Recent news from our office:
8/22/08 | A landmark California effort to reform transportation and land use practices and aggressively raise the State’s level of sustainability is now underway in the State Legislature. In response to global warming and the need to reduce greenhouse gasses, Senate Bill 375 targets the reduction of vehicle emissions as a primary goal. Unlike prior strategies, however, it focuses on creating compact and walkable communities rather than simply limiting the emissions of individual vehicles. Projected outcomes include significantly greater adjacency of public transit, housing, retail and other mixed uses within communities; greater density of housing; and a significant reduction of vehicle trips. Alignment of transportation and housing policy as well as creation of significant financial incentives will enable implementation. The bill is supported by dozens of organizations and leaders, including the Congress for the New Urbanism and the National Resources Defense Council.
READ more on Senate Bill 375 in a recent Los Angeles Times article.
8/18/08 | The evolution of the form-based code as an instrument that displaces conventional, use-based zoning has been an ongoing effort within progressive urbanism over the last decade. A recently published book fully articulates the nature of the form-based code as a technical instrument and a comprehensive system. Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities and Developers (John Wiley & Sons, 2008) was written by three committed urbanist colleagues, Dan and Karen Parolek and the late Paul Crawford. It offers a groundbreaking and fully documented look at code practices, including an introductory chapter on purpose and history and significant follow-up chapters, “Components,” “Process” and “Case Studies.” Stefanos Polyzoides’ forward, “The Time is Now” describes the code’s role in its historical context, its ability to reconcile competing interests and ability to displace inadequate and default responses to zoning. As a subject within the book, Moule & Polyzoides’ form-based code work for municipalities such as Ventura and Santa Ana, California are featured as case studies; other projects are used to illustrate our approaches to architectural standards, block standards, illustrative plans and imagery, and building types. The book’s highly detailed and illustrative approach employs the work of a variety of other pioneering firms to describe the full range of tools available within form-based codes. In addition to serving as a valuable resource for all urbanists and as a reflection of the past decade’s approach to the code’s development, the book stands as a fitting tribute to a highly accomplished planner and longtime friend, the late Paul Crawford.
7/15-17/08 | The form-based code continues to be a powerful and evolving tool for cities, towns and their designers and developers to shape meaningful urbanism. The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is the only organization fully devoted to long-term development of the set of innovative techniques known by this name. In recognition of the need for education, training and continued evolution of such codes, the Institute held its “Form-Based Codes: An Introductory Course” workshop in Ventura, California on July 15 through 17. To support this effort, a series of experts were assembled for the first course of a three-part series developed by the Institute. This included lecture- and workshop-based sessions featuring both case studies and field trips. Among the presenters were Moule & Polyzoides Principal and FBCI Board Member Stefanos Polyzoides, presenting on the topic of “Shaping Community Form and Character,” and Moule & Polyzoides Senior Associate David Sargent, who presented the “Introduction to Field Exercises” and led a related field trip. Mr. Polyzoides’ and Mr. Sargent’s participation reflects Moule & Polyzoides’ ongoing commitment to a collegial exchange of ideas on prototypical form-based codes, as well as the firm’s significant role in shaping a new form-based Code for the City of Ventura.
LEARN more about future FBCI courses.
6/17/08 | The decline of the conventional suburb as the preferred place of residence, a longtime theme of New Urbanism, is focusing ever-greater interest on transit-oriented development (TOD), The Wall Street Journal reported this week. In a recent article, “Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some,” Pasadena’s Del Mar Station was featured as a leading example of a successful TOD. The project, situated within a walkable neighborhood adjacent to a major Metro Gold Line station, incorporates a mix of uses and offers an alternative to the region’s auto-centric lifestyle. As Los Angeles’s first TOD, the project’s occupancy rates confirm its appeal. According to Archstone, the project’s owner, “95% of the 347 units are rented, the highest occupancy rate since the building opened.” The article notes that “families who sought the suburbs or were priced out of cities now have an economic imperative to find their way back closer to town.” Other proximate amenities, such as the city’s vibrant Old Town district, restaurants, the Pasadena Civic Center and its resident symphony, a large natural foods supermarket, movie theaters and Pasadena’s largest urban park space all highlight to the project’s appeal.
