An apartment is a one
floor leased or rented dwelling unit that may be subdivided from any one of six
building classification categories. The apartment activity group is designated
R3 and often referred to as a land use category.
Land use is social activity
that occupies a physical shelter classification, and social activity is served
or subjected to the intensity of the physical shelter and surroundings
provided.
A building design
category is classified by the primary method of parking used to serve its
occupant activity.
A G1 Building Design
Category includes all buildings served by a grade parking lot around, but not
under, the building on the same premise.
Apartment density is the product of
42 initial design decisions when a G1 Building Design Category is subdivided to
create R3 dwelling units. Ten of these decisions are often limited by local
zoning regulations. The remaining 32 are discretionary. The combined decisions
may not produce a dwelling unit quantity greater than that specified by a density
limit in a zoning ordinance (without public variance approval). Density does
not lead these 42 decisions however. It is a product of them, and correlation
of these decisions to respect a density limit depends on instinct, intuition, and
opinion referred to as talent at the present time. Consistent success will
remain arbitrary and elusive until we can accurately predict the results
produced by these 42 decisions and lead them to produce shelter for growing populations
within limited geographic areas defined to protect their quality and source of
life.
The 42 apartment decision topics are identified in Table 1 with
a gray tone. Ten zoning requirement topics are designated with solid black
lines around their respective gray cells, but the values entered are not
consistently mandated in all zoning ordinances. The values entered in the 32 remaining
gray cells are discretionary. The 42 values involved have been mathematically
correlated in the Table 1 forecast model to produce results in its Planning
Forecast Panel, Implications Module, and Dwelling Unit Forecast Panel. If one
or more of the gray cell values is modified, the results calculated will adjust
in response.
If we look at the 3 story building specified in cell A58 of
Table 1, the correlation of the 41 related gray cell values entered above produces
the results summarized on line 58 and the density calculated in cell N58. Any
change to one or more of the gray cell values entered will produce a revised set
of implications in the forecast model.
Density is a very inaccurate measure of the shelter
capacity, intensity, intrusion, and dominance produced on a given land area by
the 42 correlated design decisions itemized in Table 1, however; because the
number of dwelling units permitted may be any size and pavement may be
permitted in many required yard areas. The result can easily become excessive
quantities of impervious cover threatening existing storm sewer capacity and
surrounding quality of life. These lifestyle outcomes can now be measured with
the equations in cells H50 and H51. Their conclusions are presented in columns
K and L of the Implications Module based on the values entered in the gray
cells of Table 1.
Zoning intent has been to leave at least 32 of the values
entered in the gay cells of Table 1 flexible as long as the density limit is
not exceeded, but this sacrifices the leadership needed to ensure that shelter
capacity, intensity, intrusion, and dominance do not become excessive on the
land area subject to these 31 decisions, since the intent behind these
decisions is not necessarily in the public interest.
The combination of building mass, pavement, and unpaved open
space quantities that emerge on a given land area are a function of the 42 site
planning / massing design decisions entered in the gray cells of Table 1. This
collection of decisions could be called a quantity recipe for an urban design
site plan. These quantities are mathematically correlated by the equations in
the forecast model to produce the intensity calculations included in the
Implications Module of Table 1; and many different levels of density and
intensity can be created by adjusting the values assigned to these 42 topics.
The lack of itemization and correlation of these values has led to the random
and often excessive intensity levels we attempt to escape in every sprawling
Built Domain we have created.
POSTSCRIPT
It would be a simple matter to discuss any project values entered in the gray cells of Table 1 with all public and private parties involved at a common round table. The established mathematical relationships of the forecast model would quickly determine the development capacity of the land based on the mandatory and discretionary values entered. The focus would then center on the alternatives created and the implications produced by adjusting the discretionary values entered. The mandatory values could also be examined for variance opportunities. Decisions would be based on accumulating knowledge formed by measuring and evaluating these topics at existing locations to determine shelter capacity, intensity, intrusion, dominance, and density to be emulated or avoided with reasonable assurance that success could be duplicated and failure avoided. This would convert contentious disputes over isolated zoning requirements to a common focus on the correlated site plan / massing values that can correlate the development capacity of land with its intensity, intrusion, dominance, density, and quality of life potential.
