Charter of the New Urbanism

Charter of the New Urbanism
Name	Charter of the New Urbanism
Adopted	1996
Location	Charleston, South Carolina
Authors	Andrés Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Peter Calthorpe
Purpose	Urban design principles

Charter of the New Urbanism is a 1996 declaration establishing a set of urban design principles promoted by the Congress for the New Urbanism, the New Urbanism movement, and allied practitioners. It synthesizes ideas from figures such as Andrés Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Peter Calthorpe and organizations including the Urban Land Institute and the American Planning Association. The Charter has influenced planning discourse in contexts ranging from Seaside, Florida to Portland, Oregon, and has been cited in debates involving Jane Jacobs, Le Corbusier, and Ebenezer Howard.

History and Development

The Charter emerged from meetings convened in Charleston, South Carolina and was endorsed by the Congress for the New Urbanism alongside participants from the Architecture League of New York, the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Development drew on precedents such as the Garden City movement, the City Beautiful Movement, and studies by Kevin Lynch and Christopher Alexander. Influences included projects like Seaside, Florida, plans by Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and academic work at institutions including Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University of California, Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Early advocates compared the Charter to reform documents such as the Athens Charter and connected it to policy debates involving the Interstate Highway System, Urban Renewal, and the New Deal.

Principles and Tenets

The Charter codifies principles covering urban design, transportation, architecture, and public space, articulating propositions similar to those in writings by Jane Jacobs, Lewis Mumford, and Jan Gehl. Tenets emphasize walkable neighborhoods inspired by Traditional Neighborhood Development, transit-oriented development associated with Peter Calthorpe, and mixed-use form reflected in projects like Poundbury and New Urbanist prototypes. It endorses a human-scale approach found in the work of Christopher Alexander and Ian McHarg, advocates for connectivity reminiscent of Victor Gruen critiques, and supports public realm stewardship akin to campaigns by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the World Monuments Fund. The Charter addresses urban patterns influenced by Haussmann-era boulevards, Amsterdam canal frameworks, and principles seen in Barcelona and Paris urbanism.

Key Signatories and Organizations

Signatories included prominent practitioners and institutions such as Andrés Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Peter Calthorpe, Philip Johnson, Leon Krier, and Roberto Burle Marx-style landscape advocates, alongside organizations like the Congress for the New Urbanism, the Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Academic endorsers came from Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Princeton University. Civic supporters ranged from the Mayor of Charleston to acts by municipal authorities in Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, and Vancouver. International networks included the Charter of Athens-related schools, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the International Making Cities Livable Conference.

Implementation and Influence

The Charter influenced zoning reforms, urban codes, and form-based codes championed by the Miami 21 initiative, the Smart Growth policies of agencies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and transit planning exemplified by Portland, Oregon’s light rail expansions and the Sound Transit system in Seattle. It informed case law and policy discussions in arenas involving the U.S. Department of Transportation, the European Commission, and municipal planning commissions in London, Tokyo, and São Paulo. Implementation occurred in projects such as Seaside, Florida, Poundbury, Stapleton (Denver), and Kentlands, and influenced curricula at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the University of Virginia School of Architecture. Research links include studies by the Brookings Institution, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and think tanks like the Urban Land Institute and Renaissance Planning Group.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics from strands associated with Jane Jacobs-inspired activists, scholars at MIT, and writers like James Howard Kunstler have challenged aspects of the Charter, accusing proponents of pastiche and citing controversies similar to debates over Gentrification in Brooklyn and displacement in San Francisco. Legal and equity debates involved the Fair Housing Act and rezonings contested in courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States and state appellate courts. Critics drew on analyses by researchers at the Urban Institute, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Brookings Institution to argue that certain New Urbanist developments contributed to increased housing costs, creating tensions analogous to disputes in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.. Debates engaged civic groups including Local Initiatives Support Corporation and policy bodies like the National Governors Association.

Notable Projects and Case Studies

High-profile projects associated with the Charter include Seaside, Florida, Poundbury, Kentlands, Stapleton (Denver), Celebration, Florida, and I’On Village. Internationally, implementations and adaptations appeared in HafenCity, Vauban (Freiburg), Canary Wharf-adjacent regenerations, and masterplans in Doha, Sharjah, and Singapore. Academic case studies examined by Harvard University, University College London, and ETH Zurich assessed outcomes in Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, and Curitiba. Evaluations referenced transportation links such as Portland Streetcar, TRAX (Salt Lake City), and Docklands Light Railway while comparing metrics used by the World Bank, the OECD, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Category:Urban planning