On June 23 the CBS Evening News also offered a report on the impact of rising fuel costs, featuring consumer interviews and noting the many ways that high fuel prices are causing people to question where they live and how they work. Del Mar Station’s transit adjacent model was again shown as one of the kinds of solutions that offers significant fuel and cost savings. The report also included consumer interviews on the growth of alternatives such as car pools, hybrid car use and the four day work week. As part of the story, it was anticipated that 2008 will be the first time in 17 years that fuel consumption will actually decline.
VIEW the CBS Evening News story, “Americans Change Travel Habits.”
06/08 | The first phase of Moule & Polyzoides’ design for Fair Oaks Court, a courtyard housing project, was recently completed and opened to residents. The project includes thirty-one new craftsman-style one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom townhouses and apartments, renovation of eight existing single-family houses and a new community room. The buildings are organized around two planted courtyards and a large community green, linked by a series of landscaped and trellis-covered walks. Heritage Housing Partners, the sponsoring non-profit developer, utilized an approach that combined historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization with new construction. Comfortably situated in an established neighborhood, the project recalls the rich tradition of craftsman building that formed many of Pasadena’s earliest and most memorable neighborhoods.
5/16/08 | Moule & Polyzoides recently completed a design charrette for the historic town of Paso Robles, establishing a comprehensive and sustainable vision for the future. “El Paso de Robles,” as it was known in earlier days, was favorably located along the historic De Anza Trail, the Camino Real and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Its early appeal owed to its role as a health resort offering natural sulphur springs, helping establish a traditional and appealing downtown district. The Paso Robles Charrette effort focused on bridging the richness of such historic traditions with the need to address contemporary issues. This included revitalization of the existing uptown, establishment of greater identity for the downtown, resolution of the downtown’s relationship to the Paso Robles Events Center and to the Salinas River, and unification of a variety of uncoordinated planning efforts. Building from a vigorous discovery process, the five-day charrette embraced recommendations from the City, the stakeholders and the community within a 1,000-acre, 245-block planning area. The plan seeks to revitalize and expand the historic downtown by introducing infill buildings; preserving historic fabric; establishing a pedestrian-friendly street network; rethinking traffic circulation, public transit, and parking; and developing a range of sustainable strategies. Based on this effort, a specific plan will be drafted during the coming year for approval by the City of Paso Robles.
3/13/08 | Moule & Polyzoides completed restoration and construction of eight landmark and four new bungalows, along with thirteen new units on a lower level of the property, for The Vista del Arroyo Bungalows - initiating a new chapter in the life of one of Pasadena’s revered historic sites. The original bungalows, designed by noted Southern California architects Myron Hunt, Sylvanus Marston, Garrett Van Pelt, and Edgar Maybury were constructed in the early twentieth century to serve long-term guests of the elegant Vista del Arroyo Hotel. The hotel and bungalows were a popular destination for winter visitors from the east, an important aspect of Pasadena’s early appeal and history. After the hotel closed in the 1940s, the bungalows suffered years of neglect and were threatened with demolition before they were placed on the National Historic Register in 1981. Even then, another ten years of decline passed before Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides and a development team responded with an initiative to save this historic group of structures, located adjacent to an important Pasadena icon, the Colorado Street Bridge. Both new and restored structures are served by generous-sized courtyards with rich new landscapes; those at the edge of the Arroyo Seco Park enjoy magnificent views while the bungalows along the northern edge of the site enjoy the open spaces and mature trees of Defender’s Park.
3/12/08 | Moule & Polyzoides recently completed a three-day charrette at the historic Los Poblanos Inn and Cultural Center in Albuquerque, which is located on a 25-acre farm adjacent to the Rio Grande that was originally part of the 18th-century Armijo Land Grant. Noted New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem designed Los Poblanos and La Quinta in the 1930s, now home to the Rembe Family who are responsible for keeping them intact. The proposed three-part solution to the complex preservation and development pressures that face the estate includes conservation of two-thirds of the land as a permanent agricultural trust; limiting residential entitlement to a small area by configuring its 24 houses in a southwestern compound form; and using the Meem buildings as the core of an expanded country inn and meeting center. Environmental measures include maintaining the acequia network, preservation of all historic buildings, the use of green specifications, and enhancement of sustainable agriculture and agritourism on the property.
