17politicsofdesign.pdf

The

Politics

of

Design

Norma

DeCamp

Burns

A

registered,

practicing

architect

and

former

Raleigh

City

Council

member,

Norma

DeCamp

Burns

broadly

defines the evolving

relationship

of

politics

and

design.

Based on

her

extensivecivic

involvement, professional

training,

and

term

on

citycouncil,

she

suggeststhat electedofficials

and members

of

the

design

and

development

communities work

together

to

understand

and

recognize the

concepts of

consensus,

context,

and

suitabilityin

order

tocreate livablecities.

The

best architectsbringtobear

on

theirarchitecturethe

resultoftravelexperiencesat

home

and

abroad,

augmented

byextensive reading in thearts, humanities, philosophy,

socialsciences,psychology,

and

building technology. Allof these influences aredistilled with talent (in

some

cases,

genius)

and

intuition to create a personal

approach

to

architecture

and

theworld ofdesign.

Added

tothose

influ-encesisthearchitect'seducationinaparticulardesign phi-losophy(the

modern

movement,

forexample),after

which

he or sheistrainedinanoffice,introducedtopreferred con-struction practices

and encouraged

toaccept agiven phi-losophy ofarchitecturalpractice.

As

a practicing architect, career educator,

community

activist

and

electedofficial,Isee theworld ofdesign

possi-bilities very differently

from

some

other architects. Be-cause ofthese experiences,I

am

notexclusivelydedicatedto a

"modern",

"post

modern"

or "traditional" approach;

instead, I determine the best design

approach

given the

particular circumstances. This acceptance ofcontextual influences also includes the input ofcitizens, neighbors,

clients

and

othersinsupplying importantdesign determi-nants to the

development

process.

How

are

Design

and

Politics

Related?

Design

and

politicsare intheprocess oftaking

on

very

differentphilosophical

and

practical

meanings

thaninthe

past. Thisshiftisthedirect resultof

our

changing

Ameri-can culture-anational heritage thatis

moving from

arural to

an

urban experiencefor

an

increasing

number

ofcitizens.

Even

in

North

Carolina, astate historicallycharacterized by

many

small towns,fewlargetowns,

and

even fewersmall

cities,the trendtowardlargercities

and

economically

inter-dependent

metropolitanareasis

on

therise.

With

regard to "design", architects

once

viewed their

professionaseither primarilyartisticor

more

technical.

A

building

was

either a statement of personal artistryor a highly-technicalproductbased

on

bottom

line

considera-tions.

But

architecture

must

both

encompass and

transcend thesecharacteristics.

Meanwhile,

"politics"

was

long construedastheeffortto

convince those in

power-heads

of boards, agencies or elected officials-that aspecificdesignsolutionshouldbe accepted.

General

lobbyingtacticsincludedthe cultivation offriendships

and

the applicationof personal

charm and

persuasion-attributes not directly relevant to the evalu-ation ofa design. Little effort

was

made

to address the largerissuesof

community

or environmental

appropriate-ness. Ifzoning orazoning processexisted,itsparameters

were

the solequalifiersofnote.

These

attitudes

worked

wellina timecharacterizedby culturalstability, large supplies of

undeveloped

land

and

low

population densities.

But

over the past ten years,

higher population densities, rapid social

and

economic

change,

and

dwindling land supply have created a

new

situation.

While

personal

and

politicalalliancesstillplaya rolein

successfulprojects,otherfactors

now

assume an

increasing roleintheacceptanceprocess. Today, designhas alarger

concerned constituency than everbefore. Decisions ofthe designer

and

developer

appear

overnightinpeople's

back-yards. In

an

older Raleigh neighborhood,apartof

what had

Norma

DeCamp

Burns,

A1A,

ispresident

and

principalof BurnstudioArchitects, P~A. inRaleigh, NorthCarolina, as wellaspresident

and

directorofDesign, Workspace,Inc. In

1

985

she

was

elected totheRaleighCityCouncil

and had

the

been

considered

a public park

and

per-manent

green spacewas suddenlysold

and

de-veloped.

