(PCC) Program on Chinese Cities – Thoughts on Overseas Travels Series
Authors: Sai Ma,
Visiting Scholar, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. masai555@gmail.com
[Author’s Note]
The 2024 Better Cities Film Festival was held at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, North Carolina, USA. The festival featured four documentary films: The Engine Inside, Housing & Architecture, Southern Urbanism & Main Street Revitalization, and Zoning and Land Use. The latter three films each consisted of 6 to 9 short films. These films showcased successful experiences and case studies from cities in the southern United States regarding urban renewal, covering aspects such as urban transportation, housing and architecture, economic revitalization, zoning, and land use.
The festival offered a multi-dimensional exploration of how to build cleaner, smarter, more livable, and more sustainable cities in the future—advocating for innovative thinking, redesigning streets to be more human-centric, using green and clean energy, preserving historical and cultural heritage in urban renewal, fostering community-centered development, and creating public spaces with a “people-first” approach.
The author has presented a four-part series reporting on the films featured at the festival, with this article covering the fourth film, Zoning and Land Use.
Zoning and Land Use
Zoning and Land Use comprises eight short films that delve into key principles of New Urbanism, addressing fundamental questions:
- How should we build a city?
- What will our future streets and communities look like?
- What insights can we gain from Seaside, the birthplace of New Urbanism?
- How can gamification transform underutilized spaces into venues for community activities and social interaction?
- What principles are crucial in urban renewal, placemaking, and the design and development of historically significant public spaces?
- How does zoning impact our daily lives and the development of communities at different scales?
The film concludes with a short documentary on Nolan Gray titled Arbitrary Lines: Carolyn’s Free Spirit. This film, shown publicly in a southern city for the first time, focuses on the town of Carolyn, which has never implemented zoning regulations, as it considers introducing them for the first time. The documentary explores the town’s historical context and the potential impacts of zoning.
Built to Last
Director: John Paget
Genre: Short Film
USA,：2009
Duration: 2 minutes 46 seconds
Directed by John Paget and produced by First+Main Media, this short film uses dynamic captioning to discuss how New Urbanism is an effective solution to urban sprawl—a pattern characterized by single-use, low-density development[1]. The film promotes a people-centered approach, advocating for the creation of neighborhoods where everything is within a 5-minute walk from the center to the edges, connecting such neighborhoods to form villages, towns, and cities, thereby fostering a more compact and multifunctional urban development model.
The film starts with a thought-provoking question: What is the greatest threat facing the Earth? Is it nuclear war, overpopulation, cars, plagues, or aliens? None of the above. The answer is “cul-de-sacs” and everything related to urban sprawl, which includes cookie-cutter housing developments, single-function commercial strips, massive parking lots, and the need for long, time-consuming commutes to work, shops, or entertainment facilities. Urban sprawl consumes vast amounts of farmland, eradicates natural wilderness, destroys wildlife habitats, and leads to species extinction. The video cites data: one million suburban residents occupy about 400 square miles. This low-density development consumes extensive land and, due to poor infrastructure, residents rely heavily on high-energy consuming modes of transportation like cars, resulting in a significant carbon footprint and negative environmental impacts.
If we reconsider planning and reduce the actual land area occupied by suburban residents to 40 square miles, transforming it into a sustainable, walkable ideal living space where residents can access necessary services and leisure facilities within a 5-minute walk, it would effectively reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. By decreasing parking lot sizes and increasing parks, playgrounds, and walking paths, we not only protect habitats and save species but also enhance human health and contribute to the health of the planet. This concept is known as “New Urbanism” or “Traditional Neighborhood Design,” a movement aimed at transforming and reshaping human living environments to coexist harmoniously with community life, human spiritual needs, and the natural environment, improving man-made environments to protect natural ones, and reshaping, transforming, and saving human habitats. If urban sprawl leads to destruction and decay, then New Urbanism builds for a sustainable future.
DTLA Street Futures
Director: Karl Baumann
Genre: Short Documentary
USA： 2015,
Duration: 4minutes 32 seconds
The title “DTLA” refers to Downtown Los Angeles. Baumann’s short film begins with the “CicLAvia” event in Los Angeles, exploring and envisioning the future of downtown LA streets[2]. It reimagines local transportation and unlocks the potential of street spaces, presenting various possibilities for future street planning from an inspiring perspective. It also reflects a deep desire for a richer, more vibrant urban life experience (Image 1).
Can you imagine what the streets of downtown LA might look like in the future? How else could street spaces be more effectively utilized? Could the concept of “streets for all” be realized? “Digital artist and filmmaker, a doctoral student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Baumann showcases ‘CicLAvia: Heart of L.A.’ through beautiful drone footage and the voices of young planners and advocates. They envision a future ‘powered by two wheels rather than four,’ and ‘driven by real issues of sustainability, livability, and affordability.'”[3] CicLAvia, derived from the Spanish word Ciclovía, meaning “car-free day,” originates from Bogotá, Colombia. It designates certain city streets for non-motorized vehicle use during specific times to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce traffic pollution, foster community interaction, and enhance urban sustainability. Based on the Ciclovía concept and combined with the LA city abbreviation “L.A.,” Los Angeles has successfully established the CicLAvia public event, first held in 2010 and regularly since then, encouraging citizens to explore and experience urban life using non-motorized means like walking and biking.
In 2008, California enacted the “Complete Streets Act,” requiring cities to incorporate complete streets policies and standards into their overall planning. Los Angeles actively responded with the “Mobility Plan 2035” passed on September 7, 2016, which incorporates the complete streets concept, strongly advocating its implementation.
“Complete streets” consider the diverse community needs that streets meet. Streets are not only thoroughfares for moving from one place to another but also spaces for recreation, exercise, business, community activities, neighborly interaction, and beautification. Complete streets aim to provide a safe, comfortable, and convenient experience for all users while also delivering numerous public benefits, including improved transportation, a cleaner environment, and enhanced community health.
—Proposal by Los Angeles City Council, January 28, 2014[4] Los Angeles’ “Mobility Plan 2035” advocates the “open streets” concept, encouraging regular “car-free day” events and promoting diverse uses of public spaces. These events not only prompt people to rethink the concept and function of streets but also motivate more residents to step outside, engage in physical activities and social interactions. This reflects the community’s urgent needs and desires for a more pedestrian-friendly environment, richer public activity spaces, and diverse uses of street spaces. Additionally, the “Mobility Plan 2035” promotes the concept of “streets for all,” emphasizing that all modes of transportation are essential components of the city’s transportation system. Los Angeles envisions a balanced transportation system where all modes are equally important and equally safe and convenient.
This film won the “Best Active Transportation Film” at the New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 7, 2016.
Vancouver Cycle Chic—Heart and Soul
Director: David Phu
Type: Short Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Duration: 2 minutes 10 seconds
This short film is Episode 2 of Season 1 of the “Vancouver Cycle Chic” series created by director David Phu, and it tells the story of Cecily Walker, a librarian in Vancouver, Canada[5]. Born in the United States, Walker pursued her passion for library management after graduating from the University of British Columbia. To reduce her commute, she chose to live in the Olympic Village neighborhood and works at the Vancouver Public Library. This community boasts an excellent living environment, close proximity to public transportation and amenities, and premier natural landscapes like the seawall. She loves cycling and considers her bicycle an integral part of her life.
Walker’s residence in the Olympic Village serves as a model of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Built for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Olympic Village is part of the False Creek mixed-use community, utilizing efficient, mixed land-use planning. Centered around public transit hubs and stations, the Olympic Village seamlessly integrates residential, commercial, and office spaces, successfully creating a pedestrian-friendly, transit-accessible modern community. In this community, residential areas, workplaces, and life-supporting facilities are closely connected to the public transit system, facilitating convenient commutes for residents. The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group’s partner institution, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, includes the Olympic Village in its “Transit Oriented Development Standard” as a successful case study. The report states: “Open spaces, plazas, streets, lanes, and paths are interconnected, not only linking the entire site but also closely integrating with the surrounding communities. The design of the Olympic Village aims to enhance the walking experience and social interactions of residents and visitors by blending traditional elements, sustainable development principles, and urban design.”[6]
Walker cycles daily. She is very fond of her current community, considering it to have Vancouver’s best “front yard”—not only enjoying the beautiful waterfront landscape but also the vibrant community where harmony between nature and people is achieved. Walker feels deeply connected to her community and the city, achieving holistic nourishment for body, mind, and spirit through cycling. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she says, feeling an inseparable bond and mutual growth with the entire community (Image 2).
Upon viewing this film, it struck me that a city needs more than just an organizational structure; it also needs a soul. The structure is physical, manifesting in architectural layouts, infrastructure, public buildings, etc.; the soul is spiritual, reflected in the city’s historical context, human emotions, cultural atmosphere, and life’s essence. From a small township to a large city, both structure and soul are essential. Open urban public spaces and buildings, convenient transportation and services, and a comfortable, natural, and harmonious living environment provide residents with a sense of belonging and pride in their city.
Mitchell J. Silver, a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and Honorary Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, mentioned in his article “The Anatomy and Soul of a Place” that many people liken a city to a living organism. Planners and sociologists often compare parks and green spaces to the city’s “lungs” and streets and public transit systems to its “circulatory system,” with the city center referred to as the “heart.” Silver believes that every place possesses both a tangible external structure and an intangible internal soul. However, what constitutes a city’s spirit and soul? He cites Raleigh, North Carolina, as an example, where the city’s inner soul is manifested through its culture, the charm of its citizens, and the quality of life it offers[7]. The short film “Vancouver Cycle Chic—Heart and Soul” showcases Vancouver’s cycling culture and a walkable, livable living environment, emphasizing the interaction between people and their community and city. The film conveys the enjoyment of cycling culture in a beautiful and comfortable living environment. This outward expression of freedom and joy is precisely the charm and soul of this city.
Seaside, The City of Ideas
Director: John Paget
Type: Short Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Duration: 15 minutes 35 seconds
“Seaside, The City of Ideas” is another short film by director John Paget, following “Urban Sprawl in Atlanta.” It is part of the “American Makeover” series of shorts about New Urbanism. This film tells the story of Seaside, a small town on the Northwest coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico, hailed as the cradle of the New Urbanism movement, providing pioneering new ideas in the construction of traditional towns and livable communities[8].
