Desired or Deprived: Poundbury or Littlemoor University of Portsmouth BA3 Architecture UP736407 Unit 320 2017 Word Count 5493
Figure 1 Littlemoor [Primary Source]
Figure 2 Poundbury [Primary Source]
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Contents 1
List of Figures
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Introduction
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2.1 Can New Urbanism be the answer to Littlemoor’s problems? 3
New Urbanism
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3.1 Who were the founding fathers of New Urbanism?Error! Bookmark not defined. 4
Poundbury–New Urbanism applied to the real world
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How New Urbanist is Poundbury?
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Littlemoor
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Regenerating Littlemoor with New Urbanist Principles
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Conclusion
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References
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List of Figures Figure 1 Littlemoor [Primary Source]..................................................... 1 Figure 2 Poundbury [Primary Source] .................................................. 1 Figure 3 Density and road layout of Poundbury [Primary Source] .........................................................................................................................8 Figure 4 the traditional architecture that Poundbury is constructed of [Primary Source].............................................................9 Figure 5 An example of stipulated windows within Poundbury [Primary Source] ....................................................................................... 10 Figure 6 An example of the wide roads, that provide designated parking. [primary source] ....................................................................... 12 Figure 7 The connected layout of Poundbury [Primary Source] 13 Figure 8 An example of the thin timber framed windows of Poundbury [Primary Source] ................................................................. 14 Figure 9 Littlemoor's narrow roads [Primary Source] .................... 16 Figure 10 An example of the topography which Littlemoor is built upon as well as illustrating the topology of building on the estate. [Primary Source].......................................................................... 17 Figure 11 A diagram of Littlemoor's poor road layout [Primary Source] ........................................................................................................ 18 Figure 12 An example of the repetitive architecture that is in need of an overhaul [Primary Source]............................................... 20 Figure 13 A map to illustrate Littlemoor's low density, when compared to figure 3 [Primary Source] ............................................ 22
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2 Introduction New Urbanism has been fascinating me since learning of the importance of it in the design of Poundbury. Living in the near vicinity of Poundbury has given me the opportunity to gain direct insight into a real world application of New Urbanism (Poundbury, the Duchy of Cornwall, n.d.). Could the principles of New Urbanism applied in Poundbury give hope to the deprived estate of Littlemoor a mere 5 miles away. The community of Poundbury is thriving, with low crime rates, on average only 4 reported anti-social crimes a month. Compare this to Littlemoor, a similarly sized and populated estate, outside neighbouring Weymouth. Littlemoor had a reported average of 11 antisocial crimes per month (Crime Map, n.d.). High crime rates are bad for quality of life for all residents. The Guardian named Littlemoor amongst the most deprived areas in Europe (McVeigh, 2014). Armitage suggested that the principles of New Urbanism could create an environment where crime rate is reduced (Armitage,2014). She states that better architecture and environmental design is a proactive step in the fight against crime, and therefore can open a door to a better quality of life. Can New Urbanism be the answer to Littlemoor’s problems? This paper will explain New Urbanism and what it stands for, how it came to fruition and what it can achieve. I will look at the ten principles of New Urbanism, and how they have been applied in Poundbury. I will then look at how these New Urbanist principles could be applied to give potential solutions to Littlemoor’s problems.
