Monday, April 26, 2010

How To Turn A Place Around

"If cities are going to become better places to live, the quality of these places must be addressed directly and aggressively,using a very different approach than is being used today.

A typical scenario:

The current approach to planning cities is "project-driven" and "disciplined-based." It is where the project (that new stadium, courthouse or light rail system) is the reason for the action. Professionals develop alternative design schemes and take them to "the community," which reviews the project and provides input into which scheme should be selected. What's the problem with this approach? It does not begin with anything that the community has defined as an issue, and it does not start with a public space. This approach is top-down action versus bottom up. Basically it's upside down!

...This approach leaves the local residents with no opportunity to bring up issues they are concerned about...such as safety of their children As a result, important issues are left unaddressed." How to Turn a Place Around, pg 31.

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