Seaside is an 80-acre resort community that was established in 1981. Its founders, Robert and Daryl Davis, collaborated with urban planners Andres Duany and his wife Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (founders of DPZ CoDesign), aiming to create a complete “new town” using 19th-century New Urbanism planning principles, successfully creating a model New Urbanism community. In the film, Duany delves deeply into and reinterprets the principles of New Urbanism, not only showcasing Seaside’s excellent design concepts but also emphasizing its environmental benefits and economic resilience, including the following aspects:
1. Creating a Town
After World War II, the United States experienced severe urban sprawl, and Seaside completely overturned this pattern—aiming to create a real “town,” emphasizing holistic design to construct a compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly community with a strong human dimension. This innovation spurred the rise of the New Urbanism movement and led to the creation of multiple New Urbanism communities, effectively curbing the trend of urban sprawl.
2.Incremental Urbanism
Incremental urbanism is a long-term, step-by-step urban planning and development concept, emphasizing small-scale, phased projects to drive the overall development of a city, focusing on sustainable development and long-term planning, generally changing slowly. The town’s founder Davis emphasized avoiding debt, so every aspect of the town’s design and development follows a cost-saving, phased approach to ensure projects can proceed steadily without incurring debt, gradually building the entire town.
3.Multifunctional Infrastructure
The central open-air theater in Seaside was transformed from an original reservoir. The reservoir was used to store rainwater or control runoff, and it was often idle with high maintenance costs. After converting it to an open-air theater, it has a dual function: it serves as a public square where children play on weekdays and transforms into a farmer’s market on weekends; during extreme weather, due to its connection to major avenues, it still plays a role in gathering rainwater and flood prevention (Image 3).
4.Limiting Lawn Areas
Due to the high labor and water resources required to maintain lawns daily, Seaside opts to limit the use of artificial lawns, striving to restore their natural state, saving costs, and returning to natural beauty. Currently, the town retains only two lawns in the open square and in front of the church, used for children’s activities and church weddings (Image 4).
5.Retail Incubators
The town’s commercial street consists of temporary buildings, known as “retail incubators.” Merchants can open shops at low costs, and successful ones can move to higher-rent, four-story mixed-use buildings to continue their development. All retail starts from low-cost street stalls or temporary buildings, which are rudimentary and do not undergo routine inspections, reflecting the characteristics of a free economy.
6.Incremental Retail
Incremental retail refers to low-cost start-ups and gradual development of retail businesses, such as Sundog Books and Pizitz Home & Cottage, which started from street stalls and gradually expanded into larger brick-and-mortar stores as their businesses grew, demonstrating the process of commercial development from small-scale beginnings to larger operations (Image 5).
7.Mixed Use
Combining residential, commercial, and office uses within the same building can effectively increase land use efficiency. Seaside’s mixed-use buildings were not built all at once but started with one floor and gradually added second, third, and fourth floors over time and as resources accumulated. This phased approach alleviates the pressure of construction costs.
8.Live/Work Units
These units allow owners to have multifunctional spaces, operating shops on the first floor and living on the second. This design effectively meets the dual needs of work and life, not only creating conditions for starting a business but also providing living space, helping people achieve their entrepreneurial dreams of being their own bosses.
9.Style Neutrality
The principle of “style neutrality” in New Urbanism emphasizes community function and human experience at its core, not confined to any specific architectural style. For example, the building in Image 6 combines two post-modern houses and a modernist house, with a row of traditional terraced houses and a modernist residential building nearby. These buildings do not require special change permits and are not subject to strict architectural style regulations.
10.Celebrating Public Buildings
This refers to the design and construction of the town’s church. Designers only need to reserve a plot of land for future church construction, with funds raised by the citizens themselves. This practice reflects the old tradition of community members jointly participating in the construction of public buildings. New Urbanism values public spaces, representing the spiritual center of urban life, providing places for interaction, assembly, discussion, and cultural exchange. The term “celebrate” emphasizes the public and open nature of these buildings, often achieved through “joint decision-making by citizens” and “construction by residents.”
11.Facilities Serve Everyone
Seaside’s public facilities are built for everyone, with “accessibility” for all. Every road in the town leads to the beach, with pavilions at the ends of the roads as landmarks, informing everyone that these are pathways to the beach. Additionally, each house can build a small tower to enjoy the seascape, but these towers do not block neighbors’ views, ensuring everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery (Image 7).
12.Well-Planned Streets and Free-Playing Children
Seaside’s roads are designed to be very narrow, with layouts prioritizing pedestrians, forcing vehicles to move slowly, thus creating a safe environment. Children can play freely on the streets without worrying about traffic safety, and residents enjoy greater freedom and safety.
13.Restoring Reliable Traditions
Seaside’s buildings reintroduce classic, traditional design elements. The house where town founder Davis lives uses a traditional metal zinc roof, which effectively reflects sunlight. Traditional eaves extend over the entire porch, providing coverage, effectively protecting the exterior walls and windows, and resisting harsh weather while creating transitional spaces. The house also has vents at the top to help regulate air circulation, expel hot air, and keep the indoor air fresh (Image 8).
14.Collaborating with Nature
This principle emphasizes preserving and utilizing natural resources. Initially, the town’s low shrubs were disorganized, but as houses were built, buildings blocked the sea winds, allowing oak trees to naturally grow into towering trees. By preserving the seeds of native plant species, vegetation was restored, and these trees require almost no maintenance, saving costs while coexisting harmoniously with nature.
