New Urbanism Presentation by Jeff Speck

[Just the facts]

For those that are interested, I found a video of a Jeff Speck presentation where OKC is one of the main topics. Everyone interested in urban development shoud watch this.

[Just the facts]

Here is another one from Andres Duany

[CaptDave]

Thanks for sharing that JTF. I actually ordered Speck's book after listening to him speak. The DC home he designed is pretty cool.

[MikeOKC]

Good stuff! I've been heading down this path for a while now and I am consumed with it all.

[Just the facts]

Good stuff! I've been heading down this path for a while now and I am consumed with it all.

I know exactly what you are syaing Mike. I can't read, watch, or otherwise learn enough about it. The University of Miami actually offers an on-line course that awards a certificate in New Urbanism that some people might find of interest.

http://nuonline.arc.miami.edu/

[CaptDave]

I know exactly what you are syaing Mike. I can't read, watch, or otherwise learn enough about it. The University of Miami actually offers an on-line course that awards a certificate in New Urbanism that some people might find of interest.

http://nuonline.arc.miami.edu/

Thanks for the Univ of Miami link. Just missed the summer course..... oh well. I think I will take it this fall. I find the NU concepts compelling for the redevelopment of cities that have been negatively affected by ill advised urban renewal plans. I am particularly interested to read more about transit integration into NU planning. I should have the Speck book in a day or two.

[dankrutka]

Excellent lecture. I enjoyed it and also bought his book.

[catch22]

Thank you for sharing this video, JTF. I'm sure others will find it very informative and interesting just like I did.

[Just the facts]

Give this a try. I haven't watched it yet (in fact doing it right now). They have an interesting take on transit - Development Oriented Transit (which is something I was trying to promote 2 years ago). Check out the transit freedom map starting at the 25:16 point

[CaptDave]

Better service on fewer routes; interior of all transit vehicles looks the same; scarcity of parking will increase demand for transit in a given area. This sounds like where COTPA and OKC need to begin the paradigm shift in attitudes toward and expectations of transit. Does our proposed streetcar route become part of a transit network? Or is it a separate transit system on its own? What land area should transit service be limited to to make the system efficient and abundant for the highest number of people?

Thanks for posting this.

[Just the facts]

Does our proposed streetcar route become part of a transit network? Or is it a separate transit system on its own? What land area should transit service be limited to to make the system efficient and abundant for the highest number of people?

I have always thought public transit should be limited to an area bounded by I-35/I-240/I-44. If you want access to frequent mass transit then live in this area. If you live/work outside the transit zone buy a car. Serve a smaller area, serve it really well, and increase urban density. Once regional rail comes on-line it should connect urban districts across the metro with downtown OKC (not remote park and ride lots that only encourage more sprawl). The train station should NOT replace the freeway on-ramp.

[CaptDave]

I have always thought public transit should be limited to an area bounded by I-35/I-240/I-44. If you want access to frequent mass transit then live in this area. If you live/work outside the transit zone buy a car. Serve a smaller area, serve it really well, and increase urban density. Once regional rail comes on-line it should connect urban districts across the metro with downtown OKC (not remote park and ride lots that only encourage more sprawl). The train station should NOT replace the freeway on-ramp.

That makes a lot of sense. The main point I took away from the presentation is that abundance of transit trumps the mode of transit. I think I have my master's thesis should I decide on earning a MPA.....

[MDot]

Kerry, I have yet to watch any of these videos, but I promise I will the second I have enough time. Thanks in advance for posting as "New Urbanism" has been something of interest to me, which you're the one that introduced me to it awhile back.

[Just the facts]

One of the problems I have seen in places where there are multiple modes of transit is the duplication of routes across the different modes. When commuter rail links downtown OKC with Norman the bus express routes should cease and those assets redeployed. Any connecting routes would then need to adjust accordingly. To do this you would need one agency in charge of metro-wide transit.

[Just the facts]

I just finished watching a show on Netflix instant view called The Pruitt-Igoe Myth. I don't even know what to say about it other than it is a post child for why we need the New Urbanism and why we need it now! I am so pissed off and saddened at the same time I don't even know what to do with the emotions or energy. If it wasn't dark outside I would go on 10 mile bike ride just to burn the frustration off. If you have Netflix streaming this is a MUST-SEE documentary.

http://www.pruitt-igoe.com/

[Spartan]

They showed Pruitt-Igoe at the OKCMOA last month. I saw several folks from this board there, as well as a few developers that I said hello to. Steve moderated a panel after it..

