Urban lessons from Canadian New (sub)Urbanists

I just came across a report from the Canadian Urban Institute, entitled "Putting The Urban In Suburban: The Modern Art and Business of Placemaking," which while focused on revitalizing suburban communities, offers a framework to those of us in the city, who despite being city dwellers, need to be taught urban as opposed to suburban design principles. Since so many city residents grew up in the suburbs, too often they apply suburban design principles to urban settings.

See for example, this article in today's Washington Post, "Housing Surge and Resurgence: New Homeowners Changing Southeast Neighborhoods" which sadly illustrates this point: "The 65 new brick townhouses of a development called the Townes at Hillsdale sit high on a hill and offer their residents expansive views of Washington's monuments and the river beyond. The manicured lawns and cul-de-sacs would not be out of place in Montgomery or Fairfax counties. But this development is in the District -- not in Northwest, but east of the Anacostia River, in a vast expanse stretching from south of the 11th Street Bridge to Bolling Air Force Base..." Note that the online article has a nice slideshow.

The report has ten themes, which are no less relevant to us in the city. And frankly, if the suburbs can respond to these trends, why can't cities?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

THEMES
1. There is a market for an alternative to the suburbs
Statistics suggest that about 60% of households want a single-family house with a big backyard. That leaves 40% of the market wanting something different. [We don't have to be everything to everybody, we need to focus on the market segments that are predisposed to city living. However, one advantage that DC has is a variety of housing and neighborhood types, which allows for the accommodation of a wider variety of housing market demand segments--from those interested in attached housing and the urban experience such as Georgetown, U Street or Dupont Circle, to attached housing in a more single-family environment in Capitol Hill, to detached housing with large yards in places like Brookland or Woodridge, etc.]
2. Urban environments take time
The places we consider urban have taken decades to develop. Similarly, creating new [quality] urban spaces will also take time. [Note: and it takes a lot longer when you make decisions that diminish quality rather than enhance it.]
3. Urban life means urban gathering places, but the good ones are not cheap
Attractive public spaces are rare or non-existent in many suburban cities. Many speakers suggested a growing demand for well-designed spaces that engender civic pride. However, these features cost money, and developers still do not know if they can cover the costs of creating artificial lakes and civic squares by charging higher rents or sale prices, since potential tenants or buyers can always find cheaper alternatives. [And poorly designed spaces won't work no matter what you try.]
4. Urban spaces demand high-order transit
Suburban municipalities face a difficult dilemma — without higher densities, it is difficult to support transit; without transit, it is difficult to support higher densities. [You can't have a "transit city" without constant expansion and strengthening of transit.]
5. An important difference between urban and suburban life is where you park your car
Suburban life is characterized by acres of free surface parking. Private developers require incentives to build underground or structured parking, and municipalities need transportation demand management strategies to get people to accept paid parking. [This is reiterated in David Sucher's "Three Rules" in the book and blog City Comforts, as well as Fred Kent's comment--"if you plan a city for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic."]
6. Sustainable development entails short-term costs to achieve important long-term benefits
Securing those benefits will require sharing the short-term costs, probably through public-private partnerships and development incentives.
7. Getting retail in place is important and difficult
One developer is subsidizing carefully selected retailers in his new development to attract buyers. Elsewhere, retailers in New Urbanist communities like Cornell have closed because they do not have enough customers. This is another chicken-and-egg dilemma — having retail in place early attracts buyers and tenants; however, there are few customers to support retail. [This is just as difficult in the city. Even though we don't have the high rents of new construction, we still have asking prices for rents higher than demand warrants.]
8. Urban spaces do not just happen. They require partnerships
Costs and risks must be shared. Public-private partnerships are essential for developing infrastructure, as well as partnerships among utilities and service providers. Some approaches, such as district heating and cooling, demand coordination between developers and municipalities. Finally, the provincial and federal governments must be involved.
9. Public consultation doesn’t end when a plan is adopted*****************
Residents must be involved throughout the development process. In addition, public education is required to ensure that residents understand the benefits associated with new forms of development. [This is such a key point all across the board, from historic preservation planning to developing neighborhood commercial districts to the management of public assets.]
10. Urban environments need to be managed after they are built
It is not enough to build urban spaces. The finished product must be maintained and supported. In some cases, what has to be managed is the success itself. Urban spaces are characterized by bustle and activity, whereas the suburbs are typically associated with peace and quiet. The most successful urban spaces attract people from other municipalities, creating noise, traffic jams, and parking problems for the locals who then complain. Good management must balance competing expectations and demands. [This is what Main Street programs are all about and it reiterates the point I just made wrt the Great Streets program and the necessity of clean and safe programs in neighborhood commercial districts.]

I will be adding links to this report and to the Canadian Urban Institute. Note that I have links to two suburban-oriented reports from the Urban Land Institute in the "must reading" section as it is. These reports are also useful guideposts for those of us in urban settings--take what is relevant and discard the rest.