15.Permeable Streets
Seaside uses brick paving for its streets. Although the cost per square foot of brick pavement is higher than asphalt, due to the flexibility of hand installation, it can be ordered in small batches. To save costs, bricks are laid in the center of the streets, while the original permeable surfaces are preserved on the sides. This design is economical, environmentally friendly, and conforms to the “green city” concept of rainwater permeation.
16.Primitive Green—Less is More
Seaside provides a simple and efficient solution to environmental issues for green cities. It practices low-cost, low-tech environmental protection principles, breaking the notion that “environmental protection must rely on high technology and high costs.” By using traditional permeable surfaces, the town not only preserves the original green ecology but also combines economic and practical advantages. This method highlights the unique value of tradition and simplicity, truly interpreting the concept of “less is more.”
17.Vision = Anticipating Beyond the Present
Duany emphasizes that designers should plan with a vision that transcends current challenges, which is precisely what many American development practices lack. Most projects focus only on zoning, such as building shopping centers or office parks, without considering how to create a complete “small town.” This lack of vision in planning leads to many of today’s problems. True vision requires designers to break through current limitations, not only reviewing the past and present but also envisioning a development blueprint for 30 years into the future.
The Hangout
Director: Michael Flanagan
Type: Short Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2018
Duration: 2 minutes 11 seconds
This film is an interview with Ryan Swanson, founder of the non-profit organization “Urban Conga,” about the project “The Hangout” created in collaboration with the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, severely affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The project, established in 2017, brought music, light, and joy back to the Lower Ninth Ward community and won an award in the Landscape Architecture Design – Installations and Structures category at the 2018 Architecture Master Prize (AMP)[9]. Over the decade of post-Katrina reconstruction, much of New Orleans had recovered, but the predominantly African American Lower Ninth Ward remained under the shadow of the hurricane’s impact—with numerous vacant lots and houses and a lack of infrastructure and services. “By 2015, more than half of New Orleans’ neighborhoods had regained about 90% of their pre-Katrina population, but the Lower Ninth Ward, a working-class Black community heavily flooded, saw only 37% of its residents return.”[10]
Urban Conga’s preliminary needs assessment revealed that local residents enjoyed drumming as a form of entertainment. The chosen site for the project was near a grocery store and a bus stop, without any streetlights, where children often waited for buses in the dark. Thus, the project incorporated elements of drums and lighting—designing drums as blue cylindrical bodies of varying heights that emit different sounds and rhythms when touched, accompanied by varying piano notes, shining with multicolored lights in the night, and providing a multi-sensory experience of sight, sound, and touch. Swanson mentioned that the Hangout project was very popular among local residents (Image 9).
In a previous report from the “Better Cities” film festival series, another project by Urban Conga was introduced—”Park Ping Pong.” Urban Conga is a multidisciplinary design studio focused on stimulating community interaction and social activities through open-ended play. They explore creating more playable cities, crafting an inclusive, multi-scaled opportunity ecosystem for play that intertwines with our existing urban fabric[11]. Swanson believes that without community, people would stay closed off at home, whereas the community is where people open up and connect with each other. Due to the nearby grocery store and bus stop, where children often had to wait early in the morning, they thought to add some play elements to the area so the children could play while waiting. This was the initial idea behind creating the Hangout project. These proactive recreational installations provided a gathering place for community residents, where people could get to know each other, interact, and play, adding energy to daily life and work (Image 10).
The creation of “The Hangout” aims to activate underutilized spaces through play, promote the integration of play into everyday spaces, and encourage people to rethink those spaces that can be transformed into “PLAYces.” These monotonous or underutilized places can be turned into inspirational, creative platforms for social interaction and community events through the integration of play[12].
Thoughts on Reimagining Urban Sites: An Architect’s Reflections
Director: D. Lovering
Type: Short Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2023
Duration: 4 minutes 45 seconds
This micro-documentary focuses on place-making and the creation of iconic public spaces, showcasing the thoughts of Stanton Eckstut, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, on design principles during urban renewal projects and the reconstruction of historically significant sites[13]. Eckstut believes that each city and place is unique, and the following design principles should be applied and practiced to build more sustainable green cities and iconic public spaces that focus on health, permanence, and a sense of place.
Principle One: Utilize Existing Resources Urban renewal projects rebuild existing areas through redevelopment. Eckstut emphasizes the importance of learning from history and utilizing existing resources to create authentic places and communities. For example, The Wharf in Washington, D.C., learns from the history of the Southwest Waterfront, originally a settlement of Native Americans and later a dwelling place for European immigrants. In 1791, Washington, D.C., was established, and city planner Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the streets of the area. In 1805, one of America’s earliest fish markets was established here, gradually developing into a major commercial waterfront district. Through the Civil War, Renaissance, and urban renewal, today’s Wharf project has reactivated water resources, connecting the sea, rivers, and inland, creating a cultural hub that integrates water activities, dining, shopping, and entertainment. The area’s development changes have witnessed the transformation of history.
The Wharf project respects the historical context, utilizes water resources, creates an authentic place, and continues the development story of the area. The project takes full advantage of the waterfront’s geographical benefits, constructing the area’s physical structure and texture through transportation and architecture. Additionally, by creating a pedestrian-friendly community, hosting various cultural events, enriching community culture, enhancing community vitality, and giving the area a “soul,” it has become a neighborhood with historical depth and modern vibrancy.