[Just the facts]

Thanks Spartan. I am glad to hear that someone is watching it. We have a lot of evils to undo.

[Spartan]

Yeah, FHA was an assault not just on inner cities but also on the black nuclear family. A true atrocity. But it will go down in history as a great step forward, which is frustrating.

American values of old are pretty revolting. Cities have an inexplicable tendency to reflect societal values.

[Just the facts]

It isn't just what happened to the black family - the Great Society had two sides to the coin. The other side of that coin is suburbia (which was created by the same law that created FHA), which isn't just destroying the suburban family, it is bankrupting every man, woman, child, and government entity in the process. When I started watching the video I didn't even know what it was about and the second I saw those radiant apartment building I instantly knew it was going to end badly -I just didn't know how badly. A radiant apartment building is no different than a radiant single family home - then end result will be the same.

[CaptDave]

I understand Siemens is seeking additional revenue streams but it is good to see a huge corporation actively working for sustainability. Are there US companies doing the same on this scale? General Electric would have the resources but I have yet to see them being as public about comprehensive sustainability engineering or consulting.

http://www.usa.siemens.com/sustainab...tc=usccc025508

[Just the facts]

I don't know of anywhere else to put this so this thread is as good as any. If the mods know of a better place feel free to move this message. Since I am constant promoter of urban living I thought I would pass this along as way to assist with the urban lifestyle.

One of the primary 'problems' of urban living is storage space. The modern practice of 'just in time' shipping and bulk buying in grocery stores requires homeowners to act as the storage facility for most goods. This is made worse by urban living where you have to carry your groceries from the store to your home. We recently started using a SodaStream my wife won. For the first 2 weeks it just sat on the counter so I told her we either need to use it or get rid of it. So we decided to not buy any 12 packs of soda for 1 month and use the sodastream instead. It took some getting used to and figuring out how to use it but it is now my prefered method of soda refeshment. We don't buy 12 packs anymore which makes the grocery trips easier, we don't have to store 4 boxes of the cans, or take up all the room in our fridge. I simply keep a 1 liter bottle of cold water in the fridge and when I want a soda I make it right on the spot. One package of syrup makes 33 12-oz cans and cost $5.99 at Target (18 cents a can).

For full disclosure - I don't work for SodaStream, any place that sells SodaStream, nor get any financial benefit from SodaStream other than what I save by using it. I'm just trying to make urban living easier.

[Urbanized]

I'll vouch for the awesomeness of SodaStream. The naturally sweetened cola flavor tastes more like Coca-Cola tasted when I was a kid than Coke itself does today. But to be fair on the pricing JTF you need to include the cost of the co2 canister refills. $15 each at Bed Bath and Beyond. http://www.sodastreamusa.com/

[Just the facts]

But to be fair on the pricing JTF you need to include the cost of the co2 canister refills. $15 each at Bed Bath and Beyond. http://www.sodastreamusa.com/

Take it over to Bass Pro and get it re-filled. I take my kids paintball CO2 canisters to Academy Sports and re-fill them for $2. I plan to do the same thing with the SodaStream CO2 tank.

Alas though, the main benefit is space saved and easier to carry after purchase.

[Just the facts]

If you are looking for another documentary for your summer viewing check out Urbanized on NetFlix. Throughout the entire movie from subject to subject I kept saying to myself - OKC is dealing with this exact same issue right now. It is available on instant queue. The first 10 to 15 minutes had me a little worried but exactly what kind of urban development they were promoting but then it got on track. It was sad to see several third world cities making the Pruitt-Igoe mistake though.

http://urbanizedfilm.com/

[CaptDave]

If you are looking for another documentary for your summer viewing check out Urbanized on NetFlix. Throughout the entire movie from subject to subject I kept saying to myself - OKC is dealing with this exact same issue right now. It is available on instant queue. The first 10 to 15 minutes had me a little worried but exactly what kind of urban development they were promoting but then it got on track. It was sad to see several third world cities making the Pruitt-Igoe mistake though.

http://urbanizedfilm.com/

Watched it last night. It is also available on Amazon for about $14. I still like discs so I got it. It was very good at demonstrating how different issues with modern city life and some creative solutions. I am going to watch it a few times over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the recommendation.