The

developer

builtlarge

new homes

that,although comple-mentary to the

sur-rounding

neighbor-hood

insize

and

style,

were

sited

on

unchar-acteristicallysmalllots

and

oddly placed in closeproximitytoeach

other.

The

neighbor-hood

swiftlyorganized

topurchaseportionsof the property

contigu-oustothe public park,

_^n

_{example ofsensitivedesign:}theNorthCarolina

and

persuadedtheCity Raleigh'shistoricOakwoodneighborhood

council to contribute

matchingfunds.

The

convincingpolitical

argument

was

thatthelotsize

and

siteorganization

was

notincharacter withthe larger contextoftheneighborhood.

To

impose

a

new

pattern

on

theedge ofthe publicpark

would

effectively

co-opt publicspaceintoprivatebackyards.

The

personalizedimpact of proximityhas created a

new

public activism thathasfrustrated

and

outragedarchitects

and developers-how

darethe untrained,uneducated

and

unknowledgeable

comment

on

the aesthetic impact ofa buildingor

development?

What

about propertyrights

and

thetyrannyofthe

"bottom

line"?

Another

unsuccessful

development

effortinvolved the removal of

two

small

homes

inacountryclub

community

in

Raleigh.

Subsequent

recombination ofthelotsresultedin

aplanforthreevery large

homes.

Inthiscase,notonly

was

the building-to-site ratioverydifferentfromadjacent

homes-gracefully located

on

large

wooded

lots-butthe three-and-one-halfstoryGeorgian-stylebuildings

were

significantly different

from

adjacentsingle-

and

split-level

modern

ranch

stylehomes.

Although

there

was

nothinginthezoning

or-dinancethatanticipated theproblem, neighborsinthearea broughta public complaint beforethe citycouncil.

As

a

resultofthe delay

and

adversepublic opinion, the project

was

less profitable than envisioned,

and

some

lots

re-mained

undeveloped.

The

government

may

not

deny

a property

owner

all

reasonable use ofhisland.

However,

withpyramid zoning practicesdrawing

wide

parameters

around

collections of verydifferent permitted uses, the courts have ruled that

some

usesinazoning category

may

bedenied,

assuming

the

restrictionisnot unreasonable

and

can be demonstratedto beforthe greater publicgood.

One

would assume

thatthe courtsunderstand

what

every citizen instinctivelyknows: despite the best intentionsofelectedofficials,zoning

was

BeerWholesaler'sAssociation buildingin

not

bequeathed

inthe past with full under-standing

and

fore-knowledge

ofthe con-sequences. Disputes

commonly

occur

on

the

fringes of

new

devel-opment

where

the project

comes

into

directcontactwith

dif-ferentuses.

Shopping

centers often create nuisances alongtheir edges,wheretraffic, de-liveryservicesand

gar-bage

pickup are not adequately buffered

from

residential uses.

Many

ofthese

confron-tationscouldhave been avoided bysensitively

addressingthe legitimateconcerns of adjacentneighbors. Permitted zoning

may work

againstthe

good

ofthecity

transportationsystemor

community

appearance. InRaleigh, a heavily traveledthoroughfare

was

slatedfor

major

devel-opment

inthe 1990s.

Numerous

tractsofland,hundredsof acreslarge,

were

poisedfor

new

development, butit

was

discovered that the thoroughfare

was

already operating over design capacity by thousands of vehicles per day.

Further,there

were no

plansforfundingatthestateorlocal leveltoaddressexistingor

impending

trafficproblems.

Inresponsetopublic outcry,the

government

couldhave attempted to

impose

a

development

moratorium.

The

RaleighCityCouncil,however, decidedthatadequate

ac-cess

was

inthe developer's interest

and

that

some

jointly

supportedsolution

was

achievable.

