PACIFICA, CALIFORNIA

PACIFICA
P L A N N I N G W O R K S H O P F O R T H E Q U A R R Y I N PA C I F I C A
SPRING 2006

CHARRETTE
SCHEDULE
Monday, May 15
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Public Officials/Planning Boards
Commissions

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

OPENING PRESENTATION
(COVE ROOM)

Tuesday, May 16
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Public Works/Police/Fire
Infrastructure

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Environmental Agencies/Interests

Wednesday, May 17
10:00 – 12:00 noon
Town Center/Resort/Civic Interests

A Charrette? What’s A Charrette?

Andrés Duany leads a team of professionals and a community through the design process.
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Special Interests

A
Thursday, May 18
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. charrette is an intensive in the project develops a vested interest in Charrettes are organized to encour-
PIN-UP AND REVIEW planning session where citi- the ultimate vision. Second, the design team age the participation of all. That includes
zens, designers and others works together to produce a set of finished everyone who is interested in the making
Sunday, May 21
collaborate on a vision for documents that address all aspects of de- of a development: the developer, business
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
development. It provides a forum for ideas sign. Third, since the input of all the players interests, government officials, interested
PRESENTATION
(BOUNTY ROOM) and offers the unique advantage of giving is gathered at one event, it is possible to residents, and activists.
immediate feedback to the designers. More avoid the prolonged discussions that typi- Ultimately, the purpose of the charrette
importantly, it allows everyone who partici- cally delay conventional planning projects. is to give all the participants enough infor-
Presentation and Studio Location pates to be a mutual author of the plan. Finally, the finished result is produced more mation to make good decisions during the
Best Western Lighthouse Bay The charrette is located near the project efficiently and cost-effectively because the planning process.
105 Rockaway Beach Avenue site. The team of design experts and consul- process is collaborative.
Pacifica, CA 94044 tants sets up a full working office, complete
with drafting equipment, supplies, com-
puters, copy machines, fax machines, and
telephones. Formal and informal meetings A Message from the Developer
Coral Gables, FL 33134
550 Biltmore Way, Suite 970
The Peebles Corporation