“We want these buildings to look like real Washington, D.C., not the federal district. We want to showcase the real communities of the city, where brick is a significant part of the city’s heritage.” (Image 11) — Eckstut
Principle Two: Learn from Other Places, Learn from the Past Eckstut emphasizes drawing experience and wisdom from other cities and history. For example, Oslofjord in Norway, Covent Garden in London, and the Oud-West District in Amsterdam are not only famous for their rich cultural and historical backgrounds but also demonstrate the harmonious unity of modern and historical architecture. These places integrate unique natural landscapes and diverse cultures, creating environments suitable for walking and cycling, and consistently practicing sustainable development. They display vibrant and charming urban scenes, continuously attracting visitors from around the world (Image 12).
Eckstut also emphasizes the “tenfold power” theory, an important principle in place-making. In planning each place, designers should explore at least ten different themes, thereby creating reasons for people to stay longer, inspire repeat visits, and encourage more frequent attendance. This experience is particularly evident in some historically rich cities, where the comfortable walking environment alone offers a rich variety of experiences. The key to architectural design lies in the ground floor, as this is where people interact with buildings. It’s important to focus on creating ground-floor spaces that interact with the street, respect history, and maintain openness, building street-friendly buildings. At the same time, design needs to keep up with the times, deeply study the changes in the market and people’s needs, and flexibly adjust the direction of street shops. Design should not be tourist-centered but should focus on the real people who live and work there, paying attention to their daily needs and creating environments suitable for everyday life and work. Due to the special geographical location of waterfront areas, the concepts of pedestrian-friendliness and cycle-friendliness become particularly important. Architects should think in new ways about how to build compact communities, reduce distances between buildings, make all resources accessible at close range, and make walking a comfortable experience. The Wharf project is a prime example of how daily necessities are concentrated next to communities and parks, allowing residents to access all essential resources within a short distance.
“Walking is a key criterion for measuring a city. This is how the city operates.”
— Eckstut
Principle Three: Emphasize the Public Realm “All the development work we do always focuses on the public realm because that is key to enhancing the value of private assets. The public realm includes streets, squares, and parks, all integral parts of the city. Thus, when we emphasize creating public spaces, we consider creating environments that are most loved by the public, which clearly also serves many private buildings’ purposes. The Wharf project is a good example of public and private spaces working together.” Eckstut explains. Shaping the public realm is indeed an effective way to enhance the value of surrounding private assets. By designing people-centered, integrating public and private spaces, and creating places, truly vibrant public spaces can be created (Image 13).
Principle Four: The Key is to Start Acting Eckstut finally emphasizes that the key to the success of large projects lies in effective implementation and the initiation of the first phase. The actions of the first phase are crucial, with only one chance, just like the first impression given to a person, which often determines overall success or failure. Eckstut’s thoughts help us better understand how to utilize historic buildings in large-scale developments and how to better conduct urban renewal work. There is no ready-made model or formula; the key is to apply these principles to this place, each place being unique on this planet. It is necessary to listen to everyone’s opinions, consider the interests and needs of all stakeholders, and the more participants, the broader the coverage, the more constraints, the better the effect (Image 14).
This micro-documentary was produced by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, a private non-profit organization dedicated to historical preservation. The organization focuses on identifying and preserving places of historical value, renewing historic districts, towns, and urban areas, protecting historic farms and designed landscapes, and educating people about the rich architectural heritage of the Pittsburgh area. The film emphasizes the importance of adaptive reuse and conservation of historic buildings and places. Through Eckstut’s unique architectural design approach, we experience the unique enjoyment brought by the architectural environment in large mixed-use development projects. At the same time, we feel how the historically rich Wharf in Washington, D.C., has been given new value, becoming more practical and humane while retaining its cultural essence and unique charm.
Big Kids, Little City: Zoning
Producer: Envision Utah
Type: Short Film
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Duration: 1 minute 22 seconds
This short film presents the concept of zoning from a child’s perspective[14] (Image 15). The purpose of zoning is to plan the layout of cities and regions rationally, ensuring that various types of land are arranged and utilized appropriately. Zoning shapes our communities and will guide the future development of our cities and neighborhoods.
In many places, there is encouragement for the adoption of mixed-use zoning, which allows combining multiple land uses on the same plot or area. This zoning approach helps create multifunctional community environments, fosters the creation of more interesting places, improves land use efficiency, promotes business activities and economic development, and enhances community vitality and convenience.
Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline
Director: Tran Hoang Calvin
Type: Short Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2023
Duration: 25 minutes 53 seconds
This film premiered in a southern city and mainly reports on a rural small town—Caroline, which had never implemented zoning before—considering the adoption of zoning regulations for the first time[15]. Caroline, located in the central-northern part of New York State, is a small mountain town with about 3,300 people, known for its independence, diligence, and free spirit, and is one of the few towns in the USA that had not implemented zoning. Due to the absence of zoning, the town has maintained its rural characteristics. In 2019, Dollar General expressed interest in purchasing land in the town to operate its business. Although the town had no zoning, it had a comprehensive plan that called for protecting local businesses and farmland. Concerned that Dollar General could impact local businesses, take up existing farmland, and signal suburban sprawl, the town council issued a moratorium on land development in June 2020—halting the approval of any commercial projects for 180 days. This moratorium was extended three times, with its validity lasting until February 2024. The project was eventually shelved due to its prolonged approval delays. This incident revealed to the local government the lack of appropriate zoning regulations, which resulted in the inability to provide sufficient reasons to deny development applications. Consequently, in February 2021, the town established a zoning commission, began drafting zoning regulations, and prepared to implement them. However, the draft zoning regulations broke the town’s peace, leading to internal strife and dividing opinions into pro- and anti-zoning camps. Proponents of zoning believe it can:
- Effectively protect natural resources and the environment;
- Maintain the rural character of Caroline;
- Prevent suburban sprawl;
- Increase land use value;
- Promote community planning and ensure reasonable land use arrangements. Most zoning supporters are well-educated professionals from Ithaca or current and retired employees of Cornell University. They do not depend on the land for a living but have a vision for the town, believing in the need for clearer legal norms regarding farms, businesses, residences, natural resources, and environmental protection. Opponents of zoning mainly argue that:
- Zoning regulations represent excessive government intervention;
- Many zoning provisions are lengthy and unnecessary;
- Zoning undermines Caroline’s free spirit and divides the town;
- Zoning increases approval procedures and operational costs;
- Zoning restricts residents’ ability to use their main assets, adversely affecting the preservation and inheritance of private property. In 2022, anti-zoning slogans such as “Zoning Kills Dreams,” “Keep Caroline’s Free Spirit,” and “Caroline Should Never Zone” emerged throughout the town. In November 2022, Nolan Gray, author of “Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It” and a public speaker, was invited to the town and became embroiled in the local zoning dispute. Gray first conducted a comparative study of current maps and the draft zoning regulations. His “diagnosis” was not positive—”If this zoning ordinance draft is approved, much of the commercial potential will be erased; you can’t even open a bakery in most parts of the town, which is an outright prohibition on use.” When Gray explained at the community center that each red mark represented a property deemed non-compliant by the draft regulations, residents supporting and opposing zoning began to argue. This small town’s anti-zoning struggle became a practical case study for Gray, involving various aspects such as farms, shops, and residents. In the film, Gray interviews six local residents of Caroline, including large business operators and sole proprietors, all of whom expressed opposition to zoning. (1) John Morse, owner of “Celebrations,” thinks: “This will lead to uniformity, creating a monotonous suburban appearance.” Morse and his wife Laurie run a wedding venue called “Celebrations” in Caroline. However, the COVID-19 pandemic nearly destroyed this venue, which they had operated for 20 years. As the pandemic began to improve, the Morse couple prepared to resume business, but the Caroline Town Zoning Commission required them to attend a hearing on the draft zoning regulations. They were shocked, as Caroline had never implemented zoning before, and the solicitation of opinions on the draft regulations was promoted during the pandemic. At that time, many routine activities were restricted, people could not gather for hearings, and all meetings had to be conducted online via Zoom. Only 66% of the town had internet access, preventing many residents from participating, and some were completely unaware of the situation. Morse felt confused, thinking Caroline was undergoing such a significant change, but communication and information dissemination were problematic, which he saw as unfair and unethical (Image 16).
Morse also mentioned that some detailed provisions in the zoning regulations caused trouble for their daily operations. For example: the zoning regulations require all parking spaces to be located behind or beside houses. However, venues hosting wedding celebrations have many vineyards and winemaking facilities, and no one parks behind or beside houses, meaning roads would need to be built, covering the originally beautiful lawns with asphalt. Morse used to work for a company, but he enjoys the freedom to manage his time and business independently now. “Now we can arrange our own time, bear the consequences of our mistakes, and reap the rewards of our successes. We have the freedom to make our own choices every day. It’s all worth it. I can’t imagine going back to working for someone else.” (2) Hannah Wylie’s family has operated a 1,000-acre farm in Caroline for 175 years, and she and her brother are the seventh generation of farmers. The farm originally focused on dairy production but later transitioned to beef cattle rearing and crop cultivation. Wylie said: “We already have enough rules and regulations at the state level. More local rules and regulations would only increase our costs in time and money, and we have neither. So, we hope to find other ways to increase our income to pay taxes, like building a campground, but the current zoning regulations don’t allow us to do that.” (Image 17)
Wylie had planned to use some uncultivable land for a small campground or RV park. Without zoning regulations, she would have the right to do so. However, according to the draft zoning regulations, campgrounds and camping units like tents, RVs, and camping cabins are explicitly prohibited in Caroline. On agricultural or commercial land, these projects can only proceed with a special use permit, for which the applicant must submit an application to the review committee for deliberation and approval. In reality, most applications are denied unless sufficient evidence is provided to convince the review committee. The process to obtain this permit is extremely complicated. Wylie mentioned that the time and costs required for the review process might deter her from applying for a permit because it could take months and hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to apply for a permit for a business that might not work[16]. (3) Bruno Schickel, a real estate developer in Caroline and a member of the anti-zoning alliance, believes: “The purpose of zoning is to divide the town according to economic classes” (Image 18).
