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As California’s population increases, pressures from traditional suburban development threaten adjacent natural environments. Even during these economic times, this state is still adding one person per minute, so there will always be a need for housing, jobs, infrastructure and continuous growth. Infill development should be stressed, but unfortunately new development in undeveloped areas will have to occur to accommodate the growing population.
The real question is: What will these developments look like and how can we minimize our footprint on the natural environment?
Last week, the Urban Land Institute of Orange County hosted a charette to explore edge development. Over 50 professionals from the development, design, and environmental fields participated to produce a new vision for future development. Discussions and topics ranged from wildlife habitat, wildfires, community agriculture, sustainable living, local production, reducing vmt (vehicle miles traveled), and social equality as the group was divided into 4 teams.
Each team was given a site on the edge of urban/suburban development and had to come up with a rational plan that considered all of these topics. The sites varied in size, terrain and context, but the results were mostly the same.
Located on our group’s site was a National Wildlife Refuge and estuary so we had to be extremely sensitive to this area. We decided to expand the wetland and create fingers of open space, which could also be used by the people living there. We were able to provide and expand habitat while still creating an urban development consisting of various residential types, village centers, high end jobs, and localized food and energy production.
While very impressed by the collaborative effort of all the different professions, I was a little concerned that the natural landscape was not really considered in a few groups. Some groups created a very nice ‘sustainable’ village, but completely disregarded the idea of the charette to blend the natural environment with the human environment and minimize our impact Below are a couple pictures of our group in action.
Image 1: begining of our group session, identifying values.
Image 2: Concept ideas for the development of our site.
A New Vision for Edge Development in Southern California
Innovations Workshop
ULI of Orange County
June 25 and 26, 2009
The San Dieguito Union High School District values saving money more than its student’s education.
Enrollment growth didn’t meet expectations, so the district is now currently paying over $130,000 a year in fees back to the government for an empty lot in La Costa Valley because the district has not been using the land it purchased 10 years ago as a middle school, its original purpose.
So, instead of continuing to pay this fee, the district decided to build a small educational facility there consisting of a black top, a shade structure, and a storage shed, to make it an outdoor field lab. As long as some education is taking place at the site, the fee no longer needs to be paid. The idea is that students will use this facility to survey the site and learn about their natural local environment.
Great idea! Sort of….
10 years ago, the 4 acre site was graded into two levels so it could be ready to be built when needed, one level 20 feet above the other. What remains now is an open grassland of non-native annual grasses, a few Coyote Bushes, some California Sage, and maybe a few patches of ice plant. Little bio-diversity.
The site, while this is an intrinsically beautiful site in its recovery to a naturalized state, is not much of an educational opportunity for high school students. Wouldn’t it be better to send classes to a local lagoon or preserve that hasn’t been flattened and removed of all native life? This lack of educational opportunity is not justified by saving the district money.
However, this response is better than the original idea for the site. For now the site will remain an open space in the middle of a dense suburban development instead of an intensive use educational facility, a win for the preservationists and wildlife using the site!
Image 1: Lower half of the two tiered site.
Image 2: Facility where students conduct their work? Not exactly sure.
Image 3: Maybe it is a detention facility for all the kids who act out.