are held throughout the event and updates to

the plan are presented periodically.
Through brainstorming and design activ- Dear Pacifica Resident: I look forward
ity, many goals are accomplished during the to meeting you and
Starting on May 15th and continuing hearing your thoughts
charrette. First, everyone who has a stake
all week we will host the first “charrette,” about the importance
a meeting process that will allow the com- of the Quarry to the
munity to share ideas and discuss concepts future of Pacifica.
for the Quarry in Pacifica. The charrette will This is such a charm-
be facilitated by Duany Plater-Zyberk & ing city, and I’m ex-
Company, the architectural and land plan- cited to help protect
ning firm we’ve engaged. the character of the
This is an opportunity for the people who R. Donahue Peebles
community and cre-
know the community the best to help guide ate opportunity for lo-
any changes that will occur in Pacifica. We’ll cal, residents, families and business own-
discuss issues such as open space, architec- ers.
tural design, shopping, access to recreational Sincerely,
opportunities, transportation, and coastal
Citizens at a charrette help plan the design of their
access. The charrette seeks your vision for
community. the future of Pacifica. R. Donahue Peebles
PAGE 2 PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION
THE TOWN PAPER
Diane Dorney
Editor/Publisher
Claire Fleischer
Assistant Editor Being
Matt Danielson
Production Editor
Prepared
CONTACT
Contact Info
The Peebles Corporation
550 Biltmore Way, Suite 970
Terms for Towns
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305.442.4342
Accessory Unit: A secondary building as-
sociated with a principal building by owner-
ship and shared lot. May be rented but not
THE TOWN PAPER sold separately. Syn.: Ancillary building,
backyard cottage, carriage house, garage
apartment, granny flat, outbuilding.
The Town Paper
309 Main Street Cartway (or Travelway): The width of a
street measured from curb to curb. Excludes
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
sidewalks and planting strips.
www.TNDtownpaper.com
Civic Use: Premises used by organiza-
The Pacifica charette publication is a tions considered to support the common
publication of The Town Paper. good and therefore given special treatment
within traditional neighborhoods. Civic sites
All photos property of The Town Paper should be reserved within every new urban
neighborhood even if their advent is in the
and Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company distant future.
unless otherwise noted. The design, ad-
vertisements, art, photographs and edito- Conservation Development: Develop-
rial content of The Town Paper may not ment that concentrates buildings and densi-
ties in specific areas to allow the preserva-
be reproduced without permission. tion of natural open space for recreation,
common open space, and preservation of
©2006 The Town Paper. environmentally sensitive features.
All rights reserved.
Conservation Easement: A legal agree-
ment between a landowner and a land trust
or government agency that permanently
limits uses of the land in order to protect its
conservation values.
Density: Building units per acre.
“We shape Floor/Area Ratio (F.A.R.): The ratio of the
our buildings,
floor area inside a building to the area of its
lot. If a one-story building covered its lot
completely, its F.A.R. would be 1.
and afterwards
Greenway: Greenways are linear parks
and trails that connect neighborhoods to
our buildings
schools, shopping areas, offices, recreation
areas, open spaces and other points of
activity.
shape us.” Infrastructure: Physical service improve-
ments, including utilities, streetscapes and
thoroughfares, but excluding buildings and
community amenities.
— Winston Liner Building: A building that wraps
Churchill around a parking lot or structure in order to
mask it from the street.
Live/Work: A single-family house or
townhouse with the first floor available as
a commercial space, either independently
leased or in conjunction with the residential
unit above.
Low-Impact Development (LID): LID is
an ecologically-friendly approach to site
development and storm water management
that aims to mitigate development impacts
to land, water, and air.
Mixed-Use: Multiple functions within the
same building or the same general area.
One of the principles of new urban develop-
ment from which many of the benefits are
derived, including that of pedestrian activity
and traffic capture. Suburban zoning cat-
egories specifically prohibit mixed-use; new
urban ordinances assure it.
Network: A web of intersecting thorough-
fares. The street network is the principal
structuring device of the urban pattern.
Open Space: Area free of building that,
together with a well-designed system of
thoroughfares, provides a public realm at all
scales of urbanism. Specific examples are:
Green – a medium-sized public space
available for unstructured recreation. A
green is surrounded by building facades,
its landscape consisting of grassy areas
and trees. Requires limited maintenance.
Square – a public space, seldom larger
than a block, at the intersection of im-
portant streets. A square is enclosed
by frontages; its streetscape consists of
paved walks, lawns, trees and civic build-
ings. Requires substantial maintenance.
Park – a large open area available for
recreation and fronted by buildings. Its
landscape of paths, lawn, trees and open
shelters is naturalistically disposed and
requires limited maintenance.
Plaza – a public space at the intersection
of important streets set aside for civic
purposes and commercial activities. A
plaza is enclosed by frontages; its land-
scape consists of durable pavement for
parking and trees requiring little mainte-
nance.
Pedestrian Shed: The distance most
people will walk rather than drive, provid-
ing the environment is pedestrian-friendly
THE TOWN PAPER
(equivalent to one-quarter of a mile or 1,320
feet).
Sectors:
Civic - religious, cultural and educational
institutions operating for the common
good.
Public – government operating for the
common good by bridging gaps left by the
private sector.
Private – development entities operating
for profit.
Setback: The mandatory minimum or
maximum distance between a lot line and
an elevation (exterior wall). Open porches,
balconies, overhangs and ramps are usually
exempt from the setback requirements.
Streetscape: The resulting combination
of curbs, walks, planters, street trees and
street lights fronting buildings.
Terminated Vista: The view that occurs
at the end of a thoroughfare. In planning,
the terminated vista is always given careful
consideration.
TND (Traditional Neighborhood Develop-
ment)/New Urbanism: A comprehensive
planning system with the mixed-use neigh-
borhood as its basic element. Most of the
neighborhood is within a five-minute walk of
the center. The center supports local-level
