Break the bad news bubble (Part 2) | Angus Hervey
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It's time for our periodic update of good news from Angus Hervey, founder
of Fix the News, an independent publication that reports stories of global
progre...
Plan showing possible location of various 'program' and density in our neighbourhood
Click image to see larger
Building a more sustainable neighbourhood is also about creating sustainable community. The more we talk to each other, and the stronger our relationships are; the stronger our community is. Our neighbourhood already has a few locations for us to cross paths; including the two pubs, the café and the corner store.As densities increase, it’s important for us to maintain and strengthen the local centers in our neighbourhoods. The plan above shows two mixed use ‘centres’, located adjacent to the existing amenities (pubs, café, childcare facility) and providing additional work spaces, offices, shops or cafes. The one on the corner of Wellington and Hotham is meant to service our neighbourhood primarily, the one on Gold Street is intended to service the area further south (the street layout means that it has to lie a little closer to ours than is ideal).
The diagonal pattern on the street in the 'centres' indicates the ideal location for some kind of public square. Somewhere for café tables, and a community noticeboard – maybe for local activities, like a farmers market, or the occasional white elephant stall. The 'design job' now is to work out if cars and a public square can share the same space, or if there is room for both.
Why not put the centre in the centre?New Urbanists tend to propose neighbourhoods which look like the image on the left: the activity centre with the shops and cafes and bus stop is in the middle of the ped shed (5 minute walk), with the infrastructure around the outside.
Alexander argues that activity naturally happens along the edges of communities. And that the roads required to service those centres located in the middle of neighbourhoods only act to divide the community in half. Alexander recommends what he calls “‘eccentric’ nucleus”; centres placed on the edges of communities, but allowed to bulge towards the centre. He suggests that the actual centre of a neighbourhood should be occupied by a quiet community green and/or leafy footpaths.
More design notes:
- Small scale retail and office should share residential building envelopes.
- Children should be able to play in all minor streets (woonerf system), but a specific play area for young children & toddlers to be provided where indicated (yellow area). Play area should not be fenced off, or have a defined perimeter.
Plan showing location of 'eccentric nuclei' oriented towards the city.
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