Southern Urbanism

"In 2022, Dallas announced a groundbreaking decision regarding the redevelopment of Hensley Field, a naval airfield base that was decommissioned in 1998, with the Dallas City Council approving a $390-million master plan for the site. The City claims it will feature a “climate-smart, diverse, mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable community with a balance of jobs, housing, amenities and services.” On the surface, the decision to turn this land into a pedestrian oasis is monumental: Future residents of the area will get to experience life in a place that is well-connected, walkable, and safe. But by deciding to build this type of development on vacant land, Dallas is signaling another decision too: not to invest in pre-existing areas. The move comes after years of deliberation around what to do with the largely vacant land. Situated on the north shore of Mountain Creek Lake, the old base has been “used for a patchwork of temporary storage, City functions, and unrelated leases” in addition to undergoing the process of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal. Having such land in such a prime location is a rarity, especially when you take into account the size of the base. Coming in at 738 acres, Hensley Field is any city planner's dream—an opportunity to build sustainable, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented development from scratch. This is also a notable project given the lack of new housing in surrounding the area. While the decision regarding redevelopment is indeed impressive, it is important to understand what excitement around this project represents—and what kind of precedent it could set. " __ Full article available to paid subscribers. https://loom.ly/aO2C6zU Please support our work by subscribing today. #dallas #incrementaldevelopment #realestate #ReTwit #texas

Architect and design theorist Christopher Alexander was born this day 90 years ago. He was the author of urbanist design bible "A Pattern Language", among others. Artwork by #DhiruThadani

"Dense housing lets enough people live in the same place to sustain a resilient, hyperlocal economy and vibrant shared spaces. People are entitled to choose the kind of home they want, based solely on their own preferences." - Luca Gattoni-Cello reports. #yimby #NoVa #publiccommentary #planning #zoning https://loom.ly/U1iI2Cw

YIMBYism Just Might Be a Political Juggernaut: "It became very obvious after starting this channel that probably the biggest motivating force for people who care about urbanism is, simply, the fact that places with great urban qualities are often so unaffordable. Enter YIMBYism, the movement that says the more neighbors, the better, and the more people who can afford to live in a city, the better it is for everyone." - @citynerd #yimby #housing #electionsmatter https://loom.ly/JhI8pys

"Most Americans want to live in inclusive communities. So what’s stopping them? The short answer is regulatory regimes. The long answer is the history behind them. The people who build cities can create the neighborhoods people want, but only if harmful laws of the past are truly remedied. To do that, we need to look at policies that may no longer be active but still have palpable effects on our cities. While many processes, stakeholders, and institutions play a role in how our cities are built today, there is arguably no bigger influence on our cities than our history. For centuries, policymakers have made decisions that have forever altered the fabric of American cities, and the implications of such decisions are still apparent. As the @Pew Research Center has noted: “In the decades since the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the extent and nature of discrimination have changed, but its imprint remains visible in many cities; it continues to influence choices about where people of different races, ethnicities, and income live.” That quote is from 2008, and not much has changed. Let’s recall a few of the major offenders." (more via blog) __ Duke University Fellow Vaneesha Patel reports on the long-lasting effects of #redlining, #urbanrenewal and #interstatefreeways. Link via bio. https://lnkd.in/er5vd8P7

Architect Dhiru Thadani creates beautiful drawings, many of which support the activism work of The Congress for the New Urbanism. Here, he provides a 12-frame reasoning for the #YIMBY movement. Download via link: https://loom.ly/kpEnCaM #newurbanism #CNU #YimbyAction #Yimby

"According to The Economist, “a mix of idealism and practicality” drove America’s adoption of the grid. In planning #Philadelphia, William Penn, a #Quaker, believed that if all streets were equal, the people among them would be as well." Read and subscribe via link: https://lnkd.in/gCZw_cX2

Drake Farms, #Fayetteville, #AR. A new walkable community, the first phase of which you can see here. This street will provide several new retail, food service, and office tenant spaces—the first commercial node in this 170-acre master-planned community—building designs pictured by AMC Architecture & Design, Robert Sharp, and Nequette #Architecture & #Design. Developed by High Street Real Estate. https://loom.ly/4irj3nc

Never forget the way governments destroyed American cities through urban renewal. #planning #urbanism

“We are just one piece of this broad, forward-looking, pro-growth, pro-housing coalition. To me, the best thing coming out of this is a real professionalism and leadership that we have learned from our allies.” - Jane Green, President and Co-Founder of Yimbys of Nova https://lnkd.in/eKkcB_UK @greater-greater-washington @yimbyaction #yimbys #Washington #DC #NoVA #Virginia