retail and institutions. Syn: new urban com-
munity.
Urban Fabric: The generic term for the
physical aspect of urbanism. This term
emphasizes building types, thoroughfares,
open space, streetscapes and frontages
while excluding environmental, functional,
economic and socio-cultural aspects.
Vernacular: The common heritage and
language of a region, particularly in refer-
ence to the architectural construction of a
building.
VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled): The num-
ber of miles of personal auto travel per day.
TNDs have relatively low VMT, illustrating the
effectiveness of balanced use and walkabil-
ity in traffic mitigation.
THE TOWN PAPER
Welcome to the New Urbanism
After 50 years of living in places that are
far from work, entertainment and institu-
tional buildings, there has been an increased
demand for places that have it all. Places
where residents, if they so desire, can live
quite comfortably without an automobile.
Where most of the daily activities are
located within walking distance and are
connected by attractive streets and public
spaces. In addition, it would be nice to have
a variety of travel options, housing for all
and protected natural areas. An attempt to
deliver these amenities in one package is a
form of planning called new urbanism.
Why do we need new urbanism? Isn’t
the conventional way of building good
enough?
The planning of conventional suburbs
is based on the rigid separation of land
uses. The assumption is that everyone
going from place to place will use a car.
Consequently, modern cities have become
dominated by pavement that sprawls in
vast distances across the landscape. In
the process, farms and wilderness are
destroyed. Residents spend much of their
day in traffic, and everyone budgets a lot of
money for transportation. Those who can’t
drive -- the poor, the elderly and children
-- are more restricted and dependent than Top left: Rosemary Beach, Fla. Top right:
everyone else. Windsor, Fla. Bottom left: Celebration, Fla.
If people are going to walk, there have Bottom right: Rosemary Beach, Fla.
to be places to go and things to do nearby.
Why Should I Get Involved?
By Joyce Marin
Joyce K. Marin holds public office
as a borough councilwoman in Emmaus, Pa.
Have you ever wondered, “why
don’t THEY fix that” or “how could
THEY let that happen to our neigh-
borhood”? I have learned when those
questions come to mind, “THEY”
actually means “WE,” as in “We, the
people.” Increasingly, I have also
come to appreciate, even more per-
sonally, that “we” often means “me.”
If it comes to me that a special quality
in my community needs to be protected, preserved or lifted
up, if an idea has hit me like a thunderbolt, if it’s nagging
at me or keeping me up at night, then I have come to accept
that it’s my responsibility to move that idea forward.
But how?
In our democratic form of government, I have discovered
that there are some natural ways to make your voice heard.
You can get involved by calling your elected or appointed
officials. Or, you can start attending and speaking out at
regularly scheduled public meetings of your municipality.
You can also write a letter to the editor.
However, participating in a community design workshop,
or charrette, is another way of moving your ideas forward and
having fun at the same time. It is a creative process of col-
lective brainstorming, where citizens of a community come
together and are asked to consider the question, “What would
you like your community to be like in the future?” Going to
a charrette is a way to speak out even if your thoughts are not
yet fully formed ideas, but more hopes and dreams. During
this process, citizens talk about what they like best about their
community, uncover common goals and dreams, and develop
PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION PAGE 3
There must be an assortment of private, com-
mercial and public buildings; these buildings
must be connected by a variety of public
spaces. Good neighborhoods also have a
balance of jobs, housing and services.
A new urbanist neighborhood (also
known as TND) is created at the human
scale. Buildings are placed closer together
and exteriors are designed to be safe and
attractive for pedestrians. Streets are
constructed for slower speeds and traffic
is dispersed through many different con-
nections. Walking in front of a business or
around town is simply a pleasant, interesting
activity.
Neighborhoods like these have sur-
vived and prospered over the centuries.
New urbanism returns to these time-tested
principles and adapts them for a healthy,
sustainable 21st century.
consensus on what they would like to see in the future. Then
the designers get to work at putting these ideas on paper, and
the citizens can choose which drawings they think are the best
fit for their neighborhoods. At the end of the charrette process,
your community will agree on a common vision, have some
designs on paper and outline a plan for action.
What will happen at the charrette? Experienced facilita-
tors and designers will lead the workshop. All participants
will be encouraged to express their opinions and ideas in a
constructive and open forum.
Why should you participate in a charrette? In the old days
of urban redevelopment in the 1960s, planning ideas that
affected a neighborhood were decided by outside “experts,”
who imposed their ideas on the people who lived there. No
one asked the local people what the best solutions were to the
community’s problems. The results were disasterous. Urban
redevelopment hurt more neighborhoods than it helped.
Today, some planners and elected officials think much
differently. They know that communities need to be proac-
tive about deciding what their future holds. The best plans
to guide the changes taking place in a community come
from the people who know the community. People like Citizens take part in city decision-making.
you. To contribute in a meaningful way, all you need to
do is to care … and show up. It’s almost magical, but the relationships. They learned more about their community,
more people who care that participate, the more powerful its stories and its resources. They often feel energized by
the process becomes. their ideas and dreams being incorporated as part of the
Other than ending up with some designs and a plan whole plan for the future of the community. And lastly, by
that many people agree on, you may be wondering, “What being involved in a workshop like this, citizens get excited
other benefits will people like me get from participating in about working together after the charrette in order to see
this type of experience?” People who have gone to char- their ideas become reality, getting positive things done in
rettes say that they made new friends and formed lasting their neighborhoods.
PAGE 4 PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION THE TOWN PAPER

