Sprawl Retrofit

Although demographic demands are indicating a desire for more mixed-use, compact communities, sprawl is still the prevailing growth pattern in the U.S. There is growing evidence of sprawl's unsupportable environmental, social, and - due to its contribution to more sedentary lifestyles - medical costs. In addition, the prevalence of American sprawl has been a contributing factor to the current global financial crisis, triggered by the mortgage defaults of over-extended commuters. As the developing world continues to urbanize and follow similar sprawl patterns as seen in the U.S., there are disturbing implications for global challenges like climate change.

By repairing and retrofitting sprawling developments into quality human environments, CNU is setting an example for the developing world. CNU and its members have shown that it is possible to achieve successful sprawl retrofitting using a growing strategic toolkit of approaches. In a time of converging economic, social and environmental crises that have global consequences, the reformation of sprawl is a great opportunity for building long-lasting, better-performing communities throughout the world.

Now is the time to secure the terms of restructuring and redevelopment of suburbia, in order to make retrofitted centers walkable, diverse and environmentally sustainable. CNU members must play key advisory and design roles in this most urgent and important project of the 21st century. CNU works to develop new federal, state, and regional policies, along with strategic design tools and guidelines, to move forward on reclaiming the lost potential within the built environment that has previously succumbed to sprawl. The Sprawl Retrofit Initiative creates policy proposals, regulatory frameworks, a database on successes and opportunities, and a “toolkit” of design strategies in order to reverse the trend of sprawl seen in this country and around the world.

Books

  • Retrofitting Suburbia - Dunham-Jones, Ellen and June Williamson. Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs: Updated Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2011
  • Sprawl Repair - Tachieva, Galina. Sprawl Repair Manual. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010.
  • A Legal Guide to Urban and Sustainable Development for Planners, Developers and Architects Slone, Daniel and Doris Goldstein with Andrew Gowder. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
  • Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice, Implementation Barnett, Jonathan. Chicago: APA Planners Press, 2003.
  • Place Making: Developing Town Centers, Main Streets, and Urban Villages Bohl, Charles C. Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 2002.
  • Sustainable and Resilient Communities: A Comprehensive Action Plan for Towns, Cities and Regions Coyle, Stephen. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
  • The Smart Growth Manual Duany, Andres, Jeff Speck, and Mike Lydon. McGraw Hill Professional, 2009.
  • Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature Farr, Douglas. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
  • Bourgeois Utopias Fishman, Robert. New York: Basic Books, 1987.
  • The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity Florida, Richard. New York: Harper Collins, 2010.
  • Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States Jackson, Kenneth T. Crabgrass. Oxford University Press, 1985.
  • Light Imprint Handbook: Integrating Sustainability and Community Design Low, Thomas A. Civic By Design, 2010.
  • The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day. Oldenburg, Ray. New York: Marlowe, 1997.
  • Greyfields into Goldfields: Dead Malls become Living Neighborhoods Sobel, Lee, et.al. San Francisco: Congress for the New Urbanism. 2002.

Media

View Sprawl Retrofit Sessions From CNU 19

Login to your CNU.org account and access Webcasts of the below Sprawl Retrofit sessions:

Join the discussion on the Sprawl Retrofit Tumblr Forum. Discuss the latest news, updates and projects for the initiative.

Articles

Online Resources

Other Resources

  • Sprawl Retrofit Presentation - This presentation provides an overview for the reasons to retrofit sprawl and outlines some of the techniques for implementation (PLEASE NOTE - this document is large and may take a few minutes to load.)
  • Unbearable Cost of Sprawl - A white paper by the Sprawl Retrofit Initiative that reviews the challenges, myths and principles of restructuring sprawl development.

Sprawl Retrofit Policy Proposals

  • South Carolina Commercial Center Revitalization Act: The South Carolina Legislature is now considering legislation that encourages South Carolina Council of Governments to adopt model ordinances to enable and encourage the retrofitting of shopping malls and shopping centers into dense, walkable, mixed-use town centers. For more information on H.3604, read the full text here and track the legislation here.

Contact

    For more information, contact Caitlin Ghoshal,
    CNU Program Manager, cghoshal{at} cnu.org.

    If you wish to join the Retrofit - Repair Listserv,send a (blank) email to Retrofit-Repair-subscribe@dpz.com

The Sprawl Retrofit Initiative has been made possible by the generous support of the members of the Congress for the New Urbanism.