Colin Dean is a Senior at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

TM: What type of architecture do you specialize in?
CD: Currently my interest is in sustainable residential design. Too much of our housing stock is comprised of single family homes located in sprawling subdivisions.  This post WWII model of housing has contributed to the loss of valuable farmland and forests, threatened ecosystems, and destroyed community interaction. There are better solutions to this model and with the pressing environmental issues confronting us in the 21st century, a new housing solution must be found.
Currently I am in my last term of a two-term terminal studio. The course is titled “The Sustainable City Studio.”

TM: Can you describe your project?
CD: The first term of this studio concentrated on an urban plan proposal for the city of Damascus, Oregon. Recently, this city was incorporated into the Portland metro urban growth boundary which sets the stage for increased development. The city is conscious of the tremendous environmental impact development will have and fears much of the area’s farmland will be compromised. In our proposal, an emphasis was given to providing pockets of greater density than is often found on the rural fringe. Doing so will meet population figures while also preserving the area’s agricultural roots. Within our plan, streets were designed to be pedestrian oriented which will decrease dependence on the automobile for most trips. Other sustainable features of the plan include storm water retention ponds that passively filter run-off before it enters rivers and streams. Not only does this improve water quality, but it also provides an opportunity to develop quality park space around these water features for the community to enjoy.

TM: Can you describe what a “sustainable” community is? What are the biggest challenges you face in creating this type of development?
CD: A sustainable community is more than just an environmentally sensitive built environment. In addition to being respectful of our natural environment,  a truly sustainable community promotes economic sustainability and social sustainability as well. By concentrating development in a walkable community, less time is spent behind the wheel in traffic. This time can be much better spent with your family and neighbors. Less money is spent on gas and automotive maintenance. By building better structures utility bills will be reduced through passive heating and cooling strategies. Passive systems also contribute to better indoor air quality. The advantages of this type of development are endless. By designing better communities our quality of life will increase, less money will be spent on unnecessary expenditures and we will have a positive ecological impact on our environment.

The UniverCity development in Burnaby, BC was Dean’s inspiration for his sustainable development model. (Photo from SFU Community Trust)

TM: So the goal of your studio project is to create a sustainable community that also has a very social emphasis. From a design perspective, what approaches are you taking to foster a sense of community?
CD: One of the greatest features that our current suburban developments lack is the opportunity to truly get to know your neighbors. Many leave their homes early in the morning just to sit in traffic during arduous commutes. By the time they come home at night, they are tired and cranky.  By introducing a walkable community complete with housing, jobs, and commercial activities, a long commute to work is avoided. Neighbors will have the opportunity to interact with one another on a daily basis as they walk together to the office, bike their kids to school, and so on.  Additionally, many community spaces are provided in the plan. Parks, walking/biking trails, and pedestrian friendly streets will get individuals out of their cars and into a more social realm.

TM: What are some issues/problems you are trying to resolve in creating this development?
CD: The greatest issues confronting new approaches to city design will be in convincing the current citizens of the area that may be wary of change, convince city leaders that may be hesitant to trying new strategies, and developers that may not want to invest in alternative practices. These factors add up to create a perfect storm that promotes the status quo while deterring much needed change. The new urbanism movement that started in the late 1970s has gained momentum and garnered the respect of many developers and municipalities. As more and more good examples of responsible urban growth are publicized, it will be easier to convince the hesitant of its value. Also, as greater awareness of environmental issues is raised, many realize that current development strategies need to be rethought.

TM: James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere, writes about how mass merchandising, automobiles, and zoning restrictions have corroded our sense of community and level of civic involvement. It sounds like your work is trying to address this?
CD: Right, this project has many correlations to what Kunstler was discussing in his work. Traditional zoning codes that separated commercial, industrial, and residential development spawned our dependence on the automobile.
At the time these zoning regulations were first imposed, they were in response to the squalid conditions found in many urban centers. Placing housing next to industry that spewed chemicals into the air was not ideal. However, as environmental regulations have improved air quality in urban areas, these are dated regulations.
Although no one would like to live next to a warehouse with constant truck traffic, allowing commercial areas to be disbursed throughout residential areas would improve walkability, reduce automotive dependence and so on.  Miami and Denver are two great examples of revising zoning codes to improve urban cores.  A form-based code - I have a great book you can checkout if you would like more information on this subject - is a direct response to the failures of traditional zoning regulations. This code was used as the basis for the Damascus plan and what Miami and Denver adopted. Basically, form-based codes allow multiple land uses to be located near one another in an effort to localize daily activities. Essentially, any land use can be approved as long as the proposed project meets the criteria set out by the code. These include response to the street (set-backs, window coverage, etc), scale of project (story height, lot coverage). Therefore, one may have a single-family bungalow located a block away from a grocery store and two blocks away from a solar cell manufacturer. All parking will be tucked behind buildings as to shield it from the street which will allow buildings to form an outdoor room around a street. Residential parking will be placed off of alleyways so the homes can respond better to the sidewalk and street. This code allows cities to develop in a more traditional manner. Think of the quality of a town planned before WWII which has parks, stores, offices, and housing all located within a ¼ radius and compare it to a subdivision separated by freeways and 8 lane corridors to places of work.

TM: What are the social implications of the adoption of a community such as this. If this becomes a new standard of development, what will that mean for people in the future?
CD: Some of the strategies discussed are by no means new. The walkable community model has been used throughout human existence. Before means of travel included buses and cars, communities were designed to allow inhabitants easy access to amenities by foot. This all changed when the average person could afford a car. A divide can be seen when comparing neighborhoods built before WWII and after. The pre-WWII model of American urban design focused on pedestrians. Following WWII, traffic engineers began to design our communities around the car. Our proposal looks back to tested and proven models of urban design that have been used for centuries. Socially, a neighborhood of this type will prove to foster a greater sense of community, one in which you know your neighbors, crime is nearly nonexistent, and your time is spent with your family, not alone in traffic.

TM: What is your career goal?
CD: One day I hope to own a design/build firm with a focus on responsible development. Development will never cease but through more thoughtful site response and construction practices, threatened landscapes can be conserved. Brownfield development and urban in-fill projects will improve our cities while preserving forests and farmland. My interests are not only in architecture but in construction as well.  An ideal career would be one in which I can participate in the design process and also work at the site.