bekerwerks

Bad Urbanism

This is an example of architecture creating a poor urban condition.

This private residence in Philadelphia completely breaks from good and sensible urban design in a number of ways.

First, the entry is removed from the street and placed around the corner. Without people entering and exiting onto the street, the street becomes less lively.

Second, there are almost no windows on the street facade, giving the street a dead, blank face. A small ‘yard’, for lack of a better term, separates the building from the sidewalk. One can imagine that this is more to discourage vandals and spray painters than for any usable purpose as it is filled with gravel. A sickly tree completes the yard; planted in such a way as to give the impression that it is trying to hide the house from view.

Third, there are no trees on the sidewalk and no row of parking, giving no buffer between the traffic and the pedestrian.

Based on the style of architecture, this house was probably built in the late 1960′s, a time of increased violence and unrest in the city. In this case, the architecture has reacted to that condition and turned inward to itself, giving the impression of a fortress. Unfortunately, this approach only serves to exacerbate the feeling of insecurity and fear on the street. It is only with lively and active streets that cities can thrive.

Tags: city, new urbanism, urban design, urbanism, walkable