YOUR CHARRETTE TEAM

Andrés Duany Galina Tahchieva Norman Garrick Howard Blackson Michael Imber James Wassell
Principal Project Manager Traffic & CA Planning Architecture Illustrator
DPZ DPZ Transportation Urban Design
Planning

Other members of the design team include: Senen Antonio, Eusebio Azcue, Ludwig Fontalvo-Abello, Matt Lambert, Rachel Merson and Gustavo Sanchez

DUANY PLATER- HOWARD M. BLACKSON MICHAEL G. IMBER,

ZYBERK & COMPANY
In 1980, the planning profession was turned upside
down. The reason was a new development in the Florida
Panhandle called Seaside that actually dared to model itself
after a traditional town. “Ridiculous!” scoffed some. “Who
wants to live that way anymore?”
To their surprise, lots of people did. As it became a real-
estate success story, Seaside garnered state and national
awards while receiving international media coverage. The
result: a rewriting of planning textbooks across the country
and the globe.
Seaside was designed by architects Andrés Duany and
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, husband and wife, educated at
Princeton and Yale, and one-time founders of Arquitectonica,
a firm still renowned for its modern additions to the Miami
skyline.
“We grew tired of designing buildings that had no re-
lationship to the environment around them and eventually
realized that this was not an architectural problem, but a
planning problem,” said Duany. Since Seaside, Duany and
Plater-Zyberk have dedicated their careers to solving that
problem with plans and codes for new neighborhoods and
existing town and cities based on the age-old concept of the
traditional neighborhood. Their firm, Duany Plater-Zyberk
& Company currently initiates 20 projects a year, each one
a further refinement of the principles first tested at Seaside;
each one a demonstration that, as author Philip Langdon
describes, “there is a better way to live.”
Howard M. Blackson III has over fifteen years experience
in planning and urban design working throughout Califor-
nia, Hawaii and Asia. He earned a master of arts degree in
urban design from the University of Westminster, London;
a master planning certificate from Harvard University, Cam-
bridge, Mass.; and a bachelor of arts in geography from the
University of Texas, Austin.
Blackson’s planning and design consultancy in San
Diego, Calif., serves a variety of projects ranging from a
downtown San Diego mixed-use building to master plan-
ning several large-scaled communities throughout the
region. Last fall, Blackson participated in the rebuilding
of Mississippi’s gulf coast after Hurricane Katrina with 60
other members of the Congress for the New Urbanism. And
recently, he assisted the Louisiana Recovery Authority under
Andrés Duany and DPZ.
Notably, Blackson also worked on new urban projects in
Chico, Calif.; a new transit-oriented town in Austin, Texas;
and has helped shape San Diego’s bay front forming its His-
toric Harborfront Design Redevelopment. He helped write
form-based codes for National City, Chula Vista and San
Marcos downtowns. Blackson served as project manager
for a comprehensive update to the county of San Diego’s
General Plan.
In addition to his work in the new urban industry, Black-
son is also a highly regarded teacher, lecturer, and juror in
urban design and architecture studios at NewSchool of Ar-
chitecture & Design, University of California at San Diego,
and Woodbury School of Architecture.
ARCHITECTS
Michael Imber is the principal architect of Michael G.
Imber, Architects, PLLC located in San Antonio, Texas.
Michael G. Imber, Architects is a firm of 12 individuals that
is licensed to practice architecture in numerous states, which
allows the firm opportunities to expand their repertoire to
include locations such as California, Colorado, Florida and
Mississippi.
Imber is recognized as one of Architectural Digests’
“World’s Foremost 100 Architects.” He’s worked on projects
such as the Deputy Secretary of State’s Office, the Federal
Triangle Competition, the Smithsonian National Gallery
Sculpture Garden, and the University of Virginia’s Miller
Center of Public Affairs.
Michael Imber began his own practice in San Antonio
in 1993. Soon after, he was awarded a Texas Society of
Architects Honor Award for his modern interpretation of
the traditional German Sunday House, his first indepen-
dent project. Since then, he has been awarded numerous
local and national design awards and in 2001 was honored
with the Texas Society of Architect’s William W. Caudill,
FAIA Award for achievement as a young architect and for
his contribution to the American Institute of Architects.
Michael’s office is widely known for their idyllic residences
and country houses throughout the south and the Western
United States, receiving much recognition for their sensitiv-
Continued on page 5

appeal cases annually. country and has spoken at numerous venues

DEVELOPER
R. Donahue Peebles, 46, is the founder,
president and chief executive officer of The
Peebles Corporation, an entrepreneurial real
estate development company specializing in
luxury property development. Recognized
nationally as a leader in entrepreneurship,
Peebles’ real estate portfolio includes high
profile luxury hotel, residential and com-
mercial developments in South Florida, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Peebles began his real estate career in
1979 as a real estate appraiser.
In 1983 Peebles was appointed to the
District of Columbia’s Real Property Assess-
ment Appeal Board and in 1984, he became
chair of Board a position he held through
1988. In 1989, Peebles established a highly
successful commercial tax assessment ap-
R. Donahue Peebles
President and CEO
peal firm in Washington, D.C and within two
years he was appealing over 400 assessment
Peebles’ real estate development career
began in 1987 and by 1996 he had developed
and/or owned over 1,000,000 square feet
of commercial properties in Washington,
D.C. In 1997, Peebles began investing in
real estate in South Florida and moved his
company headquarters to Miami. He created
a luxury residential and hospitality division
dedicated to the development of high-end
luxury hotel and condominium properties
such as the Royal Palm Hotel and the Bath
Club Residences.
In October 2005, Peebles completed a
two-year term as Chair of the Greater Miami
Convention & Visitors Bureau (“GMCVB”),
and in March 2004, Peebles was named as
an honorary chair of the Florida Builder’s
Association.
As a recognized successful entrepreneur,
Peebles is in demand as a speaker across the
including, Columbia University, Wharton
School of Business, Florida International
University and the African-American Cham-
ber of Commerce.
In May 2000, Peebles received an honor-
ary doctorate, “Doctor of Business Admin-
istration in Hospitality Management” from
Johnson & Wales University.
For the last five years Peebles has been
coaching his sons youth basketball teams for
various youth Basketball Associations which
include the YMCA basketball league.
Peebles has been profiled in numer-
ous publications and major media outlets
which include Forbes, Black Enterprise,
the New York Times, the Washington Post,
USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC
and the CNN Financial Network. Peebles is
currently in the process of writing a book on
his experiences as an entrepreneur.
THE TOWN PAPER PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION PAGE 5

