Slow Food & Urban Density

The Slow Food movement has lessons for giving cities a humane density.

1 minute read

May 23, 2007, 5:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


SF Chronicle urban design critic John King summarizes a recent paper by Richard Bender and John Parman that argues for cutting through the current gridlock of no-growth vs. smart growth by aiming for a "humane density" that recognizes how people actually experience - and enjoy - the city.

" "We need a robust vision of the region's urbanity that takes lessons from its rich culture of food and wine ... that challenges and changes tastes, and is unafraid of outside influences, knowing that the region will absorb them and make them its own," Richard Bender and John Parman write in "Neither Too Slow Nor Too Smart: Contemplating the Growth of the Bay Region," delivered at a conference on urban issues last month in Rome."

The article links to the paper, delivered at a recent urban design conference held in Rome and jointly sponsored by the University of Rome and U.C. Berkeley.

Thanks to John Parman

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 in The San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight