We all know the challenges facing our current development systems: fragmented communities, housing scarcity, and car-dependent growth. The problems are complex, but the solutions can be simple. This month, CITYBUILDER is diving into one set of solutions, The Charter of the New Urbanism. We’ll discuss this foundational text over lunch in Raleigh on Wednesday, September 24th (RSVP here for details).
History of The Charter
In the mid-1990s, a group of architects, planners, and developers formed the Congress for the New Urbanism to challenge the negative impacts of urban sprawl.
Adopted in 1996, their Charter articulates remedies to the low-density, car-dependent development that became widespread after World War II. To combat these postwar deficiencies, the Charter preaches principles for creating walkable, mixed-use, human-scaled communities — principles that the Triangle needs now more than ever.
What does the Charter recommend?
The Charter argues that many of our current urban issues — disinvestment in older city centers, environmental decline, loss of heritage, and growing spatial separation by race and income — are not isolated problems but interrelated challenges. Addressing them requires holistic design and planning approaches.
It calls for neighborhoods diverse in use and population, and encourages communities designed for people walking, bicycling, and taking transit. Cities and towns, it says, should prioritize publicly accessible places, such as streets, squares, and civic institutions, in a manner that reflects local climate, history, and ecology.
Nearly thirty years ago, The Charter envisioned a future where daily needs are within walking distance; where housing of different types is distributed throughout neighborhoods to avoid concentrated poverty; and where street networks, public spaces, and architecture contribute to safety, beauty, and communal identity. These ideas echo our own work: building a Triangle that is equitable, sustainable, and welcoming to all.
If you’d like to read the Charter yourself, you can do so here.
And if you're interested in seeing how these principles will help shape a better Triangle, come join us Wednesday, Sept. 24th at Press Coffee + Crepes in downtown Raleigh for a lunchtime discussion of The Charter of the New Urbanism. We’re thrilled to welcome Bob Chapman, a local developer and original Charter signer, to guide the conversation. As always, CITYBUILDER covers non-alcoholic drinks — just bring your appetite, your ideas, and your curiosity. RSVP here.
If you believe growth is better when we build together, this is your conversation. We can’t wait to see you there.