History and
Overview
Incorporated in 1957, the city of Pacifica was formed
through the consolidation of the communities of Edgemar,
Pacifica Manor, Westview (Pacific Highlands), Sharp Park,
Fairway Park, Vallemar, Rockaway Beach, Linda Mar and
Pedro Point. This bedroom community is known as the
“Fog Capital of California” and its name, meaning “peace-
ful” in Spanish, was chosen during a 1957 naming contest.
The area was discovered on October 31, 1769 by Gaspar
de Portola, a Spanish soldier who was appointed governor
of Las California from 1768-1770. The city is located
on the coast between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay
and boasts 6 miles of beaches. More than half of the land
in this small city is protected open space with numerous
city, county, and state parks. The bountiful parklands give
Pacifica spaciousness rarely found in suburban areas, yet
the city is only three miles from San Francisco’s southern
border, and less than 20 minutes to downtown.
Pacifica is well-known regionally as a popular surfing
destination and has world famous fishing spots. Besides
surfing and fishing, crabbing also is a specialty of the town.
The city is divided into roughly eleven distinct neighbor-
hoods: Fairmont, Westview (Pacific Highlands), Pacific
Manor and Edgemar in the north; Sharp Park, Fairway government faces budget constraints by failing to build and use of the natural assets of Pacifica to attract visitors
Park, Vallemar, and Rockaway Beach in the middle; Pedro its tax base, and is now looking to attract commercial to the area. This plan and strategy is based on the belief
Point in the south west; Linda Mar in the south; and Park development. City planners hope to capitalize within the that the natural environment is Pacifica’s greatest asset
Pacifica in south east (see map on the following page). next five years on Pacifica’s seaside location by building for attracting visitors and that the potential for increased
Because it evolved as several separate beach communi- a new town center anchored by a four-star hotel that could revenues from transit and sales tax is very high. Apply-
ties, there is no town center, but rather a string of small capture its share of tourism. ing “sustainable development principles” to economic
shopping centers and commercial areas. In partnership with the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce development, Pacifica is using the theme “Our ecology
Many residents settled in Pacifica because they and local environmental groups, the city has created an is our economy.”
couldn’t afford a home in San Francisco. Pacifica’s city economic development strategy that is based on protection

