Assignment 2 - Part 1

Perry describes the ideal neighborhood in his essay “The Neighborhood Unit” which goes into detail about the primary institutions and principles that are necessary to comprise a neighborhood.  Some of the necessary features of a neighborhood, as described by Perry are: Size, Boundaries, Open Spaces, Institution Sites, Local Shops, and an Internal Street System.  The Boulder “Hill” community consists of many of the principles and features that Perry describes in his essay; however, there are some key differences that make the Hill unique to a typical city.  The Hill is a college residential area specifically; however, there are family housing units on the outskirts of the Hill, not far away from campus.  Some of the key features that do exist on the Hill that are mentioned as necessary by Perry would be the elementary and middle schools, the designated local shops area on 13^th street, open spaces such as parks, and most importantly the internal street system. 

Residential Housing:  The Hill is comprised mostly of residential housing that is typically occupied by students.  The houses on the Hill are usually split into units to maximize the amount of occupants that can live in the area.  The housing is compromised of many houses that have been split into duplexes and sometimes houses that can be split up into multiple units; therefore, housing a maximum number of college students.  There are also several apartment complexes throughout the Hill area that can house hundreds of college students. 

Open Spaces:  The Hill consists of a few open spaces such as parks throughout the area.  The college students and even the families that live on the outskirts of the Hill use these areas.  Many college students take their dogs to play in the parks while there are also families that will bring their children to play on the playground structures. 

Local Shops:  The Hill has a main shopping area on 13^th street where a majority of restaurants and shopping boutiques reside.  This area consists of a diverse grouping of restaurants where the college students can eat, get coffee, or get a quick snack on the go.  There is one building on the corner of 13^th and college that compromises of multiple different businesses such as restaurants, a bank, and other small businesses. 

Street System:  The Hill has a street system that bounds the Hill area.  The main streets that bound the Hill are Broadway, Baseline, Arapahoe, and 9^th street.  These streets do extend a bit farther out than the college based housing that comprises the Hill.  As one walks up 12^th street, for example, as soon as they would come to Aurora, it becomes evident that there is family housing and a mix of college student housing.  The graded street system on the Hill is mostly used by the residents who occupy the Hill, while the people passing by use the boundary streets. 

(taken from: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historic_us_cities.html)

Differences:  The hill is not the typical neighborhood unit that Perry describes in his essay as I have mentioned above.  For example, there are no community centers located on the hill.  The college students that occupy the Hill typically use the recreation center provided by the University or have to drive a distance to a recreation center located outside of the Hill area.  The Hill also does not consist of a large shopping area.  The 13^th street business area consists of small restaurants and stores that cannot support then entire community.  To get groceries and other goods the Hill residents typically have to drive to outside areas.