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What can we do about urban sprawl?

THE PLAN JOURNAL [TPJ] and URBANISM

What can we do about urban sprawl?
By Redazione The Plan -

We present the TPJ essay “Reconfronting Sprawl: Still Paved with Good Intentions as Well as Asphalt” by Doug Kelbaugh. This essay draws from the author’s recently published book The Urban Fix: Resilient Cities in the War against Climate Change, Heat Islands and Overpopulation (2019). Kelbaugh has researched, taught, and written about American sprawl for over thirty years. 

Lastly, we share information from The Well-Tempered City (2017).

>> We encourage you to browse The Plan Journal and explore for yourself

The scale and repetitiveness of suburban sprawl are well documented. Originally endless cul-de-sac subdivisions - like the two above - suburbia has evolved into what Rem Koolhaas’ describes as “a blan Retrieved from James Brasuell, “A Dissenting Take on Smart Cities from Rem Koolhaas,” Planetizen (November 26, 2014), https://www.planetizen.com/node/72518(link is external).The scale and repetitiveness of suburban sprawl are well documented. Originally endless cul-de-sac subdivisions - like the two above - suburbia has evolved into what Rem Koolhaas’ describes as “a bland suburban environment that is becoming increasingly exclusive, its tech bubbles insulated from the public sphere.” Retrieved from James Brasuell, “A Dissenting Take on Smart Cities from Rem Koolhaas,” Planetizen (November 26, 2014), https://www.planetizen.com/node/72518.

 

Reconfronting Sprawl: Still Paved with Good Intentions as Well as Asphalt

In the essay “Reconfronting Sprawl: Still Paved with Good Intentions as Well as Asphalt,” the author Doug Kelbaugh warns: 

“Over half of American homes are single-family dwellings – 69 million out of a total of 132 million. The fatal flaw is that these positive intentions quickly led to very high energy/carbon/ecological footprints per suburbanite – a challenge that is difficult because of extensive, indelible infrastructure. Densifying arterial strips, inserting transit, redeveloping a walkable, bikeable, mixed-use, and human-scaled urbanity is as urgent as it is essential in the nation’s effort to combat climate change.”

 

As David Owen pointed out in his now-famous article in The New Yorker, the suburban home surrounded by a private yard and with a car or two parked overnight in the driveway or garage quickly became th It spread like a virus after World War II, especially in North America, Australia, and parts of Europe. Now it has infected Asia and parts of Africa. Retrieved from David Owen, “Green Manhattan,” New Yorker (October 18, 2004).The scale and repetitiveness of suburban sprawl are well documented. Originally endless cul-de-sac subdivisions - like the two above - suburbia has evolved into what Rem Koolhaas’ describes as “a bland suburban environment that is becoming increasingly exclusive, its tech bubbles insulated from the public sphere.” Retrieved from James Brasuell, “A Dissenting Take on Smart Cities from Rem Koolhaas,” Planetizen (November 26, 2014), https://www.planetizen.com/node/72518.

 

The American suburb, while well intended, has overall failed. Not only are there maintenance issues, but urban sprawl is extremely expensive to build. We need to adopt a paradigm shift in order to address climate change as responsible urban design planners.

We thank the author!

Douglas S. Kelbaugh is Professor and former Dean at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

>> Kelbaugh’s abstract is available in THE PLAN Journal vol. 4/2019, no. 1

 

The Well-Tempered City 

In “Reconfronting Sprawl: Still Paved with Good Intentions as Well as Asphalt,” Douglas S. Kelbaugh references the book The Well-Tempered City written by Jonathan F. P. Rose. In his book, Rose argues that well-tempered cities can be impregnated with systems that promote adaptability, equality, and well-being. Rose insists that if we reach for these goals, our cities will be more prosperous and livelier.

The Well-Tempered City

English
480 pages
Harper Wave
September 12, 2017
ISBN-10: 0062234730
ISBN-13: 9870062234735

To learn more, check out: The Well-Tempered City 

Jonathan F. P. Rose is an Executive in Residence at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford in England.

“Reconfronting Sprawl: Still Paved with Good Intentions as Well as Asphalt” by Douglas S. Kelbaugh and The Well-Tempered City written by Jonathan F. P. Rose provide the reader with a wealth of knowledge regarding urbanism. Explore to learn more! 

 

Why support + read TPJ?

The Plan Journal is intended to disseminate and promote innovative, thought-provoking, and relevant research, studies, and criticism related to architecture and urbanism. The journal grew out of an awareness that academia is all too often engaged in research that’s disconnected from the real-world challenges that face different professions, and that research is only possible for a small number of professional organizations, and, even then, with limited platforms for its dissemination. The overarching aim of TPJ is therefore to enrich the dialogue between researchers and professionals so as to foster both pertinent new knowledge and intellectually driven modes of practice.

 

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Prospective contributors are encouraged to submit proposals or complete manuscripts to the Editor-in-Chief. Subject to positive feedback, proposals can then be developed into complete manuscripts and submitted for review, using the dedicated portal on the TPJ website. 
After preliminary approval, manuscripts will be forwarded to suitably qualified people for commenting. TPJ is committed to following a rigorous double-blind peer review process using at least two reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief may also occasionally invite recognized academics, critics, or professionals (including members of the editorial board) to contribute to the journal without going through the peer review process, if warranted by the author’s reputation.

 

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