An Old New Urbanist?

An Internship at the Marshall Erdman Academy of

Sustainable Design

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An Old New Urbanist?

An Internship at the Marshall Erdman Academy of Sustainable Design

Architectural Sociology:

New Urbanism in the USA

Lehrstuhl für Architektursoziologie

Fachbereich 07 TU Berlin

Viktor Oldiges

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1. Preface

the "

Rail Study Project".

In the following chap-

ters, I will describe the situation in Madison and

This resume was written for the "New Urban-

the goals of the project. I will also mention the

ism" seminar at the TU Berlin under supervi-

Middleton Hills Community project by Marshall

sion of Prof. Harald Bodenschatz, teacher of

Erdman & Associates. I will try to put the two

Architectural Sociology. Topic of the seminar

projects in the context of the New Urbanism

were the different flavours of a movement in the

movement and analyze differences and relations

USA, called "New Urbanism". In this context,

between the "Rail Study Project" and the

the term is used to describe a very complex pro-

"Middleton Hills" Project.

cess that is taking place in America right now.

New Urbanism cannot be seen as a homogeneous

movement. It is rather a wide variety of new so-

lutions in theory and practice to improve the

2. Political Context

quality of life in the USA. It is regarded as an

American reaction to Urban Sprawl, but also as

In order to understand the work of the MEASD,

a reaction to the increasing social problems in

one must understand the situation of Non-Gov-

urban neighborhoods. In the following, I will

ernment-Organizations (NGOs) in the United

present two projects I consider part of this move-

States. Compared to Europe, social and ecologi-

ment. However, "New Urbanism" has many

cal expenses of the government in the United

meanings, and there might be disagreement

States are rather low. Social and Ecological ac-

within the groups of protagonists about whether

tivity has always been seen as part of the private

or not the term applies to their projects.

responsibility. Therefore, most companies sup-

In Summer 1999, I had the chance to do an in-

port individual NGOs which have long term so-

ternship at the

Marshall Erdman Academy of

cial and ecological goals. Naturally, it is not al-

Sustainable Design

1 in Madison, Wisconsin. The

lowed to make direct commercial use of the

MEASD is a Non-Government-Organization, an

NGOs. However, companies try to drive profit

independent part of

Marshall Erdman & Asso-

from their independent knowledge and long term

ciates Inc.

Its goal is to "develop a better under-

work.

standing of the regional design process" and

During the recent economic boom in the United

"seek new urban options"2. For example, the

States, not only commercial firms but also the

Academy proposes higher urban density in or-

NGOs have profited. A large amount of money

der to contain Urban Sprawl. In Madison, the

is used to contain the problems that come along

Academy tries to achieve these goals by estab-

with the boom. The new wealth of the middle

lishing a regional transit system that is supposed

class and their new demands have led to an ex-

to propel dense urban development.

plosion of size of the cities that brought along

Marshall Erdman & Associates

is a company

immense land use, irreparable damage to the

that is responsible for the design and construc-

landscape, traffic jams and a huge increase of

tion of private clinics and hospitals throughout

national output of Co2. We call this development

the Midwest of the United States. That usually

Urban Sprawl

. While this development is still

includes the complete design process, construc-

going on, a considerable part of the society now

tion supervision as well as the interior design.

suffers from these problems and has changed

All clinics are furnished with products of the

their attitudes. On the one hand, many compa-

Marshall Erdman sub-company

techline

. A late

nies now profit from the new demands for a more

project of Marshall Erdman has also been the

sustainable living and the great amounts of

design of a mid-sized community in Madison

money that are spent for it. On the other hand,

called

Middleton Hills

.

many NGOs with high financial support of now

In the two months of my internship, I worked

successful companies have become important

on plans for the regional transit system called

protagonists of this movement. However, the

1 further mentioned as MEASD

2 in: A Regional Design Process for Sustainability, published by the MEASD

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goals of the NGOs are not necessarily identical

eas contain huge monotone sprawl communities.

with the goals of those companies. This differ-

Within the fast-growing city, traffic jams and

ence can be seen in the example of the Middleton

other ecological problems are increasing. A

Hills Project by a successful company and the

prognosis says that the population of Madison

Rail Study Project by its Non-Profit Organiza-

will increase in the next decade by 50,000 in-

tion.

habitants. Most of these people are expected to

settle down in the suburbs, especially in the west

of the city. The town of Middleton on the edge

3. The City of Madison

of Madison will double its population.

