Sustainable Urbanism, Urban Design with Nature
Recently I began reading Doug Farr’s book Sustainable Urbanism, Urban Design with Nature (Pub. John Wiley & Sons, © 2008 Farr Associates). I first met Doug in while working for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and having been introduced by my boss at the time, Mike Jackson, when we visited his office in the historic Monadnock Building in Chicago in December 2000. Over the years we met again at various conferences and seminars, most recently at the Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects annual conference in Moline a few weeks ago when he gave the keynote address about Sustainable Urbanism.
Farr & Associates (www.farrside.com) have been responsible for the design and construction of numerous LEED certified buildings including three that have earned platinum ratings, the highest designation possible. One of these structures, the Chicago Center for Green Technology was only the third so designated in the USA in 2002, when the building, a converted concrete pulverizing plant and a brownfield site, was completed as offices and an educational center for the Chicago Office of the Environment. This project was one of the first green renovation under the City of Chicago and Mayor Daley’s program for all municipal construction projects to be LEED designated.
Additionally Farr and Associates were retained by the Town of Normal Illinois to plan their town center in 2001. This effort lead to the Town Council adoption of its Stewardship Policy. Also the Town has a provision that all downtown buildings over a 7,500 sq ft area footprint be a LEED certified building.
Doug Farr also chaired the US Green Building Council’s Neighborhood Development LEED guidelines committee which is becoming implemented as another LEED category. Much of his book pertains to the concept of planning eco-friendly walkable communities require a change in mindset to the widely accepted practices of urban sprawl. Certainly this is the case with Springfield Illinois.
I found the following selection from the book very pertinent:
“Sustainable Urbanism: The Grand Unification”
“Our times offer an historic opportunity to rethink where and how we live, work, play, and shop. The path to a sustainable lifestyle builds on the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green buildings. If successful, it will not only reduce environmental harm, but also offer stunning enhancements to the current quality of life. The setting for this is sustainable urbanism, the creation and support of communities that are so well designed for a high quality of life that people will eagerly opt to meet their daily needs on foot and transit. Compared to the American lifestyle as we know it, the quality of a life lived in sustainable urbanism is healthier, happier, more independent and not least longer. What’s not to like?
Our choice of lifestyle, that stubborn adherence to the wrong course, remains a significant barrier to the improved health and prosperity of individuals and families as to the viable future of our communities and country. Beyond that is the truly frightening prospect of planetary climactic change.” (Sustainable Urbanism, pg 41)
I’ll have more postings about Doug Farr’s work, including examples of his firm’s work in the City of Chicago and its sustainable buildings as mandated by far reaching vision of the current administration of Mayor Richard Daley.
Sustainable Urbanism, Urban Design with Nature is available for purchase at the Farr & Associates website www.farrside.com.
Posted by Jim Johnston