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3 New Urbanism New Urbanism is a design movement who’s core belief is where and how we live directly influences our life chances of happiness and fulfilment (CNU, n.d.). The movement was formed during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s (Mohammad, Rahnama, Planning, & Seyed, 2012) with the Congress of New Urbanism (CNU) created in 1993. ‘(Leon) Krier is often pointed to as the intellectual father of New Urbanism’ (Camacho, M). He has made it a personal mission throughout his professional career in urban design, to make communities function (Ecomomakis, Porphyrios, Watkin & Krier, 1992). Prior to his appointment to oversee the design of Poundbury, Leon Krier came to prominence with his urban designs in Germany and America. New Urbanists apply in 10 principles (Institute, n.d).to their design process which guides them to delivering better quality of life for the inhabitants of their projects. These principles are: -
Walkability Connectivity Mixed-Use and Diversity Mixed Housing Quality Architecture and Urban Design Traditional Neighbourhood Structure Increased Density Green Transportation Sustainability Quality of Life
These principles are seen as a smorgasbord encouraging New Urbanist designers to choose which principles to apply as appropriate to individual projects. The flexibility of the principles lies in being able to implement as many as you wish without facing any contradiction of objective (Institute, n.d.). Walkability: the first principle is about creating a car free lifestyle, with the focus on providing more accessible routes to pedestrians. To make a pedestrian responsive design, you should bring the buildings closer to the street, with windows and doors opening onto the street. This creates more of a communal environment that encourages people to walk the along streets
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as it is closer to the front door. The other aspect of this principle is to effectively remove the need for the car by making home, work, recreation and amenities less than a 10-minute walk from each other. This creates more social interactions and a happier community. Connectivity: the second principle relates to the first principle, in terms of street layout and design. The idea is to design a highly connected system with alleyways, boulevards and streets. This provides a higher quality web of pedestrian friendly zones that makes walking all the more enjoyable by replacing the culde-sac style design network with a more grid-like connected topology. Mixed-Use and Diversity: having a mixture of shops, offices, houses and apartments in every street. Neighbourhoods should not be divided into residential or commercial, but a mixed assortment of uses. This encourages a broad spectrum of residents from all ages, income, cultures and races and aligns with the views set out in the first principle making work and home closer to each other to walk. Mixed Housing: it is important to create opportunities for all when creating a community. The housing should not just be a range of sizes and prices, but also types of housing. For example, you should design a block of maisonettes to be next to a generous town house. This will create a more cohesive and inclusive community than is not divided into affluent and poor areas. Quality Architecture and Urban Design: the neighbourhood should be a beautiful place, with human comfort and aesthetics at its core. This will in turn create a sense of being and place, and therefore give more reasons for the residents to take greater pride and care of their neighbourhood. There should be injections of civic culture within the community, which provides space for extra activities through the day. To design such wonderful spaces are only useful if carried out with human scale at heart, this will give much more tactility to the space and therefore enrich the life of residents. Traditional Neighbourhood Structure: the centre of the town is of highest density and is progressively less dense towards the edges of public realm. This will give an obvious sense to where the town centre is and where the edges are. Public spaces should be implemented and used to bring a sense of excitement
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to the space, for example by hosting art installations or organised activities. The town should keep to a rigorous 10minute walk time from home to work, but allowing transport to transcend through the neighbourhoods will give a permeability that walking cannot. Having a green boundary to the town opens up a range of different lifestyles for those looking for a less dense lifestyle, still with the New Urbanist ethos. Increased Density: having a higher density allows you to have a much more convenient and efficient use of services and resources. This will create a far more enjoyable environment throughout the community and will provide ease of access when walking through a neighbourhood. Green Transportation: sustainable transportation is a must to create a connected city of the future. A network of electric busses, trams and trains should be used, to connect streets, neighbourhoods and towns together. The other side of this is to provide lanes that encourage the use of not just bicycles, but also, skateboards and scooters as these are becoming ever more popular. Ultimately you need to make walking and travelling around by foot or bicycle the norm. Sustainability: the principles should be carried out with sustainability at the forefront of design. You cannot carry out any large scale projects without considering the impact on the environment, and what that will do to the space itself. Designing buildings and spaces that use renewable energy systems and eco-friendly technology will foster a sustainable mind-set within the residents. Communal allotments are now gaining renewed popularity as is buying from local sources not those of a chain supermarket. The aim is to reduce the number of car journeys, and encourage people into a walking lifestyle. This is healthier for both the residents and the environment. Quality of Life: When you combine the principles set out above, you are creating a place that can provide everything you need to give you a life of enrichment and quality. This will have the psychological effect of inspiring those living there to participate, create and express themselves through means of communal spaces and societies. The community becomes selfsupporting of the clubs and spaces, which in turn allows the clubs to flourish and benefit the community.
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4 Poundbury–New Urbanism applied to the real world Poundbury is an urban extension of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset. His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales published his book ‘A Vision of Britain’ explaining his views and beliefs in architecture and urban planning (Clarence House, 2015). In 1988 The Prince of Wales appointed Leon Krier, the founder of the New Urbanist Movement, to design a masterplan for a 400-acre site for Poundbury.
