Smart Urban Planning: Regulating Communities for Sustainable Living

1. Chapter 16 Designing Homes for Today’s Needs Housing & Design Winter 2013

2. How did William Penn’s plan for Philadelphia change the way urban communities were laid out? • Penn brought to the colonies a GRIDIRON design which meant straight streets crossing one another at right angles. • A goal of deliberate planning is often referred to as smart growth. • Haphazard planning results in traffic congestion, pollution and loss of natural habitat and urban sprawl.

3. What is the purpose of building laws & regulations? • To make sure growth is orderly and neighborhoods are attractive, most towns and cities have passed laws regulating the use of land. • Usually, these laws are created and enforced by a city council or another local government body.

4. What are zoning laws? • Laws that determine the type of building that may be constructed in a particular zone or section of a community.

5. Name & describe 5 types of zones created by zoning laws • Restricted residential zoning = only single family homes may be built in this area • General residential zoning = apt. houses, town houses, duplexes & some stores • Commercial zoning = stores & office buildings • Industrial = factories & warehouses • Greenbelts = parklands & farmlands = no building / trusts

6. List 7 ways building codes regulate construction • Type & quality of building materials • Form of construction • Provisions for health, safety, and sanitation • Use of flammable materials • Installation of fire exits where necessary • Electrical work • Type/installation of plumbing, heating and ventilation systems

7. What do aesthetic codes regulate? • Codes that regulate the appearance of buildings in order to maintain the beauty & desired look of a certain area (like a subdivision)

8. What is a planning commission? • Planning Commissions usually offer general recommendations about land development within a community or town

9. Planned Communities • Planned neighborhoods have the layout, the type and appearance of housing units, and the use of the surrounding land are planned BEFORE construction

10. Master Planned Communities • A development that is virtually a self-contained town with community pools, recreation centers, shopping, schools and other services all in one place

11. What attracts some families to cooperative housing communities? • These communities balance home ownership with shared common facilities such as a large dining room, meeting rooms, rec areas, workshops and child care. Common in Europe = builds trust

12. Give 4 examples of lifestyle changes that are reflected in housing • Cellars = freezers & refrigerators • Formal parlor = casual family room • Specialized rooms = open space and multipurpose rooms • Two – three stories = one level or split-level

13. Name the 3 activity zones and their purpose • Private Zone = provides quiet, comfortable areas for sleeping, relaxing and privacy for dressing and bathing

14. Service Zone & Social Zone • Service Zone = where housework is done, like kitchen, laundry, workshop or garage • Social Zone = Where people gather, socialize and perform tasks, such as reading/watching TV

15. Open Floor Plan • Few dividing walls • Seems more spacious • Informal • Flexibility for entertaining • Personal option

16. Closed Floor Plan • Rooms are self-contained • Separated rooms • More traditional • More formal • Throwback to Victorian times

17. Evaluating a Floor Plan • One of most important considerations = traffic pattern • Convenience • Easy access • Economy of construction • Number of levels

18. Advantages of One-Level Home • All parts of the living area are easily accessible • No stairs = more usable space • Exterior maintenance = simpler • More universal appeal

19. Disadvantages of One-Level Home • Uses up a lot of land • Increases the cost of the lot, foundation and roof construction

20. 4 Trends in Housing Design • Front porches are coming back in style as people make their neighborhoods more friendly • Using outdoor areas = decks, ponds, courtyards • Laundry on the 2nd floor • Flexibility = universal design to fit more changing lifestyles