Design Guidelines: Village Housing

Village and Land Patterns Planning a Healthy Community Neighborhood Scale Residential Cluster

Planning a Healthy Community

Create integrated neighborhoods: Think about how healthy neighborhoods tend to include variety of ages, incomes, and cultures, as well as a mix of work/living spaces, walkability, access to services and institutions (health, school, market). Think of neighborhood as a social organism that can grow and evolve over time as we contribute to it.

New development to respond to existing patterns: New development can complement and enhance the existing fabric by responding the traditional patterns of place and by strengthening the infrastructure. Building on brownfield sites, empty lots (infill), and parking lots helps bring new life, as does rehabilitating older buildings and structures. Increased density can reduce traffic and environmental impacts and add to green space when done consciously.

Complement cultural identity of town: Identify town character-understand the organizing principle of the community and how it is maintained. Discover what complements and contributes to the cultural identity in a way that shines! Adding to the local economy and finding a place to call home can bring about delightful and elegant solutions.

Establish local economy: Work from local building materials where possible, hire local builders and craftspeople, try recycled materials, discover what is indigenous and design from there. A local economy comes from investing in local knowledge, traditions, and financials exchanges that keep the resources within the community.

Contribute to the greater community: Contribute to the greater sense of community through inclusion of public walking trails and community gardens; allowance for village meeting places (both formal and informal); and entertainment (music, festivals, food). Create development that is contributory rather than competitive.