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

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A close up of an American flag in front of the Capitol building.

Democrats’ victory may threaten act to expedite energy projects

Democrats may decide to vote against the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and negotiate a more favorable bill once the 120th Congress begins.

45 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

People sit in a bus with blue trim

Voters choose public transit, approve $31 billion in funding

Approved projects include $101,000 for reduced-cost transit in a Michigan town and $14 billion for regional transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.