Density Without High-Rises? Thoughts About Positive Urban Growth
Density Without High-Rises?
Edward T. McMahon / May 11 2012
From Citiwire.net
When it comes to land development, Americans famously dislike two things: too much sprawl and too much density. Over the past 50 years, the pendulum swung sharply in the direction of spread-out, single use, drive everywhere for everything, low density development.
Now the pendulum is swinging back. High energy prices, smart growth, transit oriented development, new urbanism, infill development, sustainability concerns: are all coalescing to foster more compact, walkable, mixed use and higher density development.
The pendulum swing is both necessary and long overdue. Additionally, there is a growing demand for higher density housing because of demographic and lifestyle preference changes among boomers and young adults. The problem is that many developers and urban planners have decided that density requires high rises: the taller, the better. To oppose a high-rise building is to run the risk of being labeled a NIMBY, a dumb growth advocate, a Luddite — or worse.
Buildings 20, 40, 60 even 100 stories tall are being proposed and built in low and mid-rise neighborhoods all over the world. All of these projects are justified with the explanation that if density is good, even more density is better. Washington, D.C. is just the latest low- or mid-rise city to face demands for taller buildings.
Yet Washington is one of the world’s most singularly beautiful cities for several big reasons: first, the abundance of parks and open spaces, second, the relative lack of outdoor advertising (which has over commercialized so many other cities), and third a limit on the height of new buildings.
I will acknowledge that the “Buck Rogers”-like skylines of cities like Shanghai and Dubai can be thrilling — at a distance. But at street level they are often dreadful. The glass and steel towers may be functional, but they seldom move the soul or the traffic as well as more human scale, fine-grained neighborhoods.
Yes, we do need more compact, walkable higher density communities. But no, we do not need to build thousands of look-a-like glass and steel skyscrapers to accomplish the goals of smart growth or sustainable development.
In truth, many of America’s finest and most valuable neighborhoods achieve density without high rises. Georgetown in Washington, Park Slope in Brooklyn, the Fan in Richmond, and the French Quarter in New Orleans are all compact, walkable, charming — and low rise. Yet, they are also dense: the French Quarter has a net density of 38 units per acre, Georgetown 22 units per acre.
Julie Campoli and Alex MacLean’s book Visualizing Density vividly illustrates that we can achieve tremendous density without high-rises. They point out that before elevators were invented, two- to four- story “walk-ups” were common in cities and towns throughout America. Constructing a block of these type of buildings could achieve a density of anywhere from 20 to 80 units an acre.
Mid-rise buildings ranging from 5 to 12 stories can create even higher density neighborhoods in urban settings, where buildings cover most of the block. Campoli and McLean point to Seattle where mid-rise buildings achieve densities ranging from 50 to 100 units per acre, extraordinarily high by U.S. standards.
Today, density is being pursued as an end in itself, rather than as one means to building better cities. According to research by the Preservation Green Lab, fine grained urban fabric -– for example of a type found on Washington’s Capitol Hill, the U Street Corridor, NOMA and similar neighborhoods — is much more likely to foster local entrepreneurship and the creative economy than monolithic office blocks and apartment towers. Perhaps cities like Washington, should consider measuring density differently. Instead of looking at just the quantity of space, they should also consider the 24/7 intensity of use. By this measure, one block of an older neighborhood might include a community theatre, a coffee shop, an art gallery, two restaurants, a bicycle shop, 10 music rehearsal studios, a church, 20 apartments and a couple of bars, and all with much more 24/7 activity and intensity of use than one block of (much taller) office buildings on K Street.
In addition to Washington, St Petersburg, Russia; Basel, Switzerland; Edinburgh, Scotland and Paris, France are just a few of the hundreds of cities around the world where giant out-of-scale skyscrapers have been recently proposed in formerly low or mid-rise historic settings.
The issue of tall buildings in historic cities is not a small one. City after city has seen fights between those who want to preserve neighborhood integrity and those who want Trump towers and “starchitect” skyscrapers. Prince Charles, for example recently criticized the “high-rise free for all” in London which he said has left the city with a “pockmarked skyline and a degraded public realm.” Today, skyscrapers called the “Shard” and the “Gherkin” loom over the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and other famous landmarks.
Whatever one thinks of Prince Charles, there’s no question that he has raised some important issues about the future of the built environment. These include:
- Does density always require high rises?
- Are historic neighborhoods adequately protected from incompatible new construction?
- What is more important — the ability of tall buildings to make an architectural statement, or the need for new buildings to fit into existing neighborhoods?
- Should new development shape the character of our cities — or should the character of our cities shape the new development?
I love the skylines of New York, Chicago and many other high-rise cities. But I also love the skylines of Washington, Charleston, Savannah, Prague, Edinburgh, Rome and other historic mid- and low-rise cities. It would be a tragedy to turn all of these remarkable places into tower cities. Density does not always demand high-rises. Skyscrapers are a dime a dozen in today’s world. Once a low rise city or town succumbs to high-rise mania, many more towers will follow, until the city becomes a carbon-copy of every other city in a “geography of nowhere.”
Edward T. McMahon is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. The opinions expressed are his own.
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E-BULLETIN: Greek Revival House and a colonial-era cemetery subject to development
E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
May 2012, Volume 9, Number 3
Help Preserve Where 19th-century New Yorkers Lived
& 18th-century New Yorkers Rest!
Of course, HDC loves all of New York City’s landmarks, but the 1832 Merchant’s House on East 4th Street in Manhattan is particularly close to our heart. With a new proposal to construct a 9-story hotel next door, the Greek Revival treasure may be at risk. We’re not disputing the right of the developer to build a new building there, but we share the Merchant’s House Museum’s extreme concern about the possible structural issues neighboring excavation could create. The building is sitting on a loose-fill foundation which could be easily undermined if not approached VERY carefully. HDC supports the museum’s call to postpone consideration of the project until an independent engineering study is performed to assess the potential impact on the Individual Landmark. Please help us by signing their petition. You can also express your concern in person at the Community Board 2 hearing Monday, May 14th, 6:30 pm, at Church of Our Lady Of Pompeii, 25 Carmine Street, Father Demo Hall
In Fresh Meadows, Queens, the colonial-era Brinckerhoff family cemetery is also in grave danger. The Landmarks Preservation 
Commission held a public hearing for landmarking the site in 2000, but never voted. A second hearing is scheduled this coming Tuesday with the owner hoping to get a “no” vote from the commissioners. Removing the property from LPC’s consideration is the developer’s first step towards constructing two new houses on this lot (yes, it’s not just in movies that people try to do that sort of thing). The cemetery, which includes burials from 1730 into the 1860s and was once part of a large farm, now sits in the middle of an early 20th-century residential neighborhood. While the present owner claims neither headstones nor bodies still exist in the overgrown lot, both statements are hard to believe. A survey and newspaper articles from the early part of the last century point to over 70 burials and numerous grave markers, including the 1740 headstone of Aeltje Brinckerhoff inscribed in Dutch. Neighbors remember seeing the stones and report that they were told by the prior owner in 1980 that he had buried the markers to protect them. Similarly, there is no documentation regarding any removal of remains. Archaeologists and cemetery experts tell us what HDC already suspected – while the wood of old coffins may no longer exist, hardware, bones and personal items such as jewelry and shoe buckles would still be there. Please join HDC, the Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association, elected officials, historical societies and other preservationists at the LPC Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 15th at 9:00 am (Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 9th Floor, Manhattan) or send your comments to LPC Chair Robert Tierney to show your support for landmarking a rare remnant of colonial Queens.
Read the NYDaily News article about the Brinckerhoff family cemetery on our website
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~Six to Celebrate Tour Series~
It’s Bike Month; celebrate by signing up for our upcoming bike tour of Bay Ridge,Brooklyn!!!!
Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens
WALKING TOUR led by Nancy Solomon, folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions
BICYCLE TOUR led by Nicole Francis, Beverly Square East Neighborhood Association
BICYCLE TOUR led by Harry J. Bubbins, director of Friends of Brook Park
Six to Celebrate is generously supported by The New York Community Trust.
Additional support for the Six to Celebrate Tours is provided by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from New York City Councilmembers Inez Dickens, Daniel Garodnick, Vincent Gentile, Stephen Levin and Rosie Mendez.
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Monday, June 11, 6:30pm
Film Screening and Discussion: The Bungalows of Rockaway
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue at East 2nd Street, Manhattan
After a sold-out screening of the film’s excerpts in 2008, HDC brings back the popular 2010 documentary film, “The Bungalows of Rockaway,” produced by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris. The film highlights the rich history of the Rockaway bungalows, lasting more than 100 years. Although by 1933 there were more than 7,000 bungalows dotting the peninsula, fewer than 500 remain today. The documentary, narrated by Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons, features rare archival footage, maps, and interviews with historians, prominent New Yorkers, and several of the longtime residents and vacationers. Chosen as a Critic’s Pick by Time Out New York.
In 2012, HDC named the Far Rockaway Beach Bungalows to its Six to Celebrate list, six historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a yearlong period. HDC is working with the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association to get the remaining bungalows of Beach 24th, 25th and 26th Streets on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and to raise awareness about this irreplaceable part of New York City’s history.
The screening will be followed by a “Q & A” session and discussion with Richard George, executive director of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association; Nancy Solomon, director of Long Island Traditions and author of the upcoming National Register nomination; Jeanne DuPont of Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, and the filmmakers. UPDATE: David Selig of Rockaway Taco will also participate in the panel. The program will be moderated by journalist Eve M. Kahn.
Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for Friends of HDC, seniors and students. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available to Far Rockaway residents. Email ftolbert@hdc.org for more information.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit our website or call 212-614-9107.
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Free Lecture!
St. John’s Church and New Construction in Historic Districts Today
St. John’s Getty Square was originally a 1751 Georgian manorial church in downtown Yonkers. In 1871, it became one of the first examples of historic preservation in America, with a magnificent enlargement by William Appleton Potter. It is also one of the first instances of the Colonial Revival in the nation. Byrns will draw upon his experience as an LPC Commissioner by discussing various recent examples of projects approved or disapproved by the LPC, and compare them to the changes at St. John’s over a period of 120 years.
Stephen F. Byrns is a partner at BKSK Architects and was a Landmarks Preservation Commissioner from 2004-10. He majored in History at Princeton University, where he wrote his thesis on William Butterfield.
May 30, 2012 6-8pm
Neighborhood Preservation Center
232 East 11th Street, Manhattan
Admission is FREE. RSVP to hdc@hdc.org or 212-614-9107.
Advance reservations are required and space is limited.
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Partners in Preservation is a community-based program which provides preservation grants for local historic places. American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have joined together and are giving away three million dollars to worthy New York City organizations. You can vote once a day everyday through May 21. This weekend all 40 sites will be participating in an Open House weekend–free and discounted events (like a behind the scenes tour of Ellis Island, free concerts, architectural tours and much more).
Learn more at http://partnersinpreservation.com/
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Become a Friend of HDC today and receive special discounts on our exciting and informational events. By donating you are aiding in the fight to preserve New York history. HDC is the only organization that works with communities in all five boroughs. That’s a lot of buildings! http://hdc.org/donate.
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The Advocate for New York City’s Historic Neighborhoods
232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003
tel: 212-614-9107 fax: 212-614-9127 email: hdc@hdc.org
Manhattan Community Board 10 Preservation Plan
In response to the growing concerns of the Community regarding preserving Harlem’s rich heritage,
Community Board 10’s Land Use and Landmarks Committee has developed a comprehensive planning
document that explores various methods in preserving historic buildings and the built context
of the District.
