THE FUNDEMENTALS OF NEW URBANISM

The method in which so many of our local ordinances are actualized affects every aspect of our daily lives and, therefore, directly influence our human behavior. The designers and architects of the Settlement at Willow Grove believe that the built environment not only affects the visual aspects of ones life, but also controls the patterns and limits the choices we make. This interdependence of daily activities and needs influence our "life essentials" and are worthy of monumental consideration.

Human response has been conditioned over the last fifty years to revolve around the automobile. While this has afforded great convenience, it has also managed to take the "humanness" out of our communities and civility out of our lives. The complexity of healthy town planning requires a thorough and diverse approach to properly address the process of problem identification and appropriate solution orientation.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

The best examples of developments that offer a sense of security, human relevance and comfort to the resident, are found in older towns - more specifically, small Southern towns. The way these small towns developed more that one-hundred years ago were a mater of what made sense; what best accommodated the daily life of the individual. These towns were not concerned with the demands of the automobile but with the simple needs of the person.

Public gathering places, front porches and tree lined sidewalks emerged not from zoning ordinances, but as obvious needs to be fulfilled. There were no case studies or paradigms to guide our fore-fathers in the planning of their community - they used common sense. They sought to find direct solutions to address the daily life functions of the people as well as to find relief from the climatic conditions of the region. They then constructed these structures in such a fashion to remain timelessly pleasing to the eye.

THE MASTER PLAN

The Master Plan of Willow Grove seeks to define the community by means of strategies, drawings, and covenants. The Master Plan is the framework from which all growth shall be defined and nurtured. The need for such documents is to ensure that the original intent of the community is maintained throughout its construction, thereby stabilizing the historical integrity and functional continuity of the town.

The drawings will illustrate the standardized governing architectural styles and scale for the different types of structures. Generous variations will be allowed, but only upon review by an architectural Design Review Board. The intent is not to create "cookie cutter" housing by any means, but rather to reflect a regional and historical benchmark.

Street sections and utility requirements will also be addressed in the drawings and in the convenants. Street sections refer to the spatial relationships of the building to the sidewalk, the trees to the road and ultimately to the pedestrian. Waivers and variances on the typical local setbacks are adopted to further enhance the character of the community.

Plazas, public buildings and parks will be an integral part of the Master Plan. Some plazas will serve as additional parking while other squares will remain strictly pedestrian. The public buildings and gathering halls will service social, cultural and religious activities, or can be reserved by individuals for private use by the residents. Parks and linear green space will be woven within the development lending themselves to diversity and security.

THE CODE

The codes adopted for the new-traditional community are specific to the indigenous character of this development ensuing continuity and harmony. Most municipalities have utility and setback regulations based on the old subdivision models of the 1940’s and 50’s. These regulating standards will not support the neo-traditional model and must be revised.

Some of the elements that are universally addressed in the master planning phase is the control of building techniques, materials, on street parking and utility line placement. Equally as important is the flow of traffic through a network of interconnection street grids. The idea is to eliminate dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs which limit access and breed confusion.

The disbursement of housing types will be of prime consideration. Affordable housing will not be placed in tracts or segregated locations. Instead, alternative options such as apartments over retail, or office spaces will be allowed. This mixed-use code structure will allow for flexibility as well as provide unique opportunites for single income housing.