For Howard Blackson, the latest trend in planning and design is redevelopment based on evolving, rather than phased, implementation. In this blog post he identifies the three typologies of this "slow urbanism."
The "new incrementalism" is Blackson's term for an emerging approach to development that allows for evolution in implementation as temporary uses seed the ground for more permanent investment. He observes: "[v]ery rarely now are we designing to build immediately for a project's absolute highest and best use or, as Nathan Norris calls it, its 'climax condition.' This new incrementalism focuses on how lots change - how they're built upon and reconfigured over time before, ahem, reaching their climax."
Following from this approach, he says, are three primary typologies that can play a role in this sequence of development: temporary architecture, pre-fab or modular construction, and so-called "Grow" or "Go" buildings that can be added to over time or demolished to make way for different ones.
FULL STORY: The new incrementalism
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Building incrementally over time allows cities and towns to develop more interesting landscapes while incurring less debt. The slow evolution of Seaside, Florida is a prime example of the benefits of 'patient urbanism.'
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EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association