2/20/08 | Stefanos Polyzoides recently served on a distinguished panel of jurors for the 2008 Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award Winners, the annual prize honoring the best of the New Urbanism. The panel, chaired by Andres Duany, also included Ben Bolgar, Director of Design Theory & Networks, Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment; Victor Dover, Principal, Dover, Kohl & Partners; Geoffrey Dyer, Principal, Tsix Urbanists; Katharine Kelley, President, Green Street Properties; Peter Park, Manager of Community Planning & Development, City and County of Denver; and Karen Parolek, Principal, Opticos Design Inc. The 15 winning submissions will be presented the first week of April at CNU XVI in Austin.
2/1/08 | Moule & Polyzoides led a five-day charrette for the City of Downey, California, launching the transformation of an historic 80-acre tract that has been home to a number of important industrial, manufacturing and technological enterprises over the past 80 years into a true town center with a rich mix of retail, residential, offices, restaurants, shared parking, and parks. The Downey Studios Specific Plan proposes a fabric of connected streets and walkable blocks with a central civic plaza surrounded by ground floor retail, restaurants, offices, and a movie theater.
10/8/07 | The Public Draft Santa Ana Renaissance Specific Plan will undergo public review and outreach over the next two months as City staff and Moule & Polyzoides present it at a variety of public meetings for review and comment. This third and final step in creating this 450-acre plan follows pre-charrette analysis and outreach and a six-day charrette, which produced a four-chapter specific plan that includes a form-based code and environmental impact report.
10/15/07 | The Public Draft Downtown Cotati Specific Plan, a form-based code that articulates historically sensitive restoration and new development into its 54-acre downtown, has been released to the public. Pre-charrette analysis and outreach began in early 2005, followed by a six-day charrette which produced the major components of the plan as well as a four-chapter specific plan that includes a form-based code and environmental impact report. Outreach will continue over the next few months with the plan being presented at public meetings for review and comment.
8/22/08 | A landmark California effort to reform transportation and land use practices and aggressively raise the State’s level of sustainability is now underway in the State Legislature. In response to global warming and the need to reduce greenhouse gasses, Senate Bill 375 targets the reduction of vehicle emissions as a primary goal. Unlike prior strategies, however, it focuses on creating compact and walkable communities rather than simply limiting the emissions of individual vehicles. Projected outcomes include significantly greater adjacency of public transit, housing, retail and other mixed uses within communities; greater density of housing; and a significant reduction of vehicle trips. Alignment of transportation and housing policy as well as creation of significant financial incentives will enable implementation. The bill is supported by dozens of organizations and leaders, including the Congress for the New Urbanism and the National Resources Defense Council.
READ more on Senate Bill 375 in a recent Los Angeles Times article.
8/18/08 | The evolution of the form-based code as an instrument that displaces conventional, use-based zoning has been an ongoing effort within progressive urbanism over the last decade. A recently published book fully articulates the nature of the form-based code as a technical instrument and a comprehensive system. Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities and Developers (John Wiley & Sons, 2008) was written by three committed urbanist colleagues, Dan and Karen Parolek and the late Paul Crawford. It offers a groundbreaking and fully documented look at code practices, including an introductory chapter on purpose and history and significant follow-up chapters, “Components,” “Process” and “Case Studies.” Stefanos Polyzoides’ forward, “The Time is Now” describes the code’s role in its historical context, its ability to reconcile competing interests and ability to displace inadequate and default responses to zoning. As a subject within the book, Moule & Polyzoides’ form-based code work for municipalities such as Ventura and Santa Ana, California are featured as case studies; other projects are used to illustrate our approaches to architectural standards, block standards, illustrative plans and imagery, and building types. The book’s highly detailed and illustrative approach employs the work of a variety of other pioneering firms to describe the full range of tools available within form-based codes. In addition to serving as a valuable resource for all urbanists and as a reflection of the past decade’s approach to the code’s development, the book stands as a fitting tribute to a highly accomplished planner and longtime friend, the late Paul Crawford.
7/15-17/08 | The form-based code continues to be a powerful and evolving tool for cities, towns and their designers and developers to shape meaningful urbanism. The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) is the only organization fully devoted to long-term development of the set of innovative techniques known by this name. In recognition of the need for education, training and continued evolution of such codes, the Institute held its “Form-Based Codes: An Introductory Course” workshop in Ventura, California on July 15 through 17. To support this effort, a series of experts were assembled for the first course of a three-part series developed by the Institute. This included lecture- and workshop-based sessions featuring both case studies and field trips. Among the presenters were Moule & Polyzoides Principal and FBCI Board Member Stefanos Polyzoides, presenting on the topic of “Shaping Community Form and Character,” and Moule & Polyzoides Senior Associate David Sargent, who presented the “Introduction to Field Exercises” and led a related field trip. Mr. Polyzoides’ and Mr. Sargent’s participation reflects Moule & Polyzoides’ ongoing commitment to a collegial exchange of ideas on prototypical form-based codes, as well as the firm’s significant role in shaping a new form-based Code for the City of Ventura.
LEARN more about future FBCI courses.
6/17/08 | The decline of the conventional suburb as the preferred place of residence, a longtime theme of New Urbanism, is focusing ever-greater interest on transit-oriented development (TOD), The Wall Street Journal reported this week. In a recent article, “Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some,” Pasadena’s Del Mar Station was featured as a leading example of a successful TOD. The project, situated within a walkable neighborhood adjacent to a major Metro Gold Line station, incorporates a mix of uses and offers an alternative to the region’s auto-centric lifestyle. As Los Angeles’s first TOD, the project’s occupancy rates confirm its appeal. According to Archstone, the project’s owner, “95% of the 347 units are rented, the highest occupancy rate since the building opened.” The article notes that “families who sought the suburbs or were priced out of cities now have an economic imperative to find their way back closer to town.” Other proximate amenities, such as the city’s vibrant Old Town district, restaurants, the Pasadena Civic Center and its resident symphony, a large natural foods supermarket, movie theaters and Pasadena’s largest urban park space all highlight to the project’s appeal.
On June 23 the CBS Evening News also offered a report on the impact of rising fuel costs, featuring consumer interviews and noting the many ways that high fuel prices are causing people to question where they live and how they work. Del Mar Station’s transit adjacent model was again shown as one of the kinds of solutions that offers significant fuel and cost savings. The report also included consumer interviews on the growth of alternatives such as car pools, hybrid car use and the four day work week. As part of the story, it was anticipated that 2008 will be the first time in 17 years that fuel consumption will actually decline.
VIEW the CBS Evening News story, “Americans Change Travel Habits.”
06/08 | The first phase of Moule & Polyzoides’ design for Fair Oaks Court, a courtyard housing project, was recently completed and opened to residents. The project includes thirty-one new craftsman-style one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom townhouses and apartments, renovation of eight existing single-family houses and a new community room. The buildings are organized around two planted courtyards and a large community green, linked by a series of landscaped and trellis-covered walks. Heritage Housing Partners, the sponsoring non-profit developer, utilized an approach that combined historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization with new construction. Comfortably situated in an established neighborhood, the project recalls the rich tradition of craftsman building that formed many of Pasadena’s earliest and most memorable neighborhoods.
5/16/08 | Moule & Polyzoides recently completed a design charrette for the historic town of Paso Robles, establishing a comprehensive and sustainable vision for the future. “El Paso de Robles,” as it was known in earlier days, was favorably located along the historic De Anza Trail, the Camino Real and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Its early appeal owed to its role as a health resort offering natural sulphur springs, helping establish a traditional and appealing downtown district. The Paso Robles Charrette effort focused on bridging the richness of such historic traditions with the need to address contemporary issues. This included revitalization of the existing uptown, establishment of greater identity for the downtown, resolution of the downtown’s relationship to the Paso Robles Events Center and to the Salinas River, and unification of a variety of uncoordinated planning efforts. Building from a vigorous discovery process, the five-day charrette embraced recommendations from the City, the stakeholders and the community within a 1,000-acre, 245-block planning area. The plan seeks to revitalize and expand the historic downtown by introducing infill buildings; preserving historic fabric; establishing a pedestrian-friendly street network; rethinking traffic circulation, public transit, and parking; and developing a range of sustainable strategies. Based on this effort, a specific plan will be drafted during the coming year for approval by the City of Paso Robles.
