UDIA NATIONAL CONGRESS WAS HELD RECENTLY IN BRISBANE AND ALWAYS DELIVERS THOUGHT PROVOKING DISCUSSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS. THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION AND MY “PICK OF THE CROP” WAS THE FORMER CHIEF URBAN DESIGNER FOR THE NEW YORK CITY. ALEXANDROS WASHBURN PROVIDED SOME REALLY INTERESTING INSIGHTS.
1. To have a successful project you need to align politics, finance and design. Alexandros said that if you can’t stand the “heat” of politics, or understand the profit motive then even the best urban design will fail. There will always be frictions between these three and with the community as you are trying to generate change.
2. Put density where it is deserved, to decrease density in other places. Whilst this is logical it provides a subtle and important wakeup call which clearly says that density is not desirable everywhere but should be positively encouraged where the settings are right. In simple terms, New York has 100:1 variation of density and strives to maintain the variation between tall towers and the low rise areas.
3. Small measurements matter. The height of the sidewalks, the height of the curbs and a whole range of “small measurements” impact on the user’s experience of each place.
Alexandros went on to talk about the High Line project in New York which saw a disused elevated rail line converted into a lineal park – currently 3km long and growing. Inspired by the Promenade Plantée in France, the park has helped to transform the area however understanding the financial arrangements underpinned the success of this great urban design project.
Designers wanted to “cradle” the park with the surrounding buildings, with low rise in the adjacent streets. Developers, in expectation of the imminent demolition of the rail, bought up old warehouses along the route. They managed property rights caused by the change in land use by allowing owners to sell off their “right to height” to developments in nearby streets where the height was welcomed. The “cradle” was created with the financial viability of both the low rise and high rise maintained.
In researching the High Line for this column it seems the urban outcome was exceptional by some measures, supporting the emerging art scene and generating $2 billion dollars of investment. On the flip side the area is now so popular that rents have escalated, forcing out lower income tenants and creating grassroots pushback. Achieving great political, financial and urban design outcomes is always a challenge.