1 / 29

Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program Overview

Learn about the SDAT program, which brings a team of experts to work with community decision-makers to provide broad assessments and help frame future policies or design solutions in the context of sustainability. Examples from the SDAT 2005 program are provided.

anstett
Download Presentation

Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program Overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) Program Overview Northampton, MA October 17 - 19, 2005 The American Institute of Architects

  2. American Institute of ArchitectsCenter for Communities by Design Ann Livingston, Esq., Director

  3. Program Principles • Multidisciplinary expertise. • Objectivity. • Community participation. • NO preconceived answers or solutions.

  4. SDAT • SDATs will bring a team of experts to work with community decision-makers. • The SDAT program will provide broad assessments to help frame future policies or design solutions in the context of sustainability and help communities plan the first steps of implementation.

  5. SDAT 2005 • Cache Valley, UT • Forest City, NC • Pittsfield, MA • Northampton, MA • Oklahoma City, OK • Alexandria Township, NJ • New Orleans, LA

  6. Charrette: the little cart

  7. Photo of group session

  8. Photo of public session

  9. Multiple Photos of team and roundtables

  10. Definitions of SustainabilityPeter J. Arsenault, AIA, Team Leader The ability of a community to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” UN World Summit on Sustainable Development Making decisions based on how they will affect not only our generation, but also seven generations from now. Iroquois Nation

  11. Three Elements of Sustainability • Environmental Stewardship • Economic Development/Growth • Social Equity • All planning decisions should be assessed based on all three elements - advances in only one, to the detriment of the others, is not fundamentally sustainable.

  12. Northampton, MA SDAT • Numerous individual planning reports already done. • Comprehensive planning process starting with theme of “Sustainable Northampton” • SDAT is “kick-off” of 6-12 month comprehensive planning effort.

  13. Northampton SDAT Issues Focus • Sustainable Land Use • Smart Growth • Open Space • Transportation • Economic Development • Sustainable Economic Development • Housing Affordability • Sustainable Energy Use

  14. 1. Sustainable Land Use - GrowthJoseph I. Donald, PP • “...understanding how the built environment and existing land use patterns help or hinder achieving a vision of a sustainable future. An examination of new land use policies and practices is welcomed to address new patterns, pressures, and opportunities for growth that maintains a balanced sustainability.

  15. Photo of single zoning from livability 101

  16. 2. Open Space - Land UseMargarita Hill, ASLA • Almost a fifth of Northampton is permanently protected open space, including conservation land, wildlife sanctuaries, parks, rail trails, and recreation areas. • The sustainability question is one of balance between protecting open areas and allowing appropriate growth and development.

  17. Photo of natural land from August visit

  18. Photo of nursing home campus from August visit

  19. 3. Transportation - Land UseKaren Frost • Northampton has recently approved a 2005 Transportation Plan that addresses elements of how to make the local transportation system sustainable. An integrated approach needs to be addressed and looked at in terms of overall planning implications.

  20. Photo of street from pedestrian point of view.

  21. Photo of development with “walk to school” bridge

  22. 4. Economic DevelopmentFrederic (Rick) Chapla • Economic Development is critical to Northampton because of the desire to maintain an exceptional quality of life • Northampton’s economy has shifted from the historic mill town manufacturing to an educational, institutional and service base.

  23. Photo of Florence factory taken during August visit

  24. 5. Housing AffordabilitySandra Mallory, AIA • The City has been recognized in recent years as a top rated town for the arts, for families, for historic preservation and for outdoor activities. As such, it has attracted new residents and participated in the general Massachusetts trend of market-driven housing costs that have been rapidly increasing.

  25. Photo of new home with trail next to it taken in August.

  26. 6. Energy SustainabilityDennis Andrejko, AIA, NCARB • Northampton is a member of the Cities for Climate Protection campaign organized by the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) • There is an eagerness to promote the use of renewable and non-polluting energy in residential and public buildings.

  27. Side by side images of existing Northampton intersection and UN vision of city with windmills.

  28. SDAT Schedule • Roundtable sessions (daytime) 10/17 & 18 • Public input sessions (evenings) 10/17 & 18 • Team analysis processing (daytime) 10/19 • Public presentation (evening) 10/19 • Written report 45 - 60 days after • Follow up visit 6 months after

  29. The AIA Center for Communities by Design: Contact Information www.aia.org/livable Email Address: communitiesbydesign@aia.org AIA National Component Center for Communities by Design 1735 New York Avenue NW Washington, DC 20006-5292

More Related