General City Planning/Urban Design Thread

[Hubman]

I'm not sure if this thread has been made yet, if it has, tell me.

Discuss:

Urban renewal projects:
Public Housing
Expressways
Parking Lots

New Urban Design:
Ghost Cities
Urban Village
New Ideas

Old Urban Design:
Walled Cities
European plazas
Boston in the 16-1700s.

Projects:
Current planning projects underway
Assembly Row
Seaport Green way
Other stuff around the world

Some photos:

 

[Beton Brut]

Thank you for (re)invigorating this discussion. In many ways, it's the only discussion worth having.

I'm currently reading Jane Jacobs' Systems of Survival, a book that endeavors to examine the systemic forces and competing ideologies that drive commerce at the local and global level. Written 25 years ago, the the concepts and ideas are quite prescient in consideration of the current socio-political landscape. In a similar fashion, Jacobs' last book, ominously entitled Dark Age Ahead, is provocative and prescient.

 

[Hubman]

Thank you for (re)invigorating this discussion. In many ways, it's the only discussion worth having.

I'm currently reading Jane Jacobs' Systems of Survival, a book that endeavors to examine the systemic forces and competing ideologies that drive commerce at the local and global level. Written 25 years ago, the the concepts and ideas are quite prescient in consideration of the current socio-political landscape. In a similar fashion, Jacobs' last book, ominously entitled Dark Age Ahead, is provocative and prescient.

Thanks. I've never read "systems of survival", but it sounds good.

 

[Beton Brut]

Thanks. I've never read "systems of survival", but it sounds good.

The structure of the book is interesting -- a conversation among a handful of academics and professionals at a dinner party. Each presents a unique (but interrelated) understanding of the issue being discussed. It's a bit like an intellectual riff on Politically Incorrect or Tough Crowd.

 

[Hubman]

The structure of the book is interesting -- a conversation among a handful of academics and professionals at a dinner party. Each presents a unique (but interrelated) understanding of the issue being discussed. It's a bit like an intellectual riff on Politically Incorrect or Tough Crowd.

Ah. Is your user name derived from the French for Raw-Concrete (brutalism).

 

[Hubman]

Brazilila, a city shaped like an airplane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras%C3%ADlia

 

[JumboBuc]

Does anybody know of a recent example where a large, undeveloped, urban parcel was cut up into many small, undeveloped, urban parcels and sold off to a variety of developers?

Like, instead of one developer working with hundreds of thousands of square feet, a situation where hundreds of developers work with thousands of square feet each.

I've been thinking about this in the context of RFK stadium and its parking lots in DC. Instead of a huge master development plan, what if that land was cut up like the rest of Capitol Hill (think 2k-5k sf lots) and divvied out to a whole slew of small-time developers and homebuilders.

This is how neighborhoods used to be developed from scratch, no?

 

[Coyote137]

Does anybody know of a recent example where a large, undeveloped, urban parcel was cut up into many small, undeveloped, urban parcels and sold off to a variety of developers?

Like, instead of one developer working with hundreds of thousands of square feet, a situation where hundreds of developers work with thousands of square feet each.

I've been thinking about this in the context of RFK stadium and its parking lots in DC. Instead of a huge master development plan, what if that land was cut up like the rest of Capitol Hill (think 2k-5k sf lots) and divvied out to a whole slew of small-time developers and homebuilders.

This is how neighborhoods used to be developed from scratch, no?

Interesting question, I'd be curious as well to know if this has happened recently. It would have been nice to see this in a few places in the seaport.

 

[Hubman]

Isn't that what happened in Assembly Row? I'm not sure.

 

[JumboBuc]

Isn't that what happened in Assembly Row? I'm not sure.

No, not at all, even in the slightest. Assembly Row is the epitome of the exact opposite of what I'm asking: a large area master-planned and centrally developed by one firm.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Building Depth and Window Space

How much window space does an apartment need, relative to its area, and how does this affect building style? A fascinating post from about a year ago on Urban Kchoze makes the argument that modern …

pedestrianobservations.com

Some non-transpo Alon Levy blogging that may be of interest: "How much window space per dwelling area is ideal, and how does it affect best-practice architectural massing?" Globe-trotting data analysis then tries to wrap brain about that important...but virtually never touched-upon...factor. No major conclusions drawn, but interesting read for taking a broad stab at the subject. Seems he threw this (off-topic for him) topic out there as idea bait for future drilling.

 

[dhawkins]

City of Medina Saudi Arabia; a pilgrimage city is humanizing the streets with nice plazas and walking areas. The before and after photos are great to look at. I think they need to plant more shade plants /trees!

Medina - Saudi Arabia

 

[stick n move]

Thats must more tasteful than the Las Vegas inspired makeover of Mecca.

 

[dhawkins]

Two "class B" office buildings just exchanged hands in the past month. One Liberty Square and 7 Post Office Square.

Liberty Building Sells for 45M Question, the building sold less than the city accessed amount of 66M. Does this mean the property gets re-accessed and in turn, less taxes for the city?? (bummer for Boston). Also, I thought the building could possibly be a candidate for residential conversion but according to the buyer they plan on expanding it's business type programming with a conference room facility (I assume marketed as an Innovation Space?) and a first-floor club room (every good lawyer office needs to be in a building with a club room).

7 Post Office Square was the other property that sold last month
Now this building I would make into a residential building in a heart beat! This would be great if divided up into condos. Very marketable, unique, ultra modern r in residences downtown, and it's across the street from the park!

 

[commuter guy]

Regarding assessments, the city will not automatically reassess the building to market value upon a sale. Assessed values typically are set below market value, although that might not be the case currently with decreased values. It is likely that owners will increasingly be filing appeals on properties such as this arguing that the assessed value exceeds FMV. The other basis often argued is that a property is disproportionately (unfairly) assessed relative to other comparable properties. The assessors however do periodic revaluations of assessed buildings but that is done by looking at neighborhood market values in aggregate rather than individual buildings. When the revaluation is done assessments for these types of commercial buildings will likely go down.