Continued from page 4

ity to landscape, material, craft and culture.
Their designs have been recognized and
exhibited in Rome and Versailles and have
been praised for their understanding of a
need for sacred space in today’s churches.
Michael Imber is a founding counselor of
The Congress of Residential Architects.
NORMAN GARRICK
Norman Garrick is a professor in civil
engineering at the University of Connecticut
where the focus of his work is transporta-
tion and urban planning and design, with an
emphasis on social and ecological sustain-
ability.
Dr. Garrick has been transportation con-
sultant on a number of charrettes including
the Mississippi Renewal Forum and the
Louisiana Recovery Authority planning
process for the rebuilding effort after the
2005 hurricanes. He has lectured on trans-
portation planning internationally, includ-
ing recent stints as faculty member at the
Mississippi Renewal Workshops hosted by
the Seaside Institute and at a street and com-
munity design workshop organized by the
Prince of Wales Foundation in Poundbury,
Dorchester, UK.
Dr. Garrick is the former director of
the Connecticut Transportation Institute. In
2004, he was a Fulbright Fellow to Jamaica,
where he studied public transit and emerging
patterns of urban development in the city of
Kingston.
Pacifica: From Quarry to Community
Approximately 15 minutes from San
Francisco, the Pacifica site is a former
rock quarry west of Highway 1, south
of Mori Point and adjacent to the Sharp
Park golf course. The site has been
empty for years and is part of a Pacifica
redevelopment area currently zoned for
2.4 million square feet of commercial
space. The former quarry is the last
large developable site in Pacifica and
is in the city’s redevelopment zone.
In 1984, the Pacifica Redevelopment
Agency designated the quarry and ad-
jacent properties as a Redevelopment
Area. During the last 10 years, the
site has become known for the qual-
ity of restoration work that has taken
place there.
On July 29, 2005, R. Donahue
Peebles, of Peebles Atlantic Develop-
ment Corporation, became owner and
developer of 87 acres of the site. His
plans for the area include turning the
former quarry into a luxury hotel, build-
ing up to 400 residential units, and
adding a few hundred thousand square
feet of commercial space. This is the
third time in 15 years that an owner has
set forth plans to develop the quarry;
however, this is the first time that the
owner is the developer.
PAGE 6
Preserving Open Spaces
Picture a pair of fishermen casting flies
in the predawn stillness. Or a family pic-
nicking on a sunny hill. A group of children
flying kites on the beach while gulls wheel
and squawk above. Cherished pastimes
like these require one essential ingredient: a
healthy, spacious stock of natural land.
The United States is a vast country,
blessed with meadows and mountaintops,
tundra and desert. At first glance it seems we
have enough space to sprawl everywhere, for
centuries into the future. But a closer look
reveals some troubling trends.
Our prime farmland is dwindling at the
rate of 2 percent per decade. Sixteen percent
of our nation’s watersheds are classified as
impaired due to development. Valuable his-
toric and scenic resources are permanently
Ten Keys To Livable Communities
Walkable communities are destinations.
These livable towns and cities are talked
about, celebrated and loved for their unique-
ness and ability to champion the natural
environment and human spirit. There are a
number of key measures that can be taken to
create places like these. Such communities
have crystal clear visions for the future, and
they are in the process of achieving each of
the following measures:
1. Compact, lively town center. Build-
ings frame streets; block lengths are short.
Merchants take pride in their shops’ ap-
pearances. A variety of stores offer local
products and services. Significant housing
is found at downtown or village center sites.
There is unique and distinct personality or
character to the place.
2. Many linkages to neighborhoods (in-
cluding walkways, trails and roadways).
People have choices of many routes from
their homes to the center; the most direct
are walking routes. All sidewalks are at
least 5 feet wide and most are buffered from
streets by planting strips, bike lanes or on-
street parking. Well-maintained sidewalks
are found on both sides of most streets. Bike
lanes are found on most streets. Sidewalks
have good American Disabilities Act access
in all directions.
3. Low-speed streets. Most motorists be-
have well on narrow neighborhood and town
center streets and near public areas by yield-
ing to pedestrians. Motorists make turns at
low speed. On-street parking slows traffic
and protects pedestrians on sidewalks.
4. Neighborhood schools and parks. Most
children are able to walk or bicycle to school
PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION
TOWN PLANNING
lost. And the situation is worsening because
land is being developed at an accelerating
rate.
Most new construction in the United
States is at the outer fringe of urban areas,
haphazardly scattered amidst the open
spaces. As the leftover farms and vacant
lots start filling in, the suburban idyll turns
into overbuilt sprawl. “Not in my backyard”
disputes and environmental degradation
ensue.
There are several ways to address these
problems. First of all, the redevelopment of
older cities and suburbs will ease develop-
ment pressures on the outer fringe.
Secondly, regional planning can preserve
ecologically critical land for the health of
streams, bays and wildlife. When expan-
A compact, lively town center surrounded and
supported by residential housing.
People can find public places for fun and
spontaneous play.
and nearby parks. There is limited or no
busing of school children. Most residents
live within a half-mile (preferably a quar-
ter-mile) of small parks or other well-main-
tained and attractive public spaces.
5. Public places for all. Services and facili-
ties are provided for children, teens, people
with disabilities and senior citizens. Public
restrooms, drinking fountains and sitting
places are plentiful.
THE TOWN PAPER
sion is orderly, adequate park land can
be earmarked for scenic and recreational
uses. Towns can be designed with small
distributed parks so that every home is near
a refreshing landscape.
Thirdly, new compact and walkable
towns can be constructed in undeveloped
areas. The most environmentally respon-
sible pattern is one of compact centers, for
without it the landscape is sure to develop as
scattershot conventional sprawl. In the long
run, when new town centers are blocked,
the local ecology suffers more than it would
otherwise.
Grow we must, but we can grow in
an environmentally responsible way. We
can build liveable cities and still enjoy our
heritage of open space.
Above: When parks are small and
distributed throughout the community,
they become highly valued amenities.
Left: The creation of compact, higher-
density neighborhoods allows more
of the countr y’s open space to be
preser ved. (Potomac River Valley,
W. Va.)
By Dan Burden
6. Convenient, safe and easy street cross-
ings. Downtowns and neighborhood centers
have frequent, convenient, well-designed
street crossings.
7. Good landscaping practices. The
community has many parks and “green”
streets with trees and landscaping. Heritage
trees line many streets. Trails, bridges and
promenades provide access to the natural
areas in town. Landscaping is respectful
of place, often featuring native species,
drought resistant plants, colorful materials,
stone treatments or other local specialties. There are public spaces for all with a variety of
In desert and high country areas, many shops and services provided.
methods are used to minimize use of water
and other precious resources.
8. Coordinated land use and transpor-
tation. People understand and support
compact development, urban infill, integral
placement of mixed-use buildings, and
mixed-income neighborhoods. The built
environment is of human scale. Heritage
buildings are respected. People support
their small, local stores. People seek ways
to include affordable homes in most neigh-
borhoods. Residents have a choice of travel
modes to most destinations. Transit ser vice is provided, reliable and runs
frequently.
9. Celebrated public space and public
life. Whether it is a plaza, park, street or verse people are walking in most areas of
waterfront, well-loved public spaces are town. There are no rules against loitering.
convenient, secure and comfortable. These Lingering in public places is encouraged
places are tidy, often surrounded by resi- and celebrated. Children rarely need to ask
dences where people keep an eye out for ap- parents for transportation.
propriate behavior. There are many places
to sit, few or no large blank walls, and few Dan Burden is a transportation consultant
or no open parking lots. Any parking lots and executive director of Walkable Com-
have great edges and greens. munities, Inc., a nonprofit consulting firm.
10. Many people walking. Many di- Visit www.walkablecommunities.com.
THE TOWN PAPER PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION PAGE 7

