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Restoring Our Urban Communities First

A restorative economy is one that seeks to balance the actions of business with the needs of the environment. Made relevant by environmentalist Paul Hawken, it has become a mandate for business leaders in all circles: a successful economy is one that complements the ecological cycle.

Can that theory be applied to urban design and planning? We at Ecos believe it can. Through our practice, in both our design/construction and planning studios, it has become apparent that before we can initiate the process of sustaining, we must first restore. In this process, we reestablish what was always missing, or no longer exists, by revitalizing, reinvigorating, rejoining and responding. We believe that our projects must first restore the presence of community, nature and diversity to allow for a truly sustainable urban environment.

Community. We are social beings. Our desire to meet, interact, be heard or simply watch is inherent. In nearly every redevelopment project we undertake, having a place for community is at the top of every resident’s wish list. Restoring the community is accomplished by designating spaces for both active and passive socializing to occur. We find that in many urban neighborhoods, this special area has deteriorated with the loss of former civic spaces that provided this very interaction, such as the post office or the school yard. Yet by interacting and listening to community residents, these civic spaces can be located in a manner that renews the community’s sense of identity and their ability to be social—furthering the notion of the livable city. By restoring community, we are restoring socialization. By restoring community, we are providing places for residents to engage with one another, wildlife habitats to stray past our backyards and impromptu experiences for our children. We are thinking about places where residents can live their entire life, no matter their age or their income.

Nature. Richard Louv speaks about the inherent need in all of us to connect to nature, be close to wildlife and experience natural occurrences. In his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, he explains that children— and of course all human beings— must be provided opportunities to experience our natural world for a number of tangible reasons, such as sustaining health, social well-being and mental advancement. In our current urban fabric, these opportunities often do not exist, especially in areas of transition and loss of former industries. Places for these natural interventions to occur must be planned for. Whether by reestablishing a stream channel, planning a small pocket of greenspace between homes, or transforming industrial land to sports fields and bike trails, planners and designers must engage early in the design of these spaces so that they become important community assets, not simply leftover landscapes. Assets we believe will come to define the community.

Diversity. In many locales, the very essence that makes life interesting—diversity—was cast aside for another strong desire—predictability. Zoning and its subsequent language has traditionally ensured that diversity (defined in our work as having variety; the fact or quality of being different) is replaced with sameness and certainty, often controlling the very elements that should be uncontrolled. Restoring the ability to allow diversity, whether through multifunctional buildings, art in the middle of a parking lot, or natural landscaping, is invaluable to the longevity and sense of place within a community. Importantly, economic opportunities flourish when diversity is embraced, such as farmers markets in the middle of a downtown or coffee shops on the neighborhood street corner.

In planning for the viability and vitality of our urban areas, sustainable solutions must be implemented and embraced by residents, government staff, and politicians. Yet without first restoring key attributes of urban life, we will not have any place worthy of sustaining. Ecos is constantly seeking ways to restore the community, nature and diversity of our urban fabric, because if done correctly, it often leads to something we also continually strive for—balance.