Figure 3 Density and road layout of Poundbury [Primary Source]
The resulting scheme would become a prime example of New Urbanism. It is designed with the principles both of New Urbanism and those stated in The Prince of Wales’ book ‘A Vision of Britain’. “Phase one of Poundbury is a mixed development which consists of shops, offices, workshops and public buildings as well as approximately 250 houses and flats” is the description of Poundbury by Krier (Krier, Porphyrios, Watkin, & Ecomomakis, 1992) in which he outlines ultimately a few of the New Urbanist Principles in one sentence. The initial concept of Poundbury was to become a high density urban extension of Dorchester, where priority is given to the pedestrian, instead of cars. The high density quarter would focus around not just residential and retail, but also civic activities and leisure facilities. At the time of construction, the design method carried out by Krier (Clarence House, 2015) was viewed as a visionary approach due to the many established assumptions of design that were being challenged.
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The vision that The Prince of Wales set out was to build an autonomous extension with the traditional architecture of Dorset (Krier, Porphyrios, Watkin, & Ecomomakis, 1992), while creating a hierarchy with the pedestrian at the top. Poundbury consists of four distinct quarters, with each one corresponding to a phase of development (Drummond, 2013). At the beginning of 2015 there were 2,500 people living in Poundbury and over 170 businesses located there. Still under construction, the project is expected to be completed by 2025, with the aim of accommodating 2,200 homes (Drummond,2013). The architecture of Poundbury is “unashamedly traditional” (Drummond (p3, 2013) using local build materials and design heritage. The architecture, while taking design cues from buildings in Dorchester, creates a very different look and feel to the county town. Buildings sit comfortably alongside each other, whether stone or rendered, grand or small and together create a townscape that its whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Figure 4 the traditional architecture that Poundbury is constructed of [Primary Source]
The stipulation set out by The Prince of Wales and Leon Krier regarding the design of buildings in Poundbury are firm and controlling. The control is even extended to those living in Poundbury in order to maintain the character and cement the principles of design into the future. An example of the of this control is the regulations defining the windows and doors, whereby Krier and The Prince of Wales demand timber framed windows and doors. “The following guidelines are intended to assist in achieving an aesthetically pleasing design and finish appropriate to the intended character of Poundbury. All
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windows, doors and French windows shall be constructed of timber and painted. Note: stained hardwood, UPVC/aluminium/plastic coated timber or gasket glazed windows will not be allowed, but traditional painted metal opening lights in timber sub frames will be permitted� (Krier, Porphyrios, Watkin, & Ecomomakis, 1992).
Figure 5 An example of stipulated windows within Poundbury [Primary Source]
The explicit control that is placed on residents can feel like living in a police state, where you cannot personalise your home or place of work. Not only do you not have free choice of what window you would like, but you must adhere to the overall colour and window proportions. Krier states that the dimensions of the windows shall be in the golden section, thereby preventing any erosion of the character of Poundbury. The control of Poundbury goes further than just the windows and doors: residents must not have clothes driers, meter boxes, air extractors or dustbins visible on the street. The rules do result in a neat, tidy and model village feel to Poundbury. Those who do not live in Poundbury can view it as The Prince of Wales’ toy town (Forrest, 2014). The views against Poundbury are not due its low crime rates or successful commerce, but the fakery of the architecture. This complaint of mock architecture (Gillilan, 2016) uncovers an uncomfortable dilemma in our society where we prefer the familiar architectural styles of the past, but do not like the feeling that it is a copy. The chocolate box appeal of Poundbury is largely welcomed and it is interesting to see how views are changing as it becomes viewed as Poundbury with a style of its own.
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Poundbury it is becoming an unconventional tourist attraction (Campbell, 2003). The grandness of Poundbury is something to be admired, when looking at the size and how it has kept the cleanliness and tidiness over the last 15 years. The residents who live in Poundbury have chosen to live there, inferring that they like it. “Poundbury has also proved increasingly influential among industry professionals, attracting international interest and generating many organised tours every year from architects, town planners, academics and house builders. Its success has been recognised far beyond Dorset and many of the founding principles of Poundbury have now been incorporated into the British Government’s Planning Guidance Note PPG3.” (“Poundbury | the Duchy of Cornwall,” n.d.)
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5 How New Urbanist is Poundbury? I have discussed how Poundbury’s design has been guided by the principles of New Urbanism alongside those of The Prince of Wales. I will now look at each of the 10 Principles of New Urbanism and consider how well Poundbury adheres to them. Walkability: Poundbury is not car free or anti-car but by accommodating the car and ensuring good walkways, separation from busy traffic areas and parked cars, walking remains unobstructed, continuous and enjoyable. Many buildings open on to the pavement giving the town a more connected and welcoming atmosphere. This is enhanced with parking spaces that nestle between small green areas and trees to break up the parking and provide a subconscious barrier from the road. Although the car is not removed from Poundbury, those who live and work there do not need to drive to work as the interconnectivity of the spaces and quarters allow for easy walks to and from work, with well illuminated streets. You are never more than a 10-minute walk from anything you need. To further reinforce the walkability credentials, 150 of the 400 acres is given over to recreational and green space.
Figure 6 An example of the wide roads, that provide designated parking. [primary source]
Connectivity: Poundbury has a very connected layout; linking with the walkability principle. The street layout has a primary, secondary and tertiary design. The primary roads run to the north, the centre and the south, these are the main routes through, and are the busier roads in the extension. The
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secondary and tertiary roads create an intermediary route between the main routes, providing protection from the busier roads. The main roads are less travelled by pedestrian to the south, but the north and central road are used heavily by pedestrians, as this is where the highest density is. I think the public squares and parking squares provide a respite from the interconnecting roads and lead you through somewhere similar to an Italian town like Genoa. I think the use of the public spaces mixed with buildings facing on to the squares, gives a far more communal sense, thus providing connectivity.
Figure 7 The connected layout of Poundbury [Primary Source]
Mixed-Use and Density within Poundbury is evident with living above a business not seen as a negative, but the norm. I find it refreshing seeing business and residential building mixed, this gives those who live within Poundbury a sense of community, whereby you will have more social integration of different people. This epitomises the view set out by the New Urbanists, where Poundbury has a broad range of residents, from young to old, low income to high, and a complete mix of race and culture. Mixed Housing: in Poundbury is good. I love the large 3 storey buildings with flats, where you have the sense of community and next door to that may be a smaller 2 storey house. Mixing housing with business or retail areas allows people to choose to live with the excitement of a bustling neighbourhood or somewhere quieter. Quality Architecture and Urban Design: is incredibly well done. I regard the mix of familiar architecture with elements of styles that transcend throughout the world. When driving and walking around Poundbury you can forget it is someone’s home, Page | 13
as it becomes almost a theme park with the amount of detail to look at and admire The quality of the architecture in terms of New Urbanism is excellent, whereby the buildings are beautiful and well managed. I think the design of the infrastructure is well balanced between man and car, with design always at a human scale. Poundbury is built upon a traditional neighbourhood structure, whereby it is designed in a mirrored bell curve. I think this is really insightful of how Krier and Prince Charles wanted Poundbury to function. I find when walking around Poundbury, you are lulled into that village aspect of design, where everything is condensed together. I think the interconnectivity that the traditional neighbourhood structure suggest allows the greenery to flow into the dense areas and vice versa, thus giving Poundbury that village feel, but also a far denser reality.
Figure 8 An example of the thin timber framed windows of Poundbury [Primary Source]
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Increased Density, I think Poundbury has the perfect mix of density. I like the high density as it guides you with routes to walk, where if you had a low density area, you would have much more limited as less roads would exist. Green Transport is the 7th principle of New Urbanism, and Poundbury is home to one of the Dorset’s first electric buses which deliver much more than the greener energy use. The absence of sound and without the unhealthy and unpleasant smell of diesel fumes. This green mantra travels through Poundbury with many residents choosing to cycle to work or walk, rather than drive. Sustainability within Poundbury is of paramount importance to The Prince of Wales. To the southwest of the development, a Biomass boiler is installed. This creates energy from human and agricultural waste. The key point of this is using green electricity, rather than electricity produced by a power station, nuclear or coal. People in Poundbury have a great quality of life. I think the key aspect of this is people have chosen to live there. I think everything in Poundbury has a positive impact on residents life. I acknowledge that the mock architecture isn’t for everyone, but those who have bought into the lifestyle of Poundbury are flourishing within the urban development. It gives a sense that those who live in Poundbury are happy, content and excited to where Poundbury is going to be in the next 10 years with the continuation of development to the north of the site.
