Planning Commissioners Journal

Unappealing by Day ... and Can Creep You Out at Night

"We're designing neighborhoods that are unappealing by day ... and can creep you out at night." That's one of the comments you'll hear from Tim Tielman, executive director of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo. The focus of this episode of his "Adventures in Buffaloland" series of broadcasts is on the downtown Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and how its design flaws & isolation from its immediate surroundings undermine what appears to be a good-looking piece of architecture. 

Tielman asks whether its design failures negative the economic benefits this massive investment might bring to the downtown area? As he notes, "the tragic irony: It’s the MEDICAL industry that is creating a built environment so harmful to public health and safety."

fyi, we've often covered urban design issues in the Planning Commissioners Journal. Take a look, in particular, at our publication: Taking a Closer Look: Design & Aesthetics. For a limited time, you can also download at no charge one of the articles from this publication: Ilene Watson's "An Introduction to Urban Design" (a 7 page pdf file). It connects to kinds of issues Tielman speaks about in this video.

The Remarkable Johnson Wax Building

I'm a bit of a Frank Lloyd Wright junkie, and have visited at least a dozen of the homes he built. But I was especially struck by a visit two years ago to the Johnson Wax Building in Racine, Wisconsin, designed by Wright. It's a remarkable office space, still in active use. It includes many innovative features, and conveys a dramatic but surprisingly tranquil feel.  

So much of the focus in our thinking about architecture is about residential design -- and Wright was, of course, a master of that as well. But I think you'll enjoy and learn from this three part video series providing a tour of the Johnson Wax building. If you're ever in Racine, it's well worth a stop -- though I believe tours are only given on Fridays.

These three videos -- to be viewed in sequence -- provide a good overview of this special building in American architectural history.

For information on visiting the Johnson Wax Building.

Individual Article Downloads From Our Fall Issue Now Available

Subscribe to the Planning Commissioners Journal, and start with our Fall issue. Order online, or call our office: 802-864-9083. Note: government orders can call and request to be invoiced. OR order a print copy of the issue for $17.75 -- delivered by first-class mail OR download a copy of this issue for $16.75 (or $75.00 for license to print up to 20 copies) OR download individual articles from our Fall issue -- click on article titles below, and then use the download article button
Contents of our Fall 2009 issue
	Zoning for Religious Institutions by Eric Damian Kelly, Esq., FAICP The impact of zoning regulations on religious institutions is a complex and evolving area of law. A primer on key issues citizen and professional planners should be familiar with.
Planning for Public Transportation in Rural Communities by Hannah Twaddell There's a strong need for public transportation in rural communities -- with benefits both for individuals and local economies.
	Stand by Your Plan by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP Ten tips to help you better prepare and implement your community's long-range plan.
The Role for Planning in Sustainable Communities by Elaine Cogan Communities throughout the country are see growing interest in sustainable development. Some ideas on how to take sustainability into account.
	Where's Art in Planning? (free download; use link to download article as pdf file) by Ric Stephens It's rare that art is considered relevant to planning -- and that's unfortunate.
Considering the Regional Impacts of Local Actions by C. Gregory Dale, FAICP Do we have an ethical responsibility to take into account the regional impacts of local land use decisions?
	CircleTheUSA Three reports from PCJ Editor Wayne Senville's travels: -- are Cleveland, Ohio, planners' new strategies for the reuse of vacant land realistic? -- how a Detroit, Michigan, suburb is seeking to reshape its future. -- why regional planners in northwest Indiana are focusing on 46 miles of lakeshore.

Recent Back Issues:	Special Focus Issues:
Summer 2009: Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities | Learn to Speak So People Will Listen | Are We There Yet? | Circle the USA Reports | and more	Winter 2006: Bright Ideas: 21 creative planning-related ideas & programs you should know about
Spring 2009: Getting the Density You Want | Growing Safer: Improving Roadways for Everyone | Dialing for Citizens | Learning to Enjoy Your Service on the Commission | and more	Fall 2005: This Land Is Your Land: on "takings" and property rights, and how planners can respond
Winter 2009: Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach | Taking Low Impact Development from Research to Regulations | The ABC's of Transit-Oriented Development | and more	Fall 2004: Back to School for Planners: on the impacts of school location, and the relationship between planning and school boards
Fall 2008: Pattern Books: A Planning Tool | GIS & Planning | Where Do We Want to Go? | and more	Spring 2004: Sphere of Influence: water and its impacts
Summer 2008: Greenways | Developing at the Edge | An Introduction to Charrettes | and more	Fall 2003: Planning for Historic Preservation: an introduction to historic preservation planning
Spring 2008: Car Sharing | Revisiting Ex Parte Contacts | Chairing the Commission | and more	Winter 2002: Opening the Door: planning for affordable housing
Winter 2008: Downtown Futures: continuing a series of reports from planners across the U.S., focusing on downtown issues	Spring 2000: The Promise of America: an historical look at 10 successes & 10 failures that having affected America's cities

Art & Soul in Planning

The Orton Family Foundation has done some terrific work in Vermont, Colorado, Maine, and other parts of the country in engaging citizens in local planning. A recent project of theirs in the small town of Starksboro, Vermont, is especially interesting as it uses storytelling and art as key elements in the planning process. Take a look at this short video. For more on the Starksboro project.

For more on the importance of the arts to local planning, see Ric Stephens' short article, "Where's Art in Planning" (free pdf download) from the Fall 2009 issue of the Planning Commissioners Journal.

Take a look also at our new Resource page on Art in Planning. It's a work in progress, and we'd welcome your suggestions for additional links or resources to cite.