|
In May, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (the Bank) sponsored
Density2: Reinventing the Urban Village, a two-day conference on
the viability of developing dense, mixed-use developments in urban
neighborhoods.
The conference — a follow-up to a density conference organized
by the Boston Society of Architects several years ago — brought
together architects, planners, developers, bankers, and public officials
to discuss the use of density to promote smart growth and expand
the supply of much-needed housing, including affordable housing,
in the region.
 |
| The
Urban Edge/Stull and Lee team's Ciudad Emerald was one of three
proposals discussed at the Boston conference. |
Held May 13 and 14 at Northeastern University in Boston, the conference
explored how dense urban communities can provide an alternative
to sprawl and an antidote to growing congestion on the area's roadways.
David P. Parish, member services representative at the Bank and
an organizer of the conference, noted that innovative approaches
to urban design are being investigated as part of a strategy to
expand the supply of housing in urban centers where land has become
increasingly costly and in limited supply.
A key component of the two-day conference was a Friday night charrette
in which three developer/architect teams — Trinity Financial
and ICON Architecture, Inc.; Avalon Bay Communities Inc. and Goody
Clancy Architects; and Urban Edge Community Development and Stull
and Lee, Inc. — presented proposals for a twenty-first century
urban village in the Forest Hills section of Boston.
Each team was asked to propose a mixed-use, mixed-income development
of at least 2,000 units of housing on a 17.35-acre site currently
used by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Adjacent
to the Forest Hills Orange Line T station and close to the Boston
Arboretum, Franklin Park, and Emerald Necklace parks, the site is
not under consideration for development.
The teams proposed a mix of low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise structures,
as well as commercial, community-service, and open space for the
site. Each team also reinforced the mass transportation opportunities
provided by the site and proposed removing an existing automobile
overpass, which creates a barrier between the site and the surrounding
neighborhoods.
In addition to the charrette, the conference included an all-day
symposium on Saturday in which development professionals from around
the country discussed current approaches to smart growth, sustainability,
green architecture, social equity, and affordable housing.
Additional sponsors of the conference were MassHousing, Northeastern
University, Boston Society of Architects, and AIA Center for Communities
by Design. Supporters included Citizens' Housing and Planning Association
as well as member institutions Wainwright Bank & Trust Company,
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company, Eastern Bank, and Bank
of America.
Density as a Development Strategy
Mr. Parish noted the advantages of developing denser communities
close to public transportation hubs to create new housing and commercial
and social amenities. He said denser communities could allow developers
to build more profitably, thereby allowing them to include more
amenities and housing units designed to serve a broader range of
incomes.
Thomas Gleason, executive director of MassHousing, noted that Massachusetts
is witnessing an "incredible flight of talented professionals"
because of the state's skyrocketing housing costs. Building denser,
smart-growth developments close to transit hubs will alleviate pressures
on the state's housing supply and lead to a healthier environment
in which people spend less time on congested streets and highways.
In his comments at the conference, Northeastern University President
Richard Freeland said more of today's young people want to live
in cities, reversing a trend begun in the 1950s and 1960s that drew
many Americans to the suburbs. "I think young people coming
out of college today are going to be looking for exactly the kind
of housing we're discussing today," he said.
The Proposals
The Trinity Financial/ICON Architecture, Inc., plan created a green
ladder to link its proposed village with the nearby park system.
The team proposed 2,284 units of housing, including low-rise village
housing (three- to six-story structures) close to existing neighborhoods,
a mid-rise core (six- to eight-story structures) along the parkway
and boulevard, and a high-rise building (12 to 20 stories). The
team's goal was to create a dense but livable community that would
include commercial space, open space, and other amenities.
The Avalon Bay/Goody Clancy Architects proposal included 2,534 residential
units, a public library/arts center, a supermarket, a YMCA, a park,
and commercial and light industrial space. The buildings ranged
in height from four to 30 stories, with the lower buildings located
close to surrounding neighborhoods and the higher structures near
the park. The developer noted that the plan's mix of building types
would make the development appealing to a diverse group of people.
"Density can offer amenities that enhance existing neighborhoods
and attract new residents," the team noted in its conclusion.
The developer said financing the plan was doable, but added that
the large upfront costs associated with such a development could
be a stumbling block without the support of a strong private-public
partnership.
The Urban Edge/Stull and Lee, Inc. proposal included a mix of high-rise,
mid-rise, and low-rise buildings as well as commercial space. The
densest section of the development would be located close to the
Orange Line T station. In addition to a 448-unit tower, the plan
offered a variety of possible low-rise building types, including
duplexes, lofts, perfect 6's, and triple-deckers. The proposal also
included a village green, community gardens, and a bike path. "We
tried for a mix of land uses that reflect the diversity of urban
living," said architect David Lee, who added that the goal
was to allow "many kinds of architecture to happen here."
Density and Livability
In a panel discussion following the presentations, Pam McKinney,
of Byrn McKinney Real Estate Consultants, said ambitious developments
such as those presented by the three participating teams will need
to be a public-private partnership to succeed. "That is evident
in all of these (proposals)," she said."
Tad Read, coordinator for Transit-Oriented Development for the Massachusetts
Office for Commonwealth Development and Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority, commended the broad consideration of transportation options
but suggested that some of the heights and densities of the proposals,
such as the 20- to 30-story towers, "may be a stretch"
for the neighborhood.
"The real issue is can we make economically viable models that
are also urbanistically designed," said George Thrush, chairman
of the Department of Architecture at Northeastern University. "We
need to think about how we're going to do this over time. Realistic
phasing is absolutely critical to complex, ambitious developments
such as these."
Participants pointed out that it was important for the design community
to offer guidance as communities struggle to develop new models
for urban life. "I think this (the charrette) provides a really
wonderful public service," said Anne Tate, of the Rhode Island
School of Design. "Communities can't conceptualize what can
happen here without this kind of work."
David Dixon, principal at Goody Clancy Architects, thanked the Bank
for the role it has played over the years in bringing a large number
of professionals and citizens with a broad range of interests together
to consider questions related to housing and community development.
Mr. Dixon noted that twenty-first century urban design must reflect
the needs of today's communities, which are no longer as homogenous
as those of a century ago. Demographic and lifestyle changes, including
the growing number of single-person households, are having an impact
on the kind of urban communities developers and architects will
need to build in the future.
"Design plays a very important role in this," he said.
"A degree of leadership is sought from people like us that
no one has been seeking for 30 or 40 years. We have an historic
opportunity to create viable, vibrant communities that will serve
us well in this new century."
|