That

solution

came

in

the

form

of

an

engineering study funded by land

owners

alongthe lengthofthethoroughfare.

The

study suggested that a secondary system of con-nected roads constructedtothe rearofthedevelopinglands could provideaparallelaccessway

and

actuallyreducethe impact

on

theadjacent thoroughfare. This system

was

tobe provided incrementallybytheland

owners

aseachtract de-veloped.

Moreover,

publicconcernaboutlossoftreescape alongthethoroughfare

was

addressedby

commitments

to

a streetscape plan

and

front yard landscaping enhance-ments. Inthis

way

new

properties

make

a positive

contri-butiontotheaesthetic, efficient,

and

economic

well-being ofthecity.

We

are entering a

new

age of interconnectedness, of

mutual

responsibilityforthe survivalof our environmental heritage

and our

city's future.

From

the micro- to the macrolevel, ashift

from independence

tointerdependence

istakingplace.

prefertosee dictatedby

my

personalartistic

sen-sibilitiesorbythemarketplace

and

functional

con-siderations.

Good

design

makes

acontribution

on

alargerscale-itenhancesa neighborhood,

rein-forces the characterofacityblock, facilitatesthe functionof an area-inshort,itimprovesthelives

of those it touches.

Each new

development

is

expectedto

enhance

conditions alongits

bounda-ries

and

notto stressorthreaten adjacent

proper-ties.

Amazingly

enough,this

change

isabout

democ-racy.Thisisold-style,

New

England

town

meeting democracy. Ithas

been

agitated intobeingbyour increasing proximity, but it will be

made more

pronounced

by recent

and emerging

changes in

federal

and

statebudgetarypractices.

Everyone

is

aware

that an age of "Big

Government"

in our country is

coming

to

an

end.

The

most

obvious impact has

been

federal financial cutbacks

and

drasticallyreduced orobliteratedfunding ofstate

andlocalprograms. Highway,publictransit,housing, welfare,

community

development,

and

revenue sharing

programs

haveall

been

affected, ashave

once

tax-shelteredmunicipal investmentvehicles.

When

directresponsibilityforaction isplacedat

the local level, those

who

share in it begin to

demand

a voiceinthedecision-making.

No

longer

isa

removed

bureaucracydistributing

money

and

dictatingexpenditures.

The

electorate,

whose

tax

dollars

must

be appliedatthelocallevel,can

now

more

easilyidentifythemselvesasthedirectsource of funds

and

have increased incentive to

become

activelyinvolvedinthat process.

Ifbasic

change

istakingplaceinthe practiceof governing,

how

do

we

as political agents

and

members

ofthe design/development

community

make

ourplaceinthe

new

order?

The

following observations

may

behelpful.

Understand

the

Power

of

Consensus

The

bestdesigns arethosethatcapturethespirit

and

time ofthe place.

When

people can identify

withadevelopment,it

becomes

anintegralpartof the

community.

Ifpeopleare a partofthe process, theywillsupport

and

defend the

outcome

aspart oftheiremotionalterritory. Peoplewill

work

very hardtoreachconsensus

when

given the

opportu-nity.

The

late

Thad

Eure demonstrated

the

posi-tive

power

ofcitizeninvolvement

when

he under-tookhislast

development

project

on

Wake

Forest

Road

in Raleigh.

The

tract of land

was

the last

remaining greenspace in thearea. In aseries of meetings,

Eure

outlined

development

options, alternativedensities, uses

and

siterelationships,

and

developed acceptabletrafficcontrol, tree

pro-The Design

Professional

as Elected

Official

I

am

frequently asked

whether

my

term

ofservice

on

the Raleigh City Council allowed

me

to accomplish

what

I

had

hoped,

and whether

I think that architects

and

other design

professionals play usefulroles aselectedofficials. Interms of

my

own

personalgoals, thefour yearsIspentas

an

electedofficial

were

extremelyproductive.

