I read an
article from Next City about Detroit’s intent to solicit proposals for livable
community projects. According to Next City, Detroit’s intent is to compare
these projects to their zoning ordinance and modify its regulations to improve
its ability to produce livable communities. I wrote a comment below the blog
and called it "Repeating Success within the Shelter Division of The Built Domain", but felt it needed further explanation.
Detroit’s
concept contains two inherently weak assumptions. (1) That the projects will
prove successful. (2) That the existing ordinance contains a comprehensive list
of regulation topics that do not conflict and will ensure repeated success once
their provisions are adjusted.
The concept
of research is admirable, but the city can simply measure existing successful
and unsuccessful projects once they know what to measure, how to correlate
these measurements, how to compare results, how to use conclusions to predict
the future shelter capacity of any land area, and how to write a zoning
ordinance that correlates the design specification topics and values required.
At this point they will be prepared to defend conclusions and plan for the
future physical, social, psychological, environmental, and economic welfare
(quality of life) of the city.
For further
information, please see my blog at wmhosack.com and the following books for measurement and forecasting tools that
can be used to repeat success within the Shelter Division of The Built Domain.
(1) The Science of City Design: Architectural Algorithms for City
Planning and Design leadership, and (2) Land Development Calculations:
Interactive tools for Site Planning, Analysis, and Design. Book (1) can be
found in both paperback and e-book versions on Amazon.com. Book (2) should only
be purchased in the hardback version. The e-book does not contain the CD tool
explained and attached to the hardbound version.
The goal is to shelter growing human populations
within a limited Built Domain that protects their quality and source of life -
The Natural Domain.
Accomplishing the goal will require a commitment
to establish a symbiotic relationship with the planet over time.