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6 Littlemoor Littlemoor is a 1950s post war council housing estate that has developed over the last half century to include a mix of social and private housing, small shopping area, school, community centre and church. Located inland of the Jurassic coast in Dorset, two miles north of the seaside town of Weymouth, Littlemoor is flanked to the North by countryside designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is served by a self-service station to the railway network, good bus services and has good road, cycle and footpath connectivity. Initially development of just over 120 houses were built from 1954 but had increased to over 250 houses by the end of the 1950s. Development continues with a further 500 houses planned from now until 2030. Focusing on the existing 1950’s development, the planning criteria appears to have been to squeeze as many houses into the area ticking boxes rather than considered functionality. For example, front gardens that are in reality too small for any practical use & shared communal space to the rear. Littlemoor was built with limited budget, where building design and layout was not prioritised. The roads in Littlemoor are the minimum width that planning regulations required; this now creates huge frustration for the residents and visitors. Littlemoor is overcrowded with cars and due to the narrow width of the roads, residents are forced to park with two wheels on the pavement.
Figure 9 Littlemoor's narrow roads [Primary Source]
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This exacerbates the already claustrophobic environment, which makes all of the roads feel cramped and the estate look untidy. At the time of initial construction, through-out the 1950s and 60s, the anticipated number of cars was one per household. Subsequent rise in car ownership, that number has risen to an average of about 2.5 cars per household. There is a bus service that runs roughly every 45 minutes, which takes residents to and from. A 10-minute walk away, Upwey railway station provides half hourly services to Weymouth, Dorchester onto London. Littlemoor is built on the side of a hill which has created problems with landscaping the green space. Although there is outdoor green space it is of limited use to residents due to the slope; nothing you could play football on due or want to picnic on due to the lack of trees to provide park-like seclusion. The overall theme of Littlemoor is to position all of the residential areas in the centre and place small areas of community facilities at the outer limits. As well as community areas placed at the periphery, the retail park, consisting of a few independent stores and a medium sized food store is equally not centralised and appears to be located for easy car access to serve the surrounding area.
Figure 10 An example of the topography which Littlemoor is built upon as well as illustrating the topology of building on the estate. [Primary Source]
Littlemoor was an exercise in box ticking construction, meeting the minimum criteria that was set out by the planners, and the realisation that council savings made at the time have been spent many times over in additional policing, community support and liaison. What it needs is an investment in reshaping aspects of the estate by applying the principles of new urbanism.
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Regenerating Littlemoor with New Urbanist Principles In this chapter, I will look discuss the issues that surround Littlemoor and then use the New Urbanism principles to suggest potential solutions. Within the estate of Littlemoor, the car has become a necessity around the area. This is partly due to the lack of local amenities, poorly laid out road and footpath network and a lack of local employment opportunities. When looking at the solutions to these problems, Poundbury holds real world solutions when considering New Urbanism as a plausible answer.
Figure 11 A diagram of Littlemoor's poor road layout [Primary Source]
Walkability: Within Littlemoor the roads are crowded with cars, making it the place untidy, when compared to Poundbury. The cars on the roads, often are parked with the wheels on the curbs, thus preventing a clear movement for walking. Having more appropriate areas to park cars, that may be away from the street, be it clearing front gardens and making way for a driveway, or constructing carparks that are sensitive to the location. For this to happen the addition of trees would soften the concrete. Poundbury has much wider roads, that can fit two passing busses. Freeing Littlemoor of cars will enable many residents to walk along that pavements without the worry of tight gaps between the car and fence. Giving residents the option to walk around more, would increase those willing to walk to the local amenities. Having a local business that employs those who live within the vicinity, could increase those walking in