In 1996, inspired by the illustrations in the children’s book “Miss Rumphius,” Schickel collaborated with Schickel Construction Co. to design and build Boiceville Cottages in Brooktondale, located in the eastern part of Caroline town. This is a phased, clustered real estate development project on about 60 acres. The first phase, completed in 2016, consisted of 140 uniquely styled, brightly colored, compactly arranged mini-houses, forming a dreamy rental community. Due to Schickel’s bold use of paint colors, visitors to Boiceville Cottages feel as if they are in a fairy tale world (Image 19). Today, Schickel is constructing a second mini-home development project on Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes northwest of Caroline.
“I feel that designing places like Boiceville is like creating a huge canvas. It’s a very creative process. You’re not just designing houses; you’re designing all the interactions that make the place work,” Schickel said. “The clustered development of the cottages allows Boiceville to accommodate about 10% of Caroline town’s population on just 40 acres. By economically using land and avoiding additional costs, Boiceville’s housing costs are relatively lower, making it more affordable. Boiceville Cottages aligns with the spirit of Caroline town’s draft zoning regulations in many ways, advocating for protecting open spaces and providing affordable housing. However, since the zoning regulations stipulate that rural residential development must average one dwelling per three acres, this design would not be legally permissible. If Boiceville Cottages were to be rebuilt today, it would require ten times the current land area. The more land a development project requires, the higher the costs.” [16] Schickel also recounted the development and evolution of housing in Caroline town. Before the zoning regulations, everything happened naturally and progressively. Houses were built and expanded gradually according to the incremental development rules, naturally growing and changing with the increase in personal family income. This is a natural development and change process, and such natural evolutionary processes are still occurring in Caroline. “The rural character is made up of all the small adjustments made by everyone. It’s an ongoing story, and the community must change over time.” Gray believes that the concept of protecting the rural character of a town is often used to describe stopping all changes or locking the town in a fixed state. But in Caroline, protecting the rural character means letting things develop naturally. (4) Corinna Farbman, a pottery artist and owner of a family craft workshop in Caroline, opposes the implementation of zoning in the town due to various issues she encountered during the zoning approval process in Danby town, New York, where she previously lived (Image 20).
Farbman’s parents left some real estate in Danby, about 5 miles from Caroline, and she hoped to build a house on it. However, due to the strict zoning regulations in Danby, her application was denied by the zoning committee. Specifically, the regulations required a setback of 100 feet from the road, but most of her land was far from the road, unable to meet this requirement; Danby also stipulated that the roadside width of houses must be at least 200 feet, while hers was only about 120 feet wide; additionally, the regulations required a distance of 50 feet from the property boundaries on both sides of the house, while she could only achieve about 30 feet.
“So this makes what you want to do basically impossible. Then they say, ‘This doesn’t meet the zoning requirements, you can apply for a variance.’ That’s another form and fee,” Farbman said. In other words, anyone who wants to do something different must face the community character protectors—the zoning committee. Fortunately, Farbman found a house a few miles away from Caroline that was affordable and suitable for her and her son’s living needs, where she could have enough space to create a pottery studio and pursue her beloved work. (5) Tonya VanCamp, a skiing instructor in Caroline, thinks: “There are already so many barriers, and thinking about going through site planning reviews and adding various fees is like adding a burden to dreams, really discouraging” (Image 21).
VanCamp’s property is listed in a water resource overlay district because of a nearby stream, and Caroline town’s new zoning regulations impose a series of strict restrictions on water resource overlay districts, specifying wide buffer zones around streams or ponds and setting significant obstacles for developing new projects in these areas. This has caused her house to be restricted, unable to make any expansions or add facilities, and subject to difficult-to-manage strict regulations. “This stream is fed by springs, so it has water flow all year round. Except when the ice and snow melt and it gets a bit wider, then the water flows faster, maybe enough to float a small boat around, but that’s about it,” VanCamp said. There are already environmental regulations at the federal and state levels, and the strict buffer zone regulations added by Caroline town’s draft zoning regulations are purely to strengthen local control. She feels these measures are quite arbitrary, excessive regulation contradicts the actual development mode of rural communities, and it’s frustrating. (6) Shari Conover, owner of Sweet Caroline Gifts & Decor, worries that zoning will change the character of the town. She said: “Zoning is seriously tearing this town apart. We’ve also experienced extremely chaotic town council meetings, where participants were very emotional and extremely angry” (Image 27). Gray also feels that as long as zoning exists, neighbors will interfere with each other, such as deciding the style of houses, the location of construction, or the type of shops to open, plunging the town into civil strife.
