Last time it was “mobs” and “old coots.” What will it be this time? At last week’s annual gathering of the Congress for the New Urbanism in Salt Lake City, Andrés Duany used his plenary session to introduce a couple of new themes.
But first, a little background on the main theme, "Light Imprint." Light Imprint is a new urbanist take on matching water management to place (or the transect). The premise is that the menu of water management solutions for a downtown will not be the same as the menu for a rural village. Sarasota has several high-profile, low-impact projects, including the traffic circles at Ringling Boulevard approaching U.S.-41, the landscaping at Nancy’s BBQ and the Urban Service Boundary (the most powerful water tool of all).
In addition to Light Imprint, there are two new Duany-isms featured on the latest speaking circuit: Lean Urbanism and Pink Tape.
- Lean Urbanism
Three converging crises are coming to a head at once: the fallout from the economic and housing crash, peak (cheap) oil and climate change. Lean Urbansim has to solve both old and new problems with less money.
- Pink Tape
Red Tape is the fourth “crisis.” The accretion of rules now makes it impossible to get anything done. Pink Tape is basically how to have predictable fair standards in as minimal a format as possible.
Look for these themes as the story of Light Imprint + Lean Urbanism + Pink Tape unfolds:
- Incremental – The conceit of the financial bubble was based on the notion that real estate could jump to the climax condition in a world of easy money. "Climax condition" is actually a term used in forestry to describe how, after a fire, the landscape moves from seedlings, to bushes, to small trees and then to large hardwood forests---over a long time. In development, one-story buildings are converted to two-story buildings, which over time and adjustment can support three and four stories. Transportation and the economy adjust with each increment.
- Adaptation – We are so far into carbon, it’s time to talk less about mitigation and efficiency and more about what to do. This is coming from a guy who has built a life and career at about three feet above sea level.
- Tactical – Tactical Urbanism is used to describe faster, cheaper and sometimes radical interventions as steps to long-term solutions. They are basically bypass valves for 800-page Comprehensive Plans and volumes of stormwater regulations.
- Original Green – The Original Green concept was coined by Steve Mouzon of Miami as a reaction to the rise of “Gizmo Green.” As an alternative, Mouzon celebrates the noncommercial, common-sense type of sustainability our grandparents knew. Duany also sees value in this type of approach instead of superficial green fixes on otherwise wasteful practices.
To join the fun (and possibly be insulted if you are not into lean and green), stop by the next joint meeting of the Sarasota City and Sarasota County Commissions at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19. Mr. Duany himself will be speaking. The presentation will be held in the Commission Chamber on the first floor of the Sarasota County Administration Building, located at 1660 Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota. The Downtown Sarasota Alliance will host a special "dinner engagement" the night before.
For more on Light Imprint, visit this site or buy the book authored by Tom Low.