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Littlemoor. Much like in Poundbury, where those who live in Poundbury, generally tend to work their too (Poundbury, 2017). Connectivity: the lack of connectivity directly attributes to the lack of community. The road layout of Littlemoor, is littered with dead end roads, that could link up and join communities together, rather than separating them. The lack of connectivity is also due to the amount of cars on the roads. The road layout could become a web of integration, creating a shorter route for pedestrians to walk, thus lowering the door to door distance for those walking. When looking at the connectivity within Poundbury, you find that almost all of the roads link up, where possible. The precedent for this could give more cohesion between those living in neighbouring roads and streets within Littlemoor. Mixed-Use and Diversity: Littlemoor is lacks amenities, as stated in the previous sections, but it is not just the Amenities or retail units that are missing. Littlemoor has an average house price of £150,000 (Zoopla, 2017) with no real difference in housing. There is a current plan to build 500 homes by 2030 (Hogger, 2015), which could be a great investment of the area, however it must be done in a way that gives back to the existing buildings and doesn’t create more issues. Poundbury has an ethic that those working, generally get lunch in Poundbury (Poundbury,2017) and this idea of mixed use could be implemented into Littlemoor. If an investment of some offices or office conversions were to be carried out, that may encourage businesses to start and flourish. This could be done simultaneously as opening some small café or convenience stores throughout this commercial precinct. The offices would be able to employ residents, giving the ideal purpose of less car use, as it wouldn’t be needed. Mixed Housing: As discussed within the previous principle, the variety of housing in Littlemoor is particularly low, where most of the houses are three or two bedroomed terraced houses. The variety of Poundbury is grand, comparatively, whereby the housing is mixed cost and size. Affordable housing is also mixed into more expensive homes, thus creating a mixed housing market within Poundbury. I think that the 500 new homes will ease pressure on the market and provide a more affordable housing for residents in Littlemoor. Quality Architecture and Urban Design: Littlemoor needs a complete architectural overhaul, which would pave the way for a Page | 19
redevelopment of the estate. Much of the chapter has already illustrated the repetitive architecture and poor design that exists
Figure 12 An example of the repetitive architecture that is in need of an overhaul [Primary Source]
within Littlemoor. The urban design within the estate is dated, and is in need of a development into the urban design. If instead of building more homes in urban sprawl, homes were designed in context to who is living there. Having a terraced house that has a garden that is large enough it could double as a driveway if needed. A community driven park could be another injection of urban design, similarly to Poundbury. When looking into the layout of Poundbury, the eye is always able to see further than when in Littlemoor. This is partly due to the green pockets of space that are well tended to and respected. Poundbury has a large array of council driven operations that look after these green areas, but should Littlemoor not also be treated similarly? Having pockets of green that create civic interest and activity when outside, will give a better experience to those who walk through those areas and enjoy them (Co-Operation, 1975). For these ideas to succeed it is essential for the community not only to be involved in what should be added but also drive the choices made, as these will reflect what the residents want. Whether this is offering an art gallery, theatre space or a landscape tree lined parkland, the most important part is that the community must be behind the idea and feel at the forefront of the decision making for the engagement to succeed. Traditional Neighbourhood Structure: As Littlemoor is an estate, not a town or city, it is harder to apply these principles, but lessons can be learnt from them and applied directly to Littlemoor. Touching back on the 500 homes that are going to Page | 20
be built in Littlemoor by 2030, this is no small feat, of which it could be the making of Littlemoor. Traditional Neighbourhood structure is where the centre of the place is densest, and the further afield you go, the less dense it becomes, with less building density and more greenery (Institute, n.d.). If these 500 homes are positioned in such a way that they complement the lower density of Littlemoor, you could find that New urbanism’s principles flourish further. When looking at Poundbury you can find many examples of how and why it fits to the Traditional Neighbourhood Structure. The bell curve site plan, that shows how the size and density increase toward the epicentre, and the become less dense.
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Increased Density: When looking at a map of Littlemoor, it becomes obvious how much wasted space there is. If when looking comparatively at Poundbury and Littlemoor, you find that Poundbury is almost double the density of Littlemoor is roughly the same size area. This stems from the low connectivity of roads and footpaths, where rows of houses cannot meet up and join, but are prevented from forming a whole. The amount of open space in Littlemoor is more concerning, with a disproportionate amount of open space. When driving around Littlemoor there is a lack of open space, but when in Poundbury the houses are much closer together, freeing up space to from small squares and gardens for civic and private use. Littlemoor could perhaps use the space that is lost between buildings and roads to create small business hubs as discussed earlier. The increased density would then give more routes for those walking in Littlemoor, and therefore aid in the Connectivity and Walkability (CNU, n.d.).