My

primaryinterestpolitically

was

directedtoward understanding

and improving

the relationship

between

the planning

and

political processes.

The

concepts

embodied

within the

maze

ofregulatory material oftenelude electedofficialswith busy schedules

and

littletimeto

commit

to

unravelling

what

appearstobeaformidablepuzzle.

An

architect's training,however, focuses

on

maintaining un-derstanding of

problems

simultaneouslyatthe

macro and

micro

scales.

A

buildingorprojectconcept

must

developconsistently

atthe largerconceptualscale, incorporatingsuch elements as

solarorientation, topographic

and

climatic data,site develop-ment, road

and

accessrequirements, publicutilities, construc-tionmethodology,functionalrequirements,visual

image-while

atthe

same

time

accommodating

amyriad ofspecificsmaller

re-quirements ranging

from

thenuts

and

boltsofstructural, electri-cal

and

mechanicalsystems, typesof doors

and

window

systems,

varieties

and

characteristicsofglass

and

glazingsystems,roofing materials

and

foundation systems,brick, block,

wood,

steel or othercombinations inwall systems,

communications and

con-veying systems to the minutia of finishes, colors, hardware, furnishings

and

accessories.

The

experience of balancing

and

integrating all of these influences along with satisfying

and

enhancing the tastes

and

preferences ofa particular client is

excellent trainingforbalancingthe complexity ofcity govern-ment.

Perhapsthe

most

immediately recognizableskill thatdesign professionalscontributeis theabilitytounderstand

and

accu-ratelyassess the

many

building,

development and

engineering projectsundertaken by boththecity

and

private enterprise. Fre-quently,the best ideasriskrejectionbecausetheyare

beyond

the realm of ordinaryexpectations. Iappreciatedtheopportunityto

supportplansforrenovations

and

additions to

Memorial

Audi-torium

when

abold

and

unanticipated addition

was

proposed. Aftercompletion,itisrecognized by everyoneforitsmarvelous

solution;however,there

was

a time

when

that

was

difficult for

most

peopleto perceive.

I

was

able toaccomplish

what

I

had

setouttodo. Ittookallof four yearsto completelyrevise

and

rewrite Raleigh's

compre-hensiveplan. It

was

originally

completed

in1979

and

it

began

to

change and

evolveimmediately sothata ten -year rewrite

and

re-organization

was

badly needed. I

am

glad that as a council

member,

Icouldoffer

encouragement,

support

and

some

degree of creative professional guidance to Raleigh's fine planning

department

as they

undertook

this massiveproject. It

was

re-wardingtosee the projectthroughtocompletion

and

tofeelthat

Iplayeda positive roleinthe process.

An

example ofinsensitiveinfill: thenewunitshaveutilityconnectionsandgarbage cansfacing the

street,incontrasttotheporchesonadjacent houses.

tection

and

landscap-ingapproaches.

When

the projectwas brought before thecitycouncil

forpublic hearing, the surroundingresidents turnedoutto

commend

and

supportit.

There-suitwasa success

many

wouldnothavethought

possible.

True

consensusisa win-winsituation. It is

not a

compromise.

Consensus

means

that

allparties havefound an authentic

way

to

meet

their

own

basic needsinthesituation.

People should be

in-volvedearlyintheproblem-solvingprocess,sothat

every-one

hasan opportunityto

be

heard. In planningefforts,

when

months

ofmeetings

and

planning have

gone

into a

new

ordinance orchanges to the

comprehensive

plan, I

have observed that citizens

who

have reached consensus

will"circle the

wagons"

against aselfish orspiteful

trou-blemaker

who

has refused to take part in the process.

A

leader'sbestpolitical alliesarethose

who

havebeen through theprocessofforging adifficultpeace.

Recognize

the

Importance

of

Context

No

buildingor

development

stands alone.

Each

isapart ofan

immediate

pattern

which

ispartofa largersetof

pat-terns. Thisisnottoimplythat

sameness and homogeneity

acrossthelandscapeisdesirable.