This planning document outlines the purpose, the context, and the benefits of designation. Acknowledging
that Harlem as a District is under-designated, the goal of this planning document is to
ensure new developments are consistent in vernacular and scale and existing buildings are protected.
The recommendations put forth in this report represent a collective vision of the community. This
report identifies proposals of four distinct landmark designations: individual, interior, scenic, and
historic districts. It also includes recommendation for future contextual re-zonings.
To read Manhattan Community Board 10 Comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan click
here: CB10 PRESERVATION REPORT
E-BULLETIN- A Movie, A Tour, A Lecture, & 3 Million dollars!!!
E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL
May 2012, Volume 9, Number 2
~Six to Celebrate Tour Series~
Come tour our 2012 Six to Celebrate neighborhoods. Learn about their diverse cultural and architectural histories. Starting in May and running throughout the summer HDC, with the help of noted tour guides and local community groups, will be touring each neighborhood.
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Visit Bay Ridge, a quintessentially New York neighborhood filled with a variety of historic housing, well-maintained parks, vibrant commercial streets and impressive institutional buildings. As we ride along Shore Road and the bicycle path, the tour will focus on some of the open spaces and significant sites along the area closest to the waterfront including Bliss Park, the Barkaloo Cemetery, the Narrows Botanic Garden, the Arts & Crafts style Gingerbread House, the former site of the New York Crescent Club & Polo Grounds, the cul-de-sac block Colonial Gardens and the Greek Revival-style Bennett-Farrell House. The day will end with a tour of the military site, Fort Hamilton, an active base with numerous historic structures, founded in 1825. Bikes will not be provided. Tickets can be purchased here.
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
WALKING TOUR led by Andrew Scott Dolkart, architectural historian and author of “Morningside Heights: A History of Its Architecture & Development”
Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens
WALKING TOUR led by Nancy Solomon, folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions
BICYCLE TOUR led by Nicole Francis, Beverly Square East Neighborhood Association
BICYCLE TOUR led by Harry J. Bubbins, director of Friends of Brook Park
Six to Celebrate is generously supported by The New York Community Trust.
Additional support for the Six to Celebrate Tours is provided by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from New York City Councilmembers Inez Dickens, Daniel Garodnick, Vincent Gentile, Stephen Levin and Rosie Mendez.
________________________________________________________________________
Monday, June 11, 6:30pm
Film Screening and Discussion: The Bungalows of Rockaway
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue at East 2nd Street, Manhattan
After a sold-out screening of the film’s excerpts in 2008, HDC brings back the popular 2010 documentary film, “The Bungalows of Rockaway,” produced by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris. The film highlights the rich history of the Rockaway bungalows, lasting more than 100 years. Although by 1933 there were more than 7,000 bungalows dotting the peninsula, fewer than 500 remain today. The documentary, narrated by Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons, features rare archival footage, maps, and interviews with historians, prominent New Yorkers, and several of the longtime residents and vacationers. Chosen as a Critic’s Pick by Time Out New York.
In 2012, HDC named the Far Rockaway Beach Bungalows to its Six to Celebrate list, six historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a yearlong period. HDC is working with the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association to get the remaining bungalows of Beach 24th, 25th and 26th Streets on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and to raise awareness about this irreplaceable part of New York City’s history.
The screening will be followed by a “Q & A” session and discussion with Richard George, executive director of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association; Nancy Solomon, director of Long Island Traditions and author of the upcoming National Register nomination; Jeanne DuPont of Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, and the filmmakers. The program will be moderated by journalist Eve M. Kahn.
Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for Friends of HDC, seniors and students. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available to Far Rockaway residents. Email ftolbert@hdc.org for more information.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit our website or call 212-614-9107.