Figure 13A map to illustrate Littlemoor's low density, when compared to figure 3 [Primary Source]
Green Transportation: Due to the landscape of which Littlemoor was built, it does not lend itself to cycling, being uphill for half of it. There is great potential for cycle routes in and around Littlemoor, but it is getting people out and cycling that is the issue. A potential investment for businesses to investigate that those whom they employ may opt to cycle rather than walk. The transportation that is available for those in Littlemoor is a bus service that is currently diesel and operates once every 45 minutes. Whereby in Poundbury, the busses that operate are all electric. I think having an electric bus would be a great improvement on the diesel busses climbing up the hill. Page | 22
Sustainability: When investigating Littlemoor, only one house had a set of solar panels on the roof. Those who live within Littlemoor are more careful with money than those whom live in Poundbury. Hence the lack of solar panel, the residents choose not to purchase them as do not deem them necessary. Some houses within both areas, Littlemoor and Poundbury, are rented, which raises a question of whether or not the occupant or owner has been given any incentive to put in place sustainable functions. Poundbury currently has a biomass boiler that produces electricity to power the busses that serve urban extension. By utilising the 500 homes being built by 2030, a construction of a biomass or similar could be created, thus powering an electric bus for Littlemoor. Quality of Life: the quality of life within Littlemoor is lower than those in Poundbury. This could be partly due to the amount of principles that Poundbury has implemented into the infrastructure of the development. Whereas Littlemoor does not yet have any of these New Urbanist Principles injected into the fabric of the estate. With regards to how much of a difference these principles will make, it is often the more you see someone else caring about something the more you will care too. By that logic, the residents of littlemoor will get a better quality of life when following these principles.
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8 Conclusion The single biggest problem within Littlemoor is the lack car parking. Currently cars litter the estate lining both sides of most streets narrowing the roads, obstructing pavements and obscuring any natural navigation cues. Providing attractive, landscaped parking on existing green space would make better use of these areas. Keeping them green with grass borders and adding trees will minimise the loss while enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the estate and providing much needed off-street parking. Walkability would be greatly improved by creating spaces for cars to park. Doing this removes cars parked on the pavement and roadside and will create a tidier environment. Encouraging the community to walk and engage within their own estate will improve the health and well being of the residents. The roads becoming less cluttered creates a more direct paths throughout the community, opening up the environment to better connectivity. Extending connectivity by creating interconnects between the cul-de-sacs would physically bring the community closer together and thus gain the benefits of the Connectivity principle. With a tidy environment, this may open up opportunities for community driven projects and investment in resources, further expanding the estate. A community project that could make a difference would be planting trees throughout Littlemoor, much like in Poundbury, where streets are lined with trees. The future of the estate could be improved with the development of the 500 houses to be built by 2030. If developed correctly, the lower density of Littlemoor could act as a suburban quarter of the larger housing project. This would mean building the 500 houses with a Higher Density and ensuring Mixed Use and Mixed Housing principles are also applied following the Poundbury and New Urbanist model.
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9 References Camacho, M. (2014). Father of the new urbanism. Retrieved from http://humanumreview.com/uploads/pdfs/Camacho_on_Krier__Final.pdf Campbell, S. (2003, June 27). UK: A toy town for the 21st century. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/727780/UK-A-Toy-Town-forthe-21st-century.html Crime map for Chickerell safer neighbourhood team, Dorset police. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from https://www.police.uk/dorset/10-52/crime/2016-01/+Mfyx08/ Dorsey, P. Father of the new urbanism. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://humanumreview.com/articles/father-of-thenew-urbanism Drummond, N. (2013). POUNDBURY FACTSHEET. Retrieved from http://duchyofcornwall.org/assets/images/documents/Poundbury %20Factsheet%202015.pdf Forrest, A. (2014, September 16). Poundbury: Is Prince Charles’ Dorset town the answer to the British housing crisis? Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.bigissue.com/features/4340/poundbury-is-princecharles-dorset-town-the-answer-to-the-british-housing-crisis Gillilan, L. (2016, October 22). Why do we build modern houses in mock period styles? The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buy/why-do-we-buildmodern-houses-in-mock-period-styles/ Hogger, H. (2001). Mixed opinions on 500 homes scheme for Littlemoor. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/13711080.Mixed_opinions_o n_500_homes_scheme_for_Littlemoor/ House, C. (2017). Poundbury. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/features/poundbury How can good urban design reduce crime? Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://thoughts.arup.com/post/details/377/how-cangood-urban-design-reduce-crime Institute, M. L. U. 10 principles of new urbanism: Michigan land use institute. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.mlui.org/mlui/news-views/articles-from-1995-to2012.html?archive_id=678#.WJkzUzuLRhE
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