[Mpls] Mpls - Community Design

[Alan Arthur]

Regarding controversy over the Minneapolis city council's recent rejection of a proposed Uptown project: Quality community design is far more than a subjective application of what one individual "likes".  Quality community design is also FAR more than an application of what it takes to make any real estate developer enough money to be interested in a project.  

Significant research has been done about what makes places great for people, and how design actually impacts human behavior. One of the best resources for understanding this is an incredibly powerful book called "A Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander, et al.  "A Pattern Language" describes a series of "patterns" and how they more positively impact human life, from a broad scale (regional) to a smaller scale (neighborhoods, blocks, buildings, rooms...).

Two other books from whence many CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles came are "Defensible Space" (out of print), and "Creating Defensible Space" (HUD publication), by Oscar Newman.

Great websites that can help people learn about how to build better places to live, work, and play include:
  Charette Center: http://www.charrettecenter.net/ 
  New Urbanism: http://www.newurbanism.org 
  Congress for New Urbanism:  http://www.cnu.org

Issues of scale, use, and design are VERY important.  Great community benefit will accrue when we apply sound design principles as intentionally and frequently as possible.

Alan Arthur
President
Central Community Housing Trust