Univer-
sity Avenue

, the main connection between the

Madison is the capital of the state of Wiscon-

Isthmus

, the center of Madison, and its western

sin in the north of the USA. The city has about

suburbs, is already jammed during traffic peak

400.000 inhabitants and is considered as very

times. Many of the most important spots of Madi-

"livable". With a very liberal population and a

son are situated along this road: the campus of

good system of buses and bike-paths, it provides

the University of Wisconsin, the UW Hospital,

a rather unusually well-functioning urban scen-

the football stadium, the town center of

ery. Madison is a city of high architectural stan-

Middleton as well as many urban communities

dard influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and John

and important companies. One of them is

Nolen. However, Urban Sprawl has struck Madi-

Marshall Erdman and Associates

, a company

son as well. While the central districts of the city

that owns large parts of the land along Univer-

have beautiful urban spaces, the surrounding ar-

sity Avenue.

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4. Marshall Erdman and the
Academy

The MEASD was founded when Professor

Philip Lewis jr., teacher of landscape architec-

ture at the UW Madison, retired. Marshall

Erdman, then president of the company named

after him, gave him the opportunity to continue

working on his

Sustainable Design

projects as

independent part of the company. The personal

relation of Philip Lewis and Marshall Erdman

prior to his death plays an important role in the

whole process. Mr. Lewis′ Academy of Sustain-

able Design is regarded highly in the company.

That is not only because he has achieved a lot

during his long career as landscape architect and

is widely known as FASLA and AICP, but also

because he has had a very good relation to

Marshall Erdman. In the philosophy of the com-

pany, a sustainable design process had always

played an important role. Marshall Erdman had

always dedicated himself to those topics. How-

ever, the company has specialized more and

more in clinic construction and has become one

one of these exceptional projects.

of the most important developers in the US. Only

in some decisions, the work of the company now

5. Middleton Hills

intersects the work of the MEASD. The

Middleton Hills project by Marshall Erdman was

The planning process for the Middleton Hills

community began 1993. In a so-called

"Charette", the planning comity of Marshall

Erdman met with different local groups. Inter-

ests were pointed out quickly, and the planing

was assigned to the office of

Andres Duany and
Elizabeth Planter-Zyberk (DPZ

)3. The idea of

Middleton Hills resembles in substance a typi-

cal New Urbanism community4. Its emphasis is

put rather on town planning than on architec-

ture. The size of the community is based on a

calculation of walking distances with a maxi-

mum of 400 units and a 10 minute distance. The

plan makes use of existing topography in order

to create a "sense of place"5 and make use of

natural resources to solve the water drainage

problem. Streets are laid out on an irregular grid

system. Civic buildings and shops are placed on

3 Some of the projects by DPZ were reviewed by other members of the class

4 see: Projekte des New Urbanism, Harald Bodenschatz in: bauwelt 12/00

5 from: Presentation of Middleton Hills under www.erdman.com

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important spots and serve as landmarks. In the

contrary to most of the existing communities,

all streets are equipped with sidewalks. The cus-

tomers bring in their own architects. However,

an architectural code ensures a homogeneous

street scenery. Every plan is controlled by a su-

pervising comity. Middleton Hills is situated

within seven miles of downtown and about one

mile from University Avenue. With about half

of the units sold, there is no direct bus service to

downtown yet. Even though the houses are

equipped with modern communication systems,

most of the people work outside the community

and use their cars to get there. The infrastruc-

ture is to serve all periodical needs, but it has

not yet reached a state where it is self-sufficient.

Many units have been sold successfully by 1999,

but not in the expected scale. Ground prices are

higher than in other communities. The reasons

for that are extra expenses in public spaces and

larger, more accurate planning efforts. On the

other hand, the average expenses of a family are

expected to decrease in the community as soon

as the whole infrastructure is completed. There

is less need for private transportation, because

many shops are within walking distance. Be-

sides, there is less need for private space because

of the variety of public spaces in the neighbor-

hood.

Most people who decide to settle down in

Middleton Hills have previously been living in

suburban communities and are seeking for al-

ternate solutions. Usually, they are very respon-

sive to the idea of community, neighborhood and

a more sustainable living. They accept the higher

costs not only for their own advantages, but also

for the idea of a more responsible way of life

concerning the environment.

