As cities like Long Beach and Santa Monica get more focused on urban design, their general plans become more and more proscriptive.
Nate Berg talks to planners and architects about the plusses and minuses of more restrictive general plans. Sacramento is one of the California cities Berg considers where plans are coming loaded with increasing guidelines for design.
"Kris Barkley, a principal at Sacramento-based Dreyfuss and Blackford Architects who has watched Sacramento planners take more control over the design process, said, 'It's like an idealized, theme park attitude rather than coming up with interesting pieces that come together into a whole that's interesting in itself. It can be very difficult from a design perspective.'"
FULL STORY: Specifically Speaking
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Caltrans
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners