Built to Last: CNU Video Winner

[Metro Jacksonville]

Built to Last: CNU Video Winner



The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the leading international organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl, announces the winner of its 2009 video contest. The team of First + Main Media from Julian, CA and Paget Films from Buffalo, NY, award-winning documentary film producers, won for their short film entitled Built to Last. Members of the team include John Paget, Dr. Chris Elisara, and Drew Ward.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jun-built-to-last-cnu-video-winner

[Hurricane]

Great video and very insightful.  It makes me want to make changes...

[b real]

Awesome video! A concept that should have never been lost and one that Jacksonville can't seem to get. It's a shame that we think by building the Town Center this would be recreated......

[Joe]

Ugh ... I'm sorry guys ... I'm a huge proponent of the New Urbanism, but I think that video competition hit all the wrong notes for me.

I really couldn't care less about carbon footprint, and neither does the majority of the New Urbanism's target market. Successful NU projects have taken advantage of wealthy suburbanites desire for a lifestyle change, not an environmental crusade. One of the best parts about the NU is that it creates urban places that appeal to middle-class, middle-aged, (maybe even - gasp) Republicans. I hope the CNU never loses sight of that fact.

Apparently the whole point of the video was to focus on environmental issues, so I can't complain too much. But I think it's worth emphasizing that NU is really selling itself short if environmental issues ever become the main thrust of its marketing. It's about the neighborhood, the community, the design, the place, the aesthetics, the comfort ... it's not about carbon.

[jason_contentdg]

I don't think that lifestyle change and environmental issues have to be different things, and I'm quite sure NU feels that they don't have to be separated as well...

I know I posted this link in another thread some time ago, but feel that it makes a nice companion video to the NU one:

http://www.contentdg.com/jacksonville-economic-development-commission-downtown-development/

[JeffreyS]

Joe I agree.  Lifestyle and quality of life will sell better than carbon footprints.  Case in point developers all over America sell the public on driving an hour to and from work everyday by packaging an image of quality of life and not environmental issues.
Jason they do not have to be separate in fact as a sells man I know you should take advantage of every benefit.  That said one something is always your alpha point the one you want in three minute elevator pitch and one is a bullet point for your fliers and memos.

[will]

I really couldn't care less about carbon footprint, and neither does the majority of the New Urbanism's target market. Successful NU projects have taken advantage of wealthy suburbanites desire for a lifestyle change, not an environmental crusade. One of the best parts about the NU is that it creates urban places that appeal to middle-class, middle-aged, (maybe even - gasp) Republicans. I hope the CNU never loses sight of that fact.

The notion of a "carbon footprint" when presented in the abstract is pretty meaningless, but it becomes much more relevant when you think about the effects of that footprint on our medium to long term quality of life. I think the video does a good job of explaining that sprawl fails not just as a quality of life approach, but also as a question of a sustainable society. More sprawl just won't work. In less than a hundred years we've eaten up huge amounts of land, nearly ruined our water supply and killed off hundreds of animal species. That doesn't sound like a long term plan to me. I think we either change our approach, a la New Urbanism, or we burn the candle at both ends until there just isn't anything left.

[hightowerlover]

carbon footprint is a buzzword and it's bound to offend some.  overall the video focuses on all of the massively positive impacts on going back to the old school of urban design.  it just so happens that reducing pollution is one of the great improvements. 

[will]

People don't like to hear about carbon footprints,etc... because it means they can't just do whatever the hell they want. They want to hear that they can consume as much as they want with no cost at all. And they've been led to believe that by our consumer culture. But all that burnt up oil ends up in the air we breathe, and all that garbage we produce ends up in a landfill or on some once-pristine third world beach. Ultimately, I think the people that say we can't or shouldn't change our habits do so for selfish reasons - whether conscious or not.

With regard to new urbanism, I like it mostly for aesthetic reasons. American cities were once beautiful. They've been mostly ruined by sprawl and urban rot. I lived in Europe for many years and I can tell you that there is an alternative. We've just forgotten what we once knew very well - that compact cities just work better. But let's not forget the bigger picture. We need a kind of civilization that works in the long term - and not ruining the air and soil is a pretty big part of that.

[samiam]

New urbanism is a good concept, but we also need to place more emphasis on true urban areas. I have said many times on this forum "The greenest house is a house that is already built". Before we build new urbanism communities we need to consentrate on infill and connecting to existing infrastructure.