3/13/08 | Moule & Polyzoides completed restoration and construction of eight landmark and four new bungalows, along with thirteen new units on a lower level of the property, for The Vista del Arroyo Bungalows - initiating a new chapter in the life of one of Pasadena’s revered historic sites. The original bungalows, designed by noted Southern California architects Myron Hunt, Sylvanus Marston, Garrett Van Pelt, and Edgar Maybury were constructed in the early twentieth century to serve long-term guests of the elegant Vista del Arroyo Hotel. The hotel and bungalows were a popular destination for winter visitors from the east, an important aspect of Pasadena’s early appeal and history. After the hotel closed in the 1940s, the bungalows suffered years of neglect and were threatened with demolition before they were placed on the National Historic Register in 1981. Even then, another ten years of decline passed before Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides and a development team responded with an initiative to save this historic group of structures, located adjacent to an important Pasadena icon, the Colorado Street Bridge. Both new and restored structures are served by generous-sized courtyards with rich new landscapes; those at the edge of the Arroyo Seco Park enjoy magnificent views while the bungalows along the northern edge of the site enjoy the open spaces and mature trees of Defender’s Park.
3/12/08 | Moule & Polyzoides recently completed a three-day charrette at the historic Los Poblanos Inn and Cultural Center in Albuquerque, which is located on a 25-acre farm adjacent to the Rio Grande that was originally part of the 18th-century Armijo Land Grant. Noted New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem designed Los Poblanos and La Quinta in the 1930s, now home to the Rembe Family who are responsible for keeping them intact. The proposed three-part solution to the complex preservation and development pressures that face the estate includes conservation of two-thirds of the land as a permanent agricultural trust; limiting residential entitlement to a small area by configuring its 24 houses in a southwestern compound form; and using the Meem buildings as the core of an expanded country inn and meeting center. Environmental measures include maintaining the acequia network, preservation of all historic buildings, the use of green specifications, and enhancement of sustainable agriculture and agritourism on the property.
2/20/08 | Stefanos Polyzoides recently served on a distinguished panel of jurors for the 2008 Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award Winners, the annual prize honoring the best of the New Urbanism. The panel, chaired by Andres Duany, also included Ben Bolgar, Director of Design Theory & Networks, Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment; Victor Dover, Principal, Dover, Kohl & Partners; Geoffrey Dyer, Principal, Tsix Urbanists; Katharine Kelley, President, Green Street Properties; Peter Park, Manager of Community Planning & Development, City and County of Denver; and Karen Parolek, Principal, Opticos Design Inc. The 15 winning submissions will be presented the first week of April at CNU XVI in Austin.
2/1/08 | Moule & Polyzoides led a five-day charrette for the City of Downey, California, launching the transformation of an historic 80-acre tract that has been home to a number of important industrial, manufacturing and technological enterprises over the past 80 years into a true town center with a rich mix of retail, residential, offices, restaurants, shared parking, and parks. The Downey Studios Specific Plan proposes a fabric of connected streets and walkable blocks with a central civic plaza surrounded by ground floor retail, restaurants, offices, and a movie theater.
10/8/07 | The Public Draft Santa Ana Renaissance Specific Plan will undergo public review and outreach over the next two months as City staff and Moule & Polyzoides present it at a variety of public meetings for review and comment. This third and final step in creating this 450-acre plan follows pre-charrette analysis and outreach and a six-day charrette, which produced a four-chapter specific plan that includes a form-based code and environmental impact report.
10/15/07 | The Public Draft Downtown Cotati Specific Plan, a form-based code that articulates historically sensitive restoration and new development into its 54-acre