Planning Process

Toolkits simplify the planning process. They formalize the local building culture for faster permitting and fewer blueprints. Municipalities can fast-track simple buildings that make sense based on the climate and culture. Privacy concerns and structural concerns are built into the toolkit, so the designs automatically conform. We don't have to be overly-safe with rigid planning because toolkits allow the process to develop organically.

Dynamic Codes

We can't respond to existing buildings when property lines are already drawn. Platting is the urban equivalent of stock plans. It's not responsive to context, and it creates an overly-safe, commodified product. We should replace rigid platting with dynamic codes. Dynamic codes preserve coherence without master-planning everything top-down. The codes are proscriptive instead of prescriptive.

Example 1: The code designates a portion of each property to never be overlooked by a neighboring window. It solves the privacy concern without arbitrarily specifying property lines and setbacks.

Example 2: The code requires that buildings must help form a cluster. Therefore, each building's placement depends on the prior buildings.

Example Growth

• Several buildings are placed around an intersection to form a cluster. The node is conveniently located.

• Building 6 is placed to form a forecourt with Building 3

• Buildings 9,10, and 11 form a cluster with those across the street.

• Building 12 is set back from the street because it has good views and sunlight. The block size is large enough that the driveway can become a street into the block.

Balanced Growth

Growth cannot be predicted ahead of time because it depends on future decisions. As each new building is added, it enhances what exists, so the configuration at any moment is balanced. Conventional subdivisions develop unnaturally based on what can be financed and sold. It doesn't look balanced during the buildout, which can take years or decades. It shows that the place is not responsive to context. One street can be perfect, while the neighboring street is completely empty.

Organic growth happens naturally. People congregate around important nodes. The increased foot traffic is good for commercial uses, so uses change and property values go up. The higher rent justifies increasing density. If another street is better situated, the center shifts. Density increases as it becomes successful, so there isn't the danger of building something that nobody visits.

Negotiated Rights

Neighbors can negotiate rights that are protected in the code. They can redraw property lines and determine (buy/sell) easements. Easements include privacy rights, access rights, sun rights, views, buffer rights, and amenity rights. It is a streamlined variance process.

Example 1: If a homeowner decides to add an addition that cuts into a neighbor's view, it might be the best solution all around, but the neighbor needs to be compensated for their loss of view. It depends on what the code says about protected views.

Infrastructure and amenities don’t need to be determined ahead of time. Residents can buy into competing proposals until a decision is made. Software like GIS can keep track of individual property lines and negotiated rights.

User Action

Rigid planning freezes the environment into place. Having large setbacks might solve a privacy concern, but it limits where to place the house. A participatory system involves as much user action as possible at every level.