The

view

from an

airplane of the

Toronto

suburbs demonstratesthispoint: theurban

fabriciscomprised ofa

uniform

spread oflow-rise

struc-tures evenly sprinkled with a smaller

number

of twenty storytowers.

The

unusual uniformity ofthisparticular

ci-tyscape

was

broughtabout by ordinancesthatdetermined boththeheight

and

spacing oftallerstructures.

The

result isaboringcityscape.

The

keytounderstanding contextcanbe

found

in

two

words: variety

and

transition.

The

larger context of a

community

or region is vitalized by a variety of experi-ences-passiveareasofgreenspace, placesforactive rec-reation,quiet low-densityneighborhoods, higher density

residentialareas that areconvenient

and

secure,areasof intense

commercial

activity, high-densityareas of

mixed

uses,

and

convenient public transportation. Cities

work

best

when

the areas functionin

harmony,

thus the descrip-tionofthecityasalivingorganism.Conflicttypically arises attheedge ofdifferent uses. It isfine fortransitiontobe abruptattheedges ofrivers,lakes,parks,

and

large

thor-oughfares,

where

the intervening event es-tablishesa comfortable boundary. Elsewhere, the designer

must be

sensitive to the

con-tactofhis

immediate

surroundings

and

the

need

for a

non-inva-sive response.

That

buildingsand develop-mentscanbedescribed as"rude"

and

"insen-sitive" tocontextisan

indicationofthe

emo-tionally-laden

charac-teroftheirimpactin

the urban environ-ment.

Accept

The

Concept

of

Suitability

Building

upon

theconcepts ofconsensus

and

context,the issueofsuitabilityrecognizes that a perfectly

good

building orproject

which

may

be

appropriate,acceptable

and

appre-ciatedin

one

location

may

be

highlyobjectionablein an-other.

Suitabilityshould not

be an

issueifthe aesthetic expres-sionofaproject,itsscale,use,function,location

and

siting

haveallevolved

from

a carefulassessment ofcontext

and

an appropriateuse ofconsensus-building.

An

inappropriate

and

unsuitableusecannot

be

explained away,camouflaged, or "designed"intosubmission, however.

Suitability is

an

area not sufficientlyaddressed by the

pyramid

zoningsystem.

While

alluseswithinazoning

cate-goryare

assumed

to

be

suitable,a

community

changes over time,oftenrendering

an

earlierzoningdecisioninadequate toprotectthe functionofthe

urban organism

orthehealth, safety

and

welfareofcitizens inthe

immediate

vicinity.

The

problem

of changesinthe characterofa landuseis

notlimitedtocommercialuses. Forexample,

some

churches, allowedusesintheresidentialzoningcategory,haveevolved intointenseactivitycenters.

Churches

frequently aspireto

membership

in the thousands, with regional

congrega-tions. Therefore,

modern

churchfacilitieshave

assumed

a

size

and

scale

comparable

with office buildings, schools,

and

some

commercial

structures.

Weekday

and

evening

activities

produce

traffic

and

parking impacts

on

a scale

incompatible withresidential uses.

One

way

toaddressthe

problem

would

be to limit churchfacilities toresidential fringeareas

where

theycanbenefit

from

shared

commer-cialparking opportunities

and

functionasauseful bufferin

Cary's greemvay system, constructed on land dedicated by private development,nowcontainsmorethan seven milesofpublictrails.

projectorthe process.

Changes

canbe

made

forthe

good

ofthewhole.

To

Elected

Officials

Be

objective

and

willing tolistentothestaff,the advisory boards,

and

the public; there

may

be times

when

you

are the onlystrengthforaweak-voicedcitizen.

Be

consistentinthe exerciseofplanningmatters. Addressing itemsdifferently

from one

sitetoanotherwilloften

come

backtohauntyou. Set high standards for

your

community,

your staff

and

yourself. In particular, letyourstaff

and

advisoryboards

know

thestandards

and

goals

you

seek,

and

give

them

room

to attain these goals through the budget process, ordi-nances

and

othertools availableto localgovernment.

