Architecture for Urbanism

April 20, 2016 by Bruce Donnelly in Architecture, Society

Prompted by a 2015 meeting in Charleston South Carolina, I have worked with a few people to craft a set of "Canons for Humane Architecture," to complement the Canons of sustainable Architecture and Urbanism adopted by the CNU. This is a very preliminary draft, yet it probably comes fairly close to what most New Urbanists who prefer traditional architecture would agree with.

I will be proposing this in an "Open Source Congress" meeting at CNU 24, and welcome comments and suggestions.

The Normal

October 16, 2013 by Bruce Donnelly in Codes, Urbanism

A good strategy for Lean might be to leverage the "normal" against the bureaucratic: where the bureaucratic disallows the norm, a bureaucracy is vulnerable. We need to prick the conscience. If someone can't build a business, build a home, build apartments for the middle class, and so on, that's not normal, and the bureaucracy is vulnerable. "Somebody" can be a builder, a businessperson, and especially (for political leverage) cultural-estate groups and homeowners.

Lean Urbanism?

July 07, 2013 by Bruce Donnelly in Architecture, Urbanism

Recently, Andres Duany has been floating the idea of "Lean Urbanism" publicly -- in Sarasota and High Point. While it isn't entirely clear what "Lean" might be, on-line discussions are starting to give it some form.

Cleveland's thoroughfares

January 31, 2013 by Bruce Donnelly in Architecture, Urbanism

The Congress for the New Urbanism has posted a second piece, on Cleveland’s thoroughfares. I discuss the need for Cleveland to take an integrated approach as it rolls out its Complete and Green Streets ordinance.

Cleveland's Agricultural Urbanism

November 15, 2012 by Bruce Donnelly in Architecture, Urbanism

The Congress for the New Urbanism just posted a piece I did on Cleveland’s agricultural urbanism. In it, I discuss the tension in Cleveland between placing urban agriculture where it makes the most sense and placing it where it will be most visible.