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- Info
Residential site planning and perceived densities
| Author: |
Flachsbart, Peter G. |
| Date: |
1979 |
| Periodical: |
Journal of the Urban Planning and Development Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers |
| Abstract: |
From an urban planner's perspective, the two salient features of the American way of life since the end of World War II have been low-density living and high personal mobility. These two features are intrinsic to urban sprawl. Yet, they are increasingly being questioned in the wake of fundamental changes in the housing market and political pressure to conserve energy and promote environmental quality. These changes have called for a reevaluation of residential site-planning practices. In past eras of plentiful resources, residential site planning was strongly influenced by technical and economic criteria for utilities and sewerage, health and safety criteria for drainage and traffic flow, and some "folklores" of esthetic design. While most of these criteria will continue to operate in the future, the emerging design problem appears to be how to make more intensive use of scarce and costly urban residential land without giving some housing consumers a sense of crowding or dissatisfaction. This is a problem that heretofore has been handled on a trial-and-error basis by site planners and civil engineers but, for reasons stated later, may be a problem that should be addressed more scientifically by environmental design research. For today's housing consumer the transition from low- to more moderate-density residential environments may not be easy, especially for those with a strong preference for conventional detached units. Both sociologist William Michelson (24) and architect Peter Blake (4) have suggested that the American people are not likely to adapt to higher-density living without undergoing some psychic stress. Yet, how stressful is the transition from a low to a more moderate residential density? Do consumers of today attach a negative connotation to modern townhouses as they did to row houses of the past? How can the site planning and design of new townhouses and condominiums be improved to enhance their acceptance among consumers with rising expectations for the achievement of a quality living environment? What design factors influence consumer's perception of and satisfaction with residential densities? Answers to these questions are tantamount to the successful site planning and design of moderate-density housing. This paper will attempt to address these questions in the following manner. First, it will review the significance of the problem by briefly examining the forces in the housing market that have brought about the current squeeze between rising demand and restricted supply of affordable housing. The importance of the problem becomes even greater when one considers the energy savings and enhancement of environmental quality, which are the potential of a transition to moderate-density living. The remaining portion and bulk of the paper will be devoted to suggesting guidelines for physical design and layout that can make future residential developments at least appear more open and spacious than indicated by calculations of their objective density. These suggestions will be based on two sources. One is a review of a small but growing body of theoretical and applied literature on the subject of density perception. The other stems from recent findings of an empirical study conducted by the writer on user perceptions of and satisfactions with residential density. |
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