Caroline town is filled with unpretentious people, humble artisans, and small entrepreneurs. Shops like Sweet Caroline Gifts & Decor are local institutions that give the town its charm. The wide variety of goods mostly comes from local artisans. Gray realizes that once zoning regulations are adopted, starting small businesses will become even more difficult. Will zoning protect or change the character of the town? Will excessive regulation alter this town that has maintained natural development and stability for nearly two centuries? In fact, the character of the town is not only reflected in the existing physical structures but also in the spirit of residents freely trying new things, starting small businesses, and daring to explore and innovate, which is also the soul of the town. Although these attempts sometimes fail and sometimes succeed, the community continuously progresses through such exploration and development. New York state law prohibits zoning from being put to a public referendum. The ultimate decision on whether to adopt zoning is entirely in the hands of the town council, with five council members voting, without any form of public vote. Can this small group of five represent the entire community? Andrew Stone raised this issue in his article “Whether to Implement Zoning: The Great Debate in Caroline Town and Zoning”: “Many participants feel confused and dissatisfied, unable to understand why the state government does not allow residents to vote on zoning issues. Some point out that zoning is a complex issue that requires a certain level of knowledge to make an informed decision, but most still wish to have more say. One participant expressed their frustration: ‘It’s a pity this can’t be decided by residents’ votes. I really think zoning should be decided by resident voting, not just by the town council. It’s unfair for five people to decide such a big issue for over 3,000 residents.'”[17] Residents of Caroline certainly want their voices to be heard, so they organized a large rally outside the town government building, where a town council meeting was supposed to take place. Members of the anti-zoning alliance planned to have Gray speak during the town council meeting. However, the meeting was suddenly canceled at the last minute. That evening, members of the anti-zoning alliance braved the cold to deliver their speeches in front of the empty town hall.
As Gray spoke, he realized that his previous research on zoning issues had been conducted in a rather theoretical manner, without truly understanding the impact of zoning on real life. He concluded in the film: “Real zoning is not about land use zoning, floor area ratio, or density, but about ordinary people’s dreams, the businesses they want to start, the houses they want to build. As I look around at the crowd, I see a Caroline town that wants to maintain its free spirit.” At the end of the film, the camera pans to the street opposite, where a large trailer displays a sign made of dazzling lights, reading “Caroline Forever Unzoned” (Image 23).
The film ends without mentioning whether Caroline’s zoning regulations were ultimately passed. Curious about the outcome, I later researched relevant information. In March 2024, after four years of intense political debate, Caroline town finally passed comprehensive zoning regulations in the town council. “Although the regulations have been passed, several council members believe adjustments can still be made in the future to better suit local needs.”[18]
The fourth installment of the “Better Cities” film festival on “Zoning and Land Use” features exceptionally intriguing short films. From small towns to cities, regions, and countries, each place not only has unique physical structural characteristics but also carries a unique spiritual core—its soul. Streets, rivers, and transportation networks make up the circulatory system of the area, communities and blocks make up the flesh and muscles, and history, cultural traditions, and humanistic atmosphere constitute its soul. Zoning is like a “double-edged sword”—on one hand, it can promote rational land use and ensure reasonable land use arrangements; on the other hand, excessive regulations may restrict the natural development of organizational structures, severing communities with a soul. If zoning could focus less on structural regulations and more on people, it would be better. Caroline’s free spirit is the soul of the area and a significant manifestation of the town’s character. Maintaining the town’s character not only means preserving its physical structure but also continuing its core free spirit, making it a source of continuous development and prosperity for the town.
Reference Videos and Literature
[1] Built to Last. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pErk61t1N70.[2] DTLA Street Futures. Karl Baumann. https://karlbaumann.com/work/dtla-street-futures/.
[3] SULAIMAN S. Your Friday video of Zen: DTLA street futures (featuring CicLAvia)[EB/OL]. [2024-09-23]. https://la.streetsblog.org/2015/12/18/your-friday-video-of-zen-dtla-street-futures-featuring-ciclavia.
[4] Mobility Plan 2035-an element of the general plan[R/OL]. [2024-09-25]. https://planning.lacity.gov/odocument/523f2a95-9d72-41d7-aba5-1972f84c1d36/Mobility_Plan_2035.pdf.
[5] Vancouver Cycle Chic-Heart and Soul. https://vimeo.com/68082943
[6] C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. 良好实践指南——公共交通导向发展[R/OL]. [2024-09-25]. https://www.c40.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/良好实践指南-公共交通导向发展.pdf.
[7] HACK G, BIRCH E L, SEDWAY P H, et al. Local planning: contemporary principles and practice[M]. ICMA Press, 2009.
[8] Seaside, The City of Ideas. https://www.bettercitiessouth.com/schedule2023-saturdaydurham.
[9] The Hangout. https://vimeo.com/274916251.
[10] KIRK M.The play area bringing music and light to New Orleans’s Lower Ninth[EB/OL]. [2024-09-06]. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-03/the-play-area-bringing-music-and-light-to-new-orleans.
[11] The Urban Conga-Home. https://www.theurbanconga.com.
[12] The Hangout by the Urban Conga[EB/OL]. [2024-09-06]. https://architectureprize.com/interviews/the-hangout/.
[13] Thoughts on reimagining urban sites: an architect’s reflections. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qhk_2yuQIo.
[14] Big Kids, Little City Zoning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJVLdJQMNM4.
[15] Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline. https://vimeo.com/873363311.
[16] BRITSCHGI C. The town without zoning: can Caroline, New York, resist the imposition of its first-ever zoning code?[EB/OL]. [2024-10-20]. https://reason.com/2023/08/20/the-town-without-zoning/.
[17] STONE A. To zone or not to zone: Caroline and the great zoning debate[EB/OL]. [2024-10-20]. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/113175/Andrew%20Stone%20Independent%20Research%20Final%20Report%205.22.23%20%281%29.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y.
[18] BERRY A. After years of debate, zoning finally comes to Caroline[EB/OL]. [2024-10-20]. https://www.wskg.org/news/2024-03-26/after-years-of-debate-zoning-finally-comes-to-caroline.