New book teaches Hope VI design

Since 1996, CNU has been working with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reform the design of public housing. That partnership is about to produce a major tool to promote new urbanist principles: the HOPE VI design manual, entitled The New Face of Public Housing. The manual targets those involved in developing or funding HOPE VI and other mixed-finance housing communities. That includes public housing authority officials, private developers, urban planners, and other professionals. The book is especially designed for those with little experience in community redevelopment. It provides guidance on how to integrate the principles of New Urbanism into public housing and mixed-income neighborhoods. Written by Michael Leccese, the manual will be available from HUD by mid-December. The information is based on the experiences and knowledge of sponsors, design professionals, and developers who have created previous HOPE VI projects. The eight-year-old HOPE VI program rebuilds troubled housing projects. It aims for maximum livability through new neighborhood-scale, mixed-income, mixed-use development, and seeks to combine public and private funding. During 2000 and 2001, HUD sponsored HOPE VI design workshops, in which CNU and HUD staff trained housing authority staff in techniques that integrate design and livability principles into public housing developments. Check the CNU website for how to purchase The New Face of Public Housing.