6. The Rail Study Project

While the Middleton Hills Project is still under

construction, politicians, urban designers and

economic leaders have identified the problems

of Urban Sprawl in Madison. Middleton Hills

provides a much denser structure than sprawl

above left: Map of Middleton Hills

left: Philip Lewis jr. in the Academy Office

communities, and it decreases private traffic.

above: Styles taken from the architectural code in Middleton Hills

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However, inhabitants of Middleton Hills are still

highly dependent on cars. They are jamming Uni-

versity Avenue every morning just as the inhab-

itants of "Sprawl City" do. Like in European

countries, new markets and industries have led

to a shift to new sites in most businesses.

During the economic boom of the nineties and

the beginning of this decade, planners are seek-

ing for solutions for all kinds of new projects,

such as expanding companies, new civic projects

and changes in infrastructure. With many sites

remaining unused, there is a high potential for

new development within the city limits. The

MEASD has started the Rail Study Project in

order to accelerate the development of

Urban
Infill

. The idea is based on the

Urban Corridor

theory. By guiding the sprawl into these corri-

dors, farmlands and so-called

Environmental
Corridors

can be protected. The Environmental

Corridors contain most of the natural and cul-

tural resources. In the Mid-West of the United

States, there is a historic infrastructure of rail

lines. Most villages and cities have developed

along these rail lines in the turn of the century.

The Urban Corridors make use of the spaces

along these rail lines in order to make use of the

transit potential and old infrastructure. A major

goal of the project is to create new public spaces

surrounding the stations. Customers will only use

public transport if they have access to retail and

service for periodic needs. These facilities would

develop in small distance to the stations. Land

use would be minimized, and the structure of

the whole city would become more oriented to-

wards these new sub-centers.

In Madison, there is an existing rail system

along University Avenue. However, most of the

urban development has taken place outside this

existing corridor, encouraging sprawl. The tracks

are only used for cargo transports. The MEASD

listed potential transit stations and their status

in 1999 and in the future and met with all land

owners in order to discuss possible development.

However, there is disagreement about these

plans. Opposing groups argue that a larger bus

network with better frequencies could serve the

same purpose. A new rail system with new tran-

sit stations would be too expensive. Some in-

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habitants of adjacent neighborhoods fear that a

transit system would attract people of lower in-

come, like university students and welfare-de-

pendent people. Neighbors fear noise and pos-

sible development of crime in the transit areas.

Some argue that new and better ways of trans-

portation will encourage even more development

outside the city limits. But usually, reactions are

rather positive. The transit system serves not only

the purpose of reducing private traffic. Inves-

tors hope to gain profit from higher retail activi-

ties in the station area. Different groups of inter-

est have identified the problems which come

along with urban sprawl and are now support-

ing the plans. Communities along the railroad

hope to profit from long term increases of tax

income. There is also disagreement about the

scale of the system. The city wants to keep com-

munity development and transit station retail

within the city limits. Adjacent communities and

influential companies support a larger regional

system in order to connect their outer sites. The

transit system has become subject to all kinds of

social and political engagement. Meetings with

all kinds of groups have shown that political top-

ics are far more important for the realization of

the transit system than direct economic calcula-

tions.

7. Analysis

Both Middleton Hills and the Rail Study Project

can be seen as parts of the New Urbanism move-

ment. However, they are influenced by all kinds

of interests. In Middleton Hills, Erdman tries to

react to the needs of its customers. These needs

differ. Some are seeking for the special atmo-

sphere of a traditionalist community. Some want

a safer place for their children, others have been

living too far away from their jobs. The com-

pany wants to profit from these demands. The

left above: Sprawl City and Corridor City in the theory of Philip Lewis

project must not be seen as ideological, it should

rather be seen as a possible solution to existing

left: Transit village in Japan - high density along transit routes and

maximum use of agricultural wedges

problems. The Rail Study Project to me seemed

to be more a subject to all kinds of discussion.

above:

1. A German diesel train proposed for the transit system

The political scale of New Urbanism was far

2. The Wisconsin Trade Ceter with Main Street

more evident in this case. On the one hand, it

towards planned rail tracks

3. The historic train station in Middleton

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unified the conservative land owners against it.

