This article was intriguing. I appreciated how Duncan laid out his facts and his analysis. The division of Bedford makes me step back and wonder. Its really amazing how people have segregated themselves with out physical barriers. The different classes within one town are almost one end of the spectrum to the other. The clear differences between the alpha and beta are really amazing. There are areas of cities that have differences between classes but in Bedford it really divides the village.
The division within larger cities and even small towns is there just not as obvious. I grew up in a town where the majority of the working class are all educated at the higher level. It creates a town that is very similar wherever you may go. There are a few areas that the people have a lower standard but these areas are clustered.
The strict zoning code of the village really dictates the way the village will grow. It's very interesting to see how the inhabitants of Bedford have really embraced it. I find it fascinating that the new homes resemble something that is centuries old. I found it really interesting that the people of the town actually stand up to maintain the feel of their town. Even with the younger generation of people, it's really satisfying to see people fight for their living conditions. There are some areas where it's obvious that the people don't care about their surroundings. I find that sad.
The paragraph about new vs old money was interesting. There are areas like that in Vegas and the 'old money' homes are segregated. They are divided with gates like discussed in the last reading but it is still apparent that thats where the old money is. Many of the 'old money' areas have the club house that establishes them as the 'snooty'. Movies and television really promote that club houses are for the high rollers. I'm really curious though if that's how club houses really are. I have never been inside a club house...but it makes you wonder.
I wonder what would happen if towns were to set codes as strict what would happen. Would it be embraced as much as Bedford has or would people reject the regulations?
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I think some planned communities have popped up under very strict zoning regulations, and have met with success (although I guess it depends on your definition of "success")
Seaside, FL is the one that comes to mind. If you aren't familiar with it it is where "The Truman Show" was primarily filmed. Maybe its not "zoning" so much as it is CC&R's but my fuzzy memory recalls that there is no automobile traffic allowed, all houses have white picket fences, particular color palette and roof pitches. It's postcard beautiful in my opinion.
Eric, what you are describing is DPZ's classic planned community the TND (traditional neighborhood development). We specialize in TND's in my office here in Indianapolis. The key behind the "unusual" zoning for these areas is that cities are starting to realize they being in revenue so they are actually allowed to create a Planned Urban Development (PUD) which allows them to create their own zoning requirements. In fact, I have written a few for similiar neighborhoods. We identify which materials may and may not be used, the setbacks, the fencing material, the type of signage for the commercial areas. Its very, very planned.
Also, what is a CC&R?
On a side note, I have a real problem with TND's because all the ones I have ever visited or worked on are typically plopped down in the middle of nowhere. So while you can walk around your community, its difficult to get outside of it without your car.
I absolutely love Seaside, FL. It is eerily utopian, (very much George Orwells 1984 feeling) but the architecture is stunning.
In terms of Seaside, I dont think that this article reflects what is happening in that town in particular. Everyone who lives there is conscience of the rules and regulations, and I'm assuming because of the cost to build a house to those standards, that all the people who live there WANT to live there. They are there because of choice, not because of happenstance.
Heres a link, just in case you've never see this place:
http://www.seasidefl.com/
(Its really incredible! I hope to design a home there someday!)
On another note: Frances, I'm sure living in Vegas you must see a lot of segregation happening? I can only imagine in a town with such a contrast of rich vs. poor you must be able to see the division on a daily basis.
We do the same things with the places we shop. When I lived in Arcata CA (the single most beautiful town in the world, my apologies to Seaside...), the north side of the Plaza had four taverns interspersed along its string of shops, with a fifth just around the corner. And each one of them had its "crowd:" two for the college kids who wanted to listen to Hootie and the Blowfish, one for the local professionals who wanted to play darts, one for the crunchy-granolas who wanted to hear reggae, and one for the working class who seemed only to want to look into the bottom of their glass. You could go into any one of them and buy the same beer, but the alpha-beta world was rarely more evident for me. Same thing with Whole Foods and Safeway, Kmart and Target, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. You're buying the whole lifestyle landscape when you make that choice.
I wonder how popular these planned out places would be. Living in Alaska I couldn't imagine any such zoning being applied here. I could see it if the population grew tremendously but right now people threw a fit when zoning tried to admin a signage code.
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