Assignment 5 - 3

Bradburn contains an "interesting mix of homes, shops, cafes and workplaces" in an attempt to model the "traditional neighborhood design" (Bradburn Website).  This concept of "traditional neighborhood design" or "TND" is a way of building a community that is self reinforcing as well as connected.  The thinking behind Bradburn is that it's design is smart for growth and essentially is the perfect place to live.  Located only about 20 minutes from Boulder and Denver,  Bradburn offers a 125-acre village that  contains 4 distinctive neighborhoods "ranging from near-urban to urban-rural" as well as 9 community parks.

The cities plan and development is coming along smoothly, and at first glance Bradburn appears to be a city with much finer detail.  In order for the charter to work, their must also be a "coherent and supportive physical framework" (City Reader).  Just from walking around Bradburn one can tell this is a town that is designed for the pedestrian as well as transit.  With wide streets, conveniently located economic centers, simply looking at a map of Bradburn helps one get a feel for the shape of the town as well as it's institutions. 

With a conveniently located village center with a Sprouts, IHOP, Walgreens, Starbucks, Chipotle, etc the town definitely abides by some of the rules of the charter described in the chapter "Congress fot  the New Urbanism" (City Reader).  Being that thte town is not that large, essentially all stores are within walking distance, while housing prices are not expensive at all.  On the Bradburn website they offer choices of living based upon your preferences and prices ranging from 1 million dollar custom homes to 200 dollar town homes.  Offering different types of architectural styles the theme of Bradburn is that whether it be an urban loft of a luxurious apartment, one can choose to live how and where they want in proximity to the village center.  Respecting historical patterns, precedents, and boundaries Bradburn is an up and coming neighborod that continues to emobody the epitome of the Charter described in the City Reader.

 The development and undeveloped areas of the town are both continuous and organized.  With the cities plan posted upon their website, the citizens of Bradburn get a good feel for what their city will look like in twenty years.  Each neighborhood containing its own urbane edge contains tons of parks and other institutions such as schools, that the transition from it's agrarian hinterland is gradual and appealing to the eyes.

Addressing the problems of urbanization is one of the hardest challenges a growing city can face.  The charter offers principles that guide public policy, development practice, urban planning, and design.  The elegant design of the Bradburn website allows for one to virtually tour Bradburn and get a sense of it's community.  Embodying characteristics of traditional neighborhoods by having community parks, pools, and schools Bradburn stresses that they are all about the community.  Amenities such as these are  vital resources is building a strong communal consciousness as well as creating a comfortable place to live.   

With an appropriate transit system the city of Bradburn has the potential to contain both ends of the spectrum when talking about a city; having both a bustling economic center as well as a quiet suburb to reside in.  Although the town is small enough to be accessed simply by foot, offering a transit system such as this bus route offer more alternative ways to travel about the city as well as making daily activities more accessible.  Each neighborhood serves its purpose in Bradburn, whether it is to live quietly in the suburbs, be by the village in town homes, or possibly invest in some of the underdeveloped areas, wherever you are in Bradburn you are never to far away from shopping, entertainment or potential education.  With almost every neighborhood within Bradburn connected by some sort of village green in addition to there being a broad range of housing types and people, within twenty year Bradburn is going to be a very desirable place to live.  The developer Continuum claims to create "human habitats of extraordinary character and lasting value" and it's safe to say that Bradburn has the foundation to be a strong independent town.

Assignment 5 - 1

THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE DISTRICT, AND THE CORRIDOR

#1. The neighborhood, the district, and the corridor are the essential elements of development and redevelopment in the metropolis. They form identifiable areas that encourage citizens to take responsibility for their maintenance and evolutions. 

#2. Neighborhoods should be compact, pedestrian friendly, and mixed-use. Districts generally emphasize a special single use, and should follow the principles of neighborhood design when possible. Corridors are regional connectors of neighborhoods and districts; they range from boulevards and rail lines to rivers and parkways. 

Houses are all right next to each other

Sidewalks everywhere

#3. Many activities of daily living should occur within walking distance, allowing independence to those who do not drive, especially the elderly and the young. Interconnected networks of streets should be designed to encourage walking, reduce the number and length of automobile trips, and conserve energy. 

#6. Appropriate building densities and land uses should be within walking distance of transit stops, permitting public transit to become a viable alternative to the automobile. 

At Bradburn Blvd, you can see housing

You can see housing right next to all the shops

RTD stop to the left, housing to the right (walkable distance)

#4. Within the neighborhoods, a broad range of housing types and price levels can bring people of diverse ages, races, and incomes into daily interaction strengthening the personal and civic bonds essential to an authentic community. 

Houses to the right, condominiums to the left 

Mountain looking house 

 Big House (diffierent colors)

Cement house

Townhouses

Condominiums  

Average size house

#7. Concentrations of civic, institutional, and commercial activity should be embedded in neighborhoods and districts, not isolated in remote, single-use complexes. Schools should be sized and located to enable children to talk or bicycle to them. 

#9. A range of parks, from tot-lots and village greens to ball fields and community gardens, should be distributed within neighborhoods. Conservation areas and open lands should be used to define and connect different neighborhoods and districts.

 Area to talk and have a picnic

Stadium like Farrand Field with huge lawn space 

 Another open space for outdoor activities

 BBQ stand in open space/park

 Tennis Court

Swimming Pool 

 Open Space

THE BLOCK, THE STREET, AND THE BUILDING

#2. Individual architectural projects should be seamlessly linked to their surroundings. This issue transcends style.

 Same canopy like structures

#3. The revitalization of urban places depends on safety and security. The design of streets and buildings should reinforce safe environments, but not at the expense of accessibility and openness. 

#4. In the contemporary metropolis, development must adequately accommodate automobiles. It should do so in ways that respect the pedestrian and the form of public space.

Street Parking

#5. Streets and squares should be safe, comfortable and interesting to the pedestrian. Properly configured, they encourage walking and enable neighbors to know each other and protect their communities. 

Two schools, two blocks apart

 Very Pretty Pathway

#7. Civic building and public gathering places require important sites to reinforce community identity and the culture of democracy. They deserve distinctive form, because their role is different from that or other buildings and places that constitute the fabric of the city.