Burns

(from

page

20)

tagesforallaffectedlanduses.

Only

a

thorough

knowledge

and

understanding ofthe evolvingcity can provide ade-quatesolutions to

complex problems

ofsuitability.

Oftenthe issueofsuitabilityis

more

accuratelyassessed

and

solvedbythe inclusionof multipleplayers,each having an important goal to satisfy.

When

cities, counties

and

privateindividuals

combine

forces,positive

and

unexpected solutions

may

emerge.

An

opportunity for cooperation is illustrated by the

problem

counties encounter in finding suitable school

sites. Established residential areas dislike neighboring schoolsbecause theygeneratetraffic. Cities facesimilar

difficulties providing parkland

and

recreational facilities,

and

boththe public

and

private sectorexperience

problems

finding sites suitable for affordable multifamily housing withadequatetransportation access toschools

and

recrea-tional services.

A

jointventure

approach

to sharedland, facilities

and

planning couldresult ingreater

economy

and

improved

functionalfacilitiesforeveryone.

Because

of

economies

ofscale,planningforlarger multi-useventurescanoften

more

easilyaddressissuesof suita-bility. Relativelybenign

and

passive areas bufferintensity

and

provideflexibility

and

appropriatetransitions

between

surroundinguses. Infrastructure

and

transportationissues

canbe

more

adequately addressed

on

the larger scalethan

ispossiblewithintherestrictionsofseparated

and

uncoor-dinated smallerparcels.

Planning

Can

Effectively

Manage

Problems

of

Design

and Growth

It is unfortunate that

some

would

castthe regulatory

power

of

government

in asolelynegativelight. It is true

thatregulationcan be misused,

and

punitively restrictive,

shortsighted

and

misguided.

But

itisalsotrue thatlanduse

and

design-related regulationsformulatedinan

environ-ment

ofcivicconsensus, awareness ofcontext,

and

commit-ment

to suitability can offer clear guidance for creative architects

and

developersin producing economically

suc-cessful projects enthusiastically accepted bythe

commu-nity. Several

emerging

regulatoryapproaches, including impact fees

and

overlaydistricts, arebeing introduced in

theTrianglearea.

Judiciously applied, overlay ordinances canencourage

and

directpositive

change and

desirabledevelopment,as

well aspreserveexistingfeaturesof

an

area.

For

example,

inRaleigh,

development

ofa

Neighborhood

Conservation

Ordinance

Overlay

was

a long

and

hard-fought process. Afteraseriesofinfillbattles

had

been

brought beforethe

city council, it

became

apparent that issues of context,

suitability,appropriateness

and

transition

were

outside the realm ofexisting zoning.

The

overlay

was

developed to

provide

an

organizational vehicle forconsensus-building

inpreparation forinfill

development

in older, largely de-veloped,stableneighborhoods.

At

issue

was

the

mainte-nance

of

neighborhood

appearance, scale, character

and

general qualityoflife.

Although

theordinance

was

resisted

by land

owners

and

developers- -seekingto

maximize

their

future

development

options-the ordinance

was an

effort

to

promote

compatible

development

in

ways

that

would

benefitthe entire

community.

Currently,theordinanceis

beingtested by application to its first

neighborhood

by requestoftheresidents.

The

consensus ofindividuals

from

thebroadestpossible

backgrounds

withamutually

benefi-cial

community

visionisthekeytothe successofthe overlay

districtordinances.

All players participatingintheplanningprocessshould understand that regulationbuilt

on

consensusserves the greatestpublicgood. Regulationsaresystemscreatedout of

human

need

and

the expertiseataparticular

moment

in

time.

As

lifechanges,soshouldourregulations.

Only

by continualvigilantresponseto publicconsensus,contextual influences

and

suitabilitycandesigners

and

publicofficials