the city." Using "Orwellian New Urbanism New

Some of them believe that huge new develop-

Speak", the movement, according to Krieger,

ments outside the city are rather a sign of

turned subdivisions into "towns" and real estate

progress than a problem. They believe any kind

investors into "town fathers". He warns not to

of government control and public investment

"constrict at this propitious moment the possi-

to be wrong. On the other hand, the project

bilities of what constitutes urbanism"6. Duany

showed the disagreement within the movement,

responded to the attacks in an article in the

between environmentalists, traditionalists, the

American magazine

ARCHITECTURE

: "Noth-

administration of the administration of the city

ing but prejudice!"7. He points out that every

of Madison and that of its suburbs.

single aspect of the attack is wrong. sprawl, land

use, density, traffic, restrictions and codes, pri-

8. Duany and Krieger

vate legislation: Duany claims to have found the

ideal and most practicable solution for each of

Andres Duany, the planner of Middleton Hills,

these topics. With 320 units per acre, DPZ com-

has always been subject to heavy criticism. One

munities reach a "typically urban density".

of his main opponents in public discussions was

The polemic exchange of opinions between

Alex Krieger, professor of Urban Design at

Krieger and Duany shows that within the move-

Harvard University. In his speech at the New

ment, there is a difference between theory and

Urbanism Congress in September 1998, Krieger

practice. Until 1998, New Urbanism was seen

attacked the whole movement of New Urban-

as an idea full of visionary spirit that would

ism. As a supporter of investment in central cit-

change America and solve all social and eco-

ies, Krieger believes the claims of the New Ur-

nomical problems. Since the sudden breakout

banism Movement to be not equal to its achieve-

of the conflict, the debate has become a major

ments. "To date", he summarizes, the movement

political topic, especially with the Presidential

has "helped produce more subdivisions, [...] den-

candidature of Al Gore as a major figure in the

sities too low to support much mixed use, a new

discussion.

wave of form-follows-function determinism, [...]

and carefully edited, rose-colored evocations of

below: Planned rail lines in Madison

small-town urbanism, from which a century ago

right: Sketches of the ideal city show neotraditional villages as

many Americans fled not to the suburbs but to

well as high density structures

6 Whose Urbanism?, Alex Krieger, from: bauwelt, 12/00, speech at the New Urbanism Congress 1998 in Seaside, FL

7 Nothing but Prejudice!, Andres Duany, ARCHITECTURE, 12/98

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9. Resume

The MEASD and the Company of Marshall

tion on their large projects. Frank Miller, vice

Erdman reflect in a way the debate between

president of the MEASD, is also responsible for

Krieger and Duany. But the conflict of the New

the restructuring of the Marshall Erdman head

Urbanism Congress in Seaside has not touched

office9. He says that the company was too far

the atmosphere in Madison. Lewis tries to find

away from its own philosophy and did not make

the way in between. He is described by the

enough use of their advantages. With a new

American Magazine of Landscape Architecture

single office building designed by the German

as "commonsense visionary"* The plans of the

architect Thomas Herzog, he wants to improve

MEASD are far less ideological than they might

the communication with all parts of the com-

seem. As part of Marshall Erdman & Associ-

pany, including the Academy. In the new build-

ates, the Academy has a direct relation to real-

ing, Professor Lewis might get spaces for an

ized projects. Professor Lewis has always been

exhibition about his regional design process. The

involved in these projects. In the sketches of the

Academy might get new impulse and emerge

Urban Corridor Theory, he included new com-

from the quiet position in the background of

munities like Middleton Hills as parts of the ideal

political activity. If these plans are successful,

network of sustainable developments. He be-

Marshall Erdman & Associates will serve as the

lieves that every single step in the right direc-

example for all New Urbanists. A truly sustain-

tion should be seen positively and become part

able design process in the spirit of the Wiscon-

of the whole movement. However, his influence

sin visionaries Aldo Leopold and Frank Lloyd

in the company could be higher. His work is not

Wright could be combined with the knowledge,

academic theory, but rather an image for a pos-

philosophy and pragmatism of the company′s

sible development that includes all positive

founder Marshall Erdman.

movements. "I′m a landscape architect," Lewis

The term "New Urbanism" alone is not a recipe

states in an interview8, "Landscape architects are

for improvement. Marshall Erdman & Associ-

concerned with where to build, where not to

ates could show that only visionary spirit com-

build, and what to build.". With the great sources

bined with constant political work can improve

of land, the company could profit from his ideas.

the quality of life in the United States.

In the last years, the company has put the atten-

8 from: Landscape Architecture Magazine, 07/96

9 from my Interview with Frank Miller in 09/99

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