TOWN PLANNING

Making the Connection

Look at a map of your neighborhood,
one that shows not just the streets, but the
paths and bike trails as well. Now imagine
you have no car.
How difficult is it to get to the market,
the dry cleaners, the movies or a restaurant?
How close is the nearest park? Maybe these
places are as nearby as the crow flies, but
is the travel route long and inconvenient?
If so, your neighborhood is probably short
on connections.
Connections are the places where one
street meets another, where sidewalks join
alleys, where paths converge with side-
walks. Connections make it possible to
take a number of different routes in order
to reach the same destination.
Traditional neighborhood developments
(TNDs) are planned to include many con-
nections to move people and cars smoothly
and efficiently. In order to include as many
connections as possible, streets are laid out
in a grid-like fashion (see diagram).
Note the number of cross streets. They
create travel options that disperse pedes-
trians, cars and bicycles throughout the
neighborhood. Cross-street corners are
also places for meeting friends or waiting
for a bus.
Although a large number of connections
were originally included in older neighbor-
hoods, they have been mostly eliminated
from the design of contemporary suburbia
and often from older parts of town during
redevelopment. Dead-end streets with cul-
de-sacs to ease turning have replaced the
interconnected network of thoroughfares.
All traffic is eventually funneled into large
“collector” or “arterial” roads, resulting in an
undesirable congestion of traffic.
Traffic congestion may be the most vis-
ible negative consequence of conventional
neighborhood design. However, the social Strip shopping development in the city does not Shaded streets with storefronts intermixed
connections lost by eliminating street cor- invite walking. with residential buildings enable pedestrian
connectivity.
ners and sidewalks are equally disturbing.
The telephone, pager and Internet have
made instant communication something we
all do with ease. Meanwhile, the opportuni-
ties for face-to-face contact have become
increasingly scarce. The more time we
spend interacting with remote-control de-
vices, the more we want the human touch.
TNDs, through their very design, offer a
way to reestablish those connections both
on the ground and in our emotional lives.
This article provided by The Town Paper.
The TND Model, as shown in The
Lexicon of the New Urbanism by Duany
Plater-Zyberk & Company. A network
of streets and alleys connects houses
to civic buildings, parks and shops.

It’s All About Mixing the Uses

Town-making principles begin and end with the premise
that uses within a neighborhood [residential, lodging, office,
retail, manufacturing and civic] should be laid out in such a
manner as to benefit the entire area. This approach repre-
sents an attempt to replicate the planning of our country’s
older towns rather than continue the more recent practice
of developing separate single-use pods.
Traditionally, American town planning was the work
of pragmatic pioneers, government consultants or, in the
early 20th century, developers using architects and town

MICHAEL B. MORRISSEY MRAIC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

planners. After the Second World War, however, planning
practices took a complete about-face. Zoning ordinances
were adopted by thousands of municipalities in a sweeping
movement across the country. Using these conventional
zoning ordinances, master plans were drawn up for individ-
ual municipalities marked with symbols like R-1, R-2, R-3
(residential); C-1, C-2 (commercial); and I-1, I-2 (indus-
trial). These symbols stipulate the use and density in each
area. Single-family homes were completely separated from
townhomes and apartment buildings. Commercial build-
ings could only be built in spaces marked with the “C” code,
totally segregated from the residential areas. High-speed
roads, or “collectors,” were designed to connect all of the
separated uses. Under these conventional zoning practices, This drawing was prepared for East Beach, a new traditional neighborhood development in Norfolk, Va. It illustrates the disposition of
“open space” is provided in the form of buffers, easements mixed-use buildings within the neighborhood.