——————————————————————————————————- Landmarking in the 21st Century: Designation After Douglaston
The 1997 Designation of the Douglaston Historic District was a watershed moment for the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The first historic district in Queens filled with detached suburban houses; Douglaston marked a turning point for the LPC which has continued for the last 15 years. Appointed in 2003, Mayor Bloomberg’s Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Robert Tierney is the longest-serving chair in the commission’s history and under his guidance the LPC has designated more historic districts outside Manhattan than any previous commission; adding a total of 28 new districts and 6 district expansions – many of which would have never been considered under previous Chairs. At the same time, the agency has also seen immense controversy from landmarks rejected by City Council to legal action being brought against them by civic groups. Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, will discuss what the state of landmarks preservation since the beginning of the Bloomberg Administration with an eye towards what might lie ahead under a new Mayor.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 6:00pm
Douglaston Club, 600 West Drive, Douglaston Queens
For information on tickets, click here. Advance reservations are required.
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Historic Preservation Saved New York!
On Sunday, April 22, 2012, the New York Daily news published an opinion piece by Edward Glaeser, a professor of Economics at Harvard, arguing that historic districts are damaging to the economic, social, and environmental health of the city because they limit new construction. HDC board member, Dr. Jeffrey A. Kroessler, offers this reply.
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Free Lecture!
St. John’s Church and New Construction in Historic Districts Today
St. John’s Getty Square was originally a 1751 Georgian manorial church in downtown Yonkers. In 1871, it became one of the first examples of historic preservation in America, with a magnificent enlargement by William Appleton Potter. It is also one of the first instances of the Colonial Revival in the nation. Byrns will draw upon his experience as an LPC Commissioner by discussing various recent examples of projects approved or disapproved by the LPC, and compare them to the changes at St. John’s over a period of 120 years.
Stephen F. Byrns is a partner at BKSK Architects and was a Landmarks Preservation Commissioner from 2004-10. He majored in History at Princeton University, where he wrote his thesis on William Butterfield.
May 30, 2012 6-8pm
Neighborhood Preservation Center
232 East 11th Street, Manhattan
Admission is FREE. RSVP to hdc@hdc.org or 212-614-9107.
Advance reservations are required and space is limited.
——————————————————————————————————-
Partners in Preservation is a community-based program which provides preservation grants for local historic places. American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have joined together and are giving away three million dollars to worthy New York City organizations. You can vote once a day everyday through May 21. This weekend all 40 sites will be participating in an Open House weekend–free and discounted events (like a behind the scenes tour of Ellis Island, free concerts, architectural tours and much more).
Learn more at http://partnersinpreservation.com/
——————————————————————————————————-
Become a Friend of HDC today and receive special discounts on our exciting and informational events. By donating you are aiding in the fight to preserve New York history. HDC is the only organization that works with communities in all five boroughs. That’s a lot of buildings! http://hdc.org/donate.
——————————————————————————————————-
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
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The Advocate for New York City’s Historic Neighborhoods
232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003
tel: 212-614-9107 fax: 212-614-9127 email: hdc@hdc.org
St. John’s Church and New Construction in Historic Districts Today A lecture by Stephen F. Byrns
Title: St. John’s Church and New Construction in Historic Districts Today A lecture by Stephen F. Byrns
Location: Neighborhood Preservation Center 232 East 11th Street
Description: St. John’s Getty Square was originally a 1751 Georgian manorial church in downtown Yonkers. In 1871, it became one of the first examples of historic preservation in America, with a magnificent enlargement by William Appleton Potter. It is also one of the first instances of the Colonial Revival in the nation. Byrns will draw upon his experience as an LPC Commissioner by discussing various recent examples of projects approved or disapproved by the LPC, and compare them to the changes at St. John’s over a period of 120 years.
Stephen F. Byrns is a partner at BKSK Architects and was a Commissioner at the Landmark Commission from 2004-10. He majored in History at Princeton University, where he wrote his thesis on William Butterfield.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2012-05-30
End Time: 20:00
to RSVP please email Ashley Shedd at ashedd@hdc.org
