It is practical in the sense that every development or infrastructure project will in some sense create or impact a “place” and that place will and must serve some practical function. However, the place we aspire to create only comes into being once it is embraced by the community and thereby takes on its own unique meaning. That relationship between community and place cannot be forced, but its fundamental components are understood. It is those aspects of a place that make it habitable, sociable and meaningful beyond its basic function. Those components can be nurtured through thoughtful urban design.

The role of Urban Design Standards and proactive Zoning must be to facilitate those outward facing civic components of a development and design program that will result in their contribution to “places” that are embraced by the community.

Very few projects have the opportunity to create entirely new places. The majority will impact existing places in which they are only one part. Those projects carry a profound responsibility to further enhance the quality of our shared public environment.

They address any new structure’s responsibility to the shared public space that we all inhabit. They are not, as is frequently misunderstood, about style, taste or presuming to ensure great architecture.

All structures, whether background buildings or prestigious commissions, share a responsibility to positively contribute to the shared public space they help shape. Therefore, urban design collaboration depends on clearly defined urban design objectives addressed through fundamental elements such as building placement, access and scale in relation to context.

Evolving beyond its origins in setting minimum standards, zoning must recognize that it cannot anticipate every improved opportunity or better alternative that may present itself. Therefore, effective zoning must be clear in its intent, predictable in its application and flexible in its implementation.

Early recognition of community vision & objectives greatly enhances project success. Urban Design Collaboration believes that the desire for successful placemaking ultimately motivates everything from a positive civic environment to profitable investment and that revealing this common thread through proactive community engagement, responsive design strategies and adaptive zoning will result in better communities.