Greener Aspects of the New Urbanism

Creating Traditional Neighborhoods with Conservation Design Prinicples

by Randall Arendt

Responding to many requests for a video version of my newest slide presentation on how to create traditional neighborhoods while still observing the basic principles of conservation design and community-wide open space network preservation, I recently arranged for a professional video firm to tape the material under proper studio conditions.

This new videotape contains a representative cross-section of my normal 90-minute slide lecture on this important aspect of town planning, and runs about 55 minutes. Its main emphasis continues to be upon land conservation through creative site design, as I believe it should be practiced in serviced locations where densities of 3-6 dwellings/acre -- and mixed uses -- would be appropriate. The topics covered closely follow the text of my fifth book, Crossroads, Hamlet, Village, Town: Design Characteristics of Traditional Neighborhoods, Old d and New.

In order to retain maximum image size on the TV screen, I have chosen not to use my standard two-slide, side-by-side format, which works best on large projection screens. Instead, the images are presented sequentially, maintaining the visual quality of the photographs and drawings.

Advantages of the Video Format: Although the video is not a complete substitute for a “live” presentation, its advantage to your organization is that it can be played to many audiences on different occasions, at a relatively modest cost. If your organization does not have a professional planning staff to lead a question-and-answer period following the tape, please consider using the services of your local county or regional planning commission, or those of a similar group, such as consulting firm or a land trust.

100% Guarantee: There is a money-back guarantee for the price of the tape, if you wish to return it, for any reason, within 14 days.

Compulsory Video Viewing by Applicants: One town in Vermont ( Braintree ) has included in its official subdivision regulations the requirement that all applicants for subdivision approval must borrow the Town's copy of my earlier videotape (on conservation subdivision design in rural areas) and view it before they may submit a plan for review. If the plans do not demonstrate that the video's message has been absorbed, the applicant is told to look at it a second time and to revise his layout. Although this requirement might be of dubious legality, in practical terms no developer is likely to challenge it in court and start the process in an adversarial way. It would be interesting to speculate upon possible grounds of appeal: the desire to assert one's "constitutional right to remain ignorant"?

Ordering Information: If you are interested in ordering this video, please send a check, payable to Randall Arendt, at 43 Prospect Avenue , Narragansett , RI 02882 . The video is priced at $95.00, plus $5.00 for postage and handling. (This compares favorably with similar prices for 30-minute professional videos in the fields of planning, engineering, and historic preservation.)

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