and setbacks instead of traditional parks and squares.
What planners did not foresee was the outcome that
would result from the endless repetition of this pattern.
Instead of roads moving people swiftly from home to work
to play, they have become clogged with traffic. People
spend hours every day in the car shuffling children and
themselves from one use to the other. Gaining access to
cultural and social experiences has become a frustrating,
time-consuming experience.
Traditional town planners are now making an effort to
recover the wisdom of the past -- intermixing uses within
neighborhoods and developing plans with flexibility. This
is not always easy: In order to accomplish mixed-use
planning, local governments must either grant numerous
variances to overcome the restrictions of current zoning
policies or adopt entirely new ordinances that allow for
this type of zoning.
Dozens of municipalities are currently adopting tradi-
tional neighborhood development (TND) ordinances that
restore the option of creating new development in traditional
patterns. These ordinances enable a broad range of activities
within a neighborhood. People are able to move with ease
from home to shopping and workplaces and automobile
reliance is reduced because biking and walking options
are provided.
This article provided by The Town Paper.
PAGE 8
C S D
Conventional Subdivision Development
Automobile Domination
Houses are set back away from the street
on a street pattern of cul-de-sacs and loops.
Through-traffic is possible only by means of
a few “collector” streets which, then, become
easily congested. Parking lots and garages
dominate the landscape. Wide streets, and
turns are constructed with large turning radii
to make it easy for cars to maneuver at high
speed.
Uniform Housing
Housing ranges from garden apartment to
single-family houses, but each market seg-
ment is segregated. Moving up or down with-
in your existing neighborhood is not possible.
When children leave their childhood home or
individuals reach retirement age, they must
move out of their community.
Strip Shopping
Commercial establishments are located in
strip malls along high volume collector roads.
Residents must rely on their cars to fulfill all
their daily needs. Buildings are not held to
the architectural standards found in neighbor-
hoods. Nondescript “boxes” are the norm.
Fragmented Plan
• The development is a disorganized
collection of pods, built to the scale of the
automobile.
• Residential areas, shopping centers and
business parks are included, but they are
isolated in pods.
• Open space is in the form of buffers, ease-
ments, setbacks and land between pods.
• Civic buildings are placed on undistin-
guished sites.
Certain Residents Suffer Particularly From Suburban Sprawl:
* The young, who are below the legal driving age and
are therefore dependent upon adults for their social
needs. They are bused from schools, because they are
located far from the neighborhood, and isolated at home
until their working parents arrive. The alternative is to
relegate one parent to a career as the child’s chauffeur.
The single-family house with the yard is a good place for
childhood only if it is structured as part of a neighbor-
hood, where the child can walk or bicycle to school, to
play, to the store, to the movies and to friends.
PACIFICA PLANNING WORKSHOP EDITION
vs.
Traditional Neighborhood Development
* The middle class, which is forced into multiple
automobile ownership. The average yearly cost of car
ownership is $4,500 -- the equivalent of a $40,000 mort-
gage payment. The possibility of owning one car less is
the single most important subsidy that can be provided
towards affordable housing. Furthermore, by forbidding
mixed-use areas, the investment of personal time in the
activity of commuting is mandatory. A person who
drives two hours a day spends the equivalent of eight
working weeks a year in the car.
THE TOWN PAPER
TND
Automobile Integration
In traditional neighborhood developments,
people are given priority over the automo-
bile. Building size and placement gives
spatial definition to streets and squares.
Norrower streets are laid out in a network
so that there are alternate routes to most
destinations. Trees, sidewalks and on-
street parking are provided. Garages are
typically located in alleys.
Housing Choice
Traditional neighborhoods are comprised
of a variety of types of residential homes
— single-family, townhomes, cottages,
accessory units above garages. This al-
lows for a wide range of pricing within the
neighborhood. Moving up or down within
the existing neighborhood is possible.
Town Shopping
Because traditional neighborhoods are
zoned mixed-use, commercial establish-
ments can be built within the neighbor-
hood. Walking to a book store, the
pharmacy or a restaurant is once again
possible. This reduces the amount of time
spent driving for homeowners living within
the community.
Coordinated Plan
• The neighborhood area is limited in size,
with clear edges and a focused center.
• Shops, workplaces, schools and resi-
dences for all income groups are located in
close proximity.
• Squares and parks are distributed and
designed as specialized places for social
activity and recreation.
• Well-placed civic buildings act as sym-
bols of the community identity and provide
places for purposeful assembly.
* The elderly, who lose their self-sufficiency once they
lose their drivers’ licenses. Seniors who would other-
wise be capable of independent living are consigned
to specialized retirement communities in sprawl. This
isolation has negative consequences for society at large
and for the seniors themselves.
Above excerpt taken from a presentation by Andrés Duany to
the American Institute of Certified Planners.