement, and various traffic-calming features, among other things. The bill was introduced last week by Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Doris Matsui. Click here for more information.

I’ve been thinking recently about the reconstruction of Europe after WWII. What an immense task to rebuild the cities that were reduced to rubble while also rebuilding factories and returning farmland to production. It’s a little over 60 years later and what an incredible turnaround! It gives me hope that we can take on huge challenges like reinventing our cities, building sustainable economies, and tackling climate change.

What helps put things in perspective for you?

Steve Schewigerdt

Another great post today by Alexis Madrigal on urban civic spaces and our constant misunderstanding of how to put them to good use.

I know, I know, so cheap of me to just post about another post but its the weekend and I am not feeling all that creative myself. Trust me anything that I would write today would not be nearly as good as what Alexis wrote. So head over and check it out.

Thanks so much for all of you who commented on the Planning commission notes I posted a few days ago.

I re-wrote the text based on what I heard from you. I think I got all of it but help me out and tell me what I missed. It’s a bit shorter this time around because I read it out loud and it felt a bit drawn out.

Here it is…

Planning Commission Hearing November 20th 2008  – Washington Blocks  -  Levi Benkert
Commissioners I want to thank you for taking the time to review the project we are proposing for the Washington neighborhood.

For the Record my name is Levi Benkert. I own LJ Urban, the developer for the project you see before you tonight.
As you may know I recently moved into the Good project with my wife and three kids and can tell you the density works well and the concept of shared outdoor living spaces makes for a thriving community. The exact type of community that the Washington neighborhood so desperately needs. [Read more →]

This Thursday the 20th we have a Planning Commission hearing in West Sacramento on two of our projects, Habitat and Simple. We have been working on these projects for over a year and the vote is a major deal for us.

I am working on my opening plea to the Commissioners and want to share it with you here to get your input on it. It feels like it may be a little over the top… Let me know what you think.

And if you decide that you want to come out and support us the hearing starts at 6 and we expect to go on at about 6:30.

Here is what I have so far…I think its about 8 minutes worth of talking.

Planning Commission Hearing November 20th 2008  – Washington Blocks  -  Levi Benkert
Commissioners I want to thank you for taking the time to review the project we are proposing for the Washington neighborhood.

For the Record my name is Levi Benkert. I own LJ Urban, the developer for the project you see before you tonight.

You have heard all about LJ Urban’s vision for sustainable homes and building a walkable community in the Washington Neighborhood. You may have seen the Good project or read about it in the paper.

Many of you may have even been a little skeptical about the density and livability of this new type of housing. [Read more →]

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about anything but GOOD – but the other pieces in the Washington neighborhood are still moving through various stages of getting approval, so it’s high time we share them!  One of the biggest challenges currently is figuring out what makes a building “compatible” with the neighborhood.  Most people are thinking about the Victorians on 3rd and 4th Streets, but we also have to account for the super modern Ziggurat and STRS.  You can’t make a 30 unit condo building look like a Victorian and the planners aren’t going for anything modern, so how do we find a great building in the middle?  Our architects at Myhre Group have turned out this design for our Simple project at 4th and G St.  that we love with stone and exposed cedar to help warm it up.  What do you think?

Steve

I am not going to say anything about this very cool idea. Just that you need to go over check it out then come back here and tell everyone what you think…..

I know there are a lot of people who disagree with me but I think that 30 foot green space setback next to roads with walls separating the houses like this one in Folsom is just plain stupid. Space that could be an active participant in the community instead makes roads feel empty and land gets eaten faster.
I know it’s probably this way to preserve the “nature” feel Folsom is going for but it simply does not work the way it was intended.

Not that we have an award for something like this but this one from a few days ago would win it for sure.

William Burg on Presenting: LJ Urban’s Open Mic 8-28-08

You want to know how I sum up the difference between neighborhood activists in Citrus Heights and neighborhood activists in downtown Sacramento? The Citrus Heights variety want the city to require a citywide public vote to approve any development denser than 4 units an acre. Meanwhile, we’re pushing for mixed use and housing diversity, and get a bit weirded out at lot sizes bigger than a seventh of an acre.

People’s ideas of what constitutes good planning and good architecture varies in space as well as time. Remember that the folks on the Citrus Heights councils and boards are also residents of that city, and thus think more like the residents do in terms of what constitutes good architecture and good planning.

In a suburb, less is more: the primary appeal of suburban life is (comparatively) wide-open spaces and familiar surroundings. When density increases in a suburb, the primary selling point of the suburb gets lost. This, along with white flight, is why suburbs tend to be disposable products: once a certain density is reached, those who like suburbs the most move on to the next one.

In a city, more is more: city people want to be in a busy, engaging place, so when you add density, a city becomes more city-like, not less. This makes the city more appealing, and brings in more people who want an urban environment.

The fact is, suburban living has a strong appeal to many people. Siince the suburb has been promoted as the ideal living situation for more than a century, and it is not yet economically infeasible to build them, that appeal will take a long time to wane. And those who do find more comfort in a “less is more” housing environment will fight to protect that environment, including from city hall.

(Incidentally, have you seen the Citrus Heights city hall? It’s a mansard-roofed one-story office building stuck in between a multiplex theater and a strip mall.)

Thanks William for preaching it!

Levi