New Urbanism in Fresno
In yesterday's Fresno Bee, columnist Bill McEwen http://www.fresnobee.com/194/story/13101.html talked about the posssiblity of The New Urbanism movement coming to Fresno. http://www.newurbanism.org/ Fresno's planning and development director Nick Yorvino hopes to attract a "world class" urban planner such as Peter Calthorpe http://www.calthorpe.com/ to help plan the new SouthEast development. The two new master villages could house 55,000 people. A New Urbanist style village would emphasise a walkable and mixed-use neighborhood with housing, schools,churches and stores all in close proximity. This would foster a more vibrant community, and a less reliance on the automobile. It may even lessen crime by having more people walking , less pollution and less sprawl due to the density of the village. The city hopes to have the plan written up by 2009. The city would like the public's opinion on how these villages would be developed. A workshop with a chance for public comment will be Thursday Nov. 16 at Sunnyside High School 6-9 PM ,and ,again Dec. 11, also at Sunnyside High School.
Peter Calthorpe Speaking September 27
Master planner Peter Calthorpe will be speaking September 27 at Sunnyside High School regarding the SouthEast Growth Area that he is help designing. He will be discussing the principles, concepts and process that he and his associates will be using. I have heard he is a great speaker as well. He will be speaking at The Sunnyside High School Cafeteria (1019 S. Peach near Kings Canyon Blvd.) at 6 PM
Hope you all can make it.
“Peter Calthorpe was named one of 25 "innovators on the cutting
edge" by Newsweek Magazine for his work redefining the models
of urban and suburban growth in America. His long and honored
career in urban design, planning, and architecture began in
1976, combining his experience in each discipline to develop
new approaches to urban revitalization, suburban growth, and
regional planning.” http://www.calthorpe.com/bios/pcbio.html
Citizen's guide to Subdivisions and Smart Growth
I found this guide this morning and I thought it would be great for anyone planning on attending the next workshop. It is put together for the Montana Smart Growth Alliance, but the principles are generally the same for most places. Check it out!
http://www.planetizen.com/node/21903
Also, the Local Government Commission has some great resources on community planning that would also be helpful. Their website is www.lgc.org.
New Urbanism workshops
I really urge anyone who is interested in the future of urban design and planning in Fresno to attend the upcoming workshop on December 11, especially if you live around the southeast part of town. This is the beginning of a golden opportunity for everyone to change the face of the suburbs in Fresno. And the planners need to hear your input now! Citizen involvement and integration in the planning process is just one way to cultivate a better city.
The planning staff at the City is full of great, open-minded people who are excited about the future of Fresno. (Believe me, I interned there.) So go on, get involved! Read up on www.planetizen.com for good ideas from other cities! (Today they have an article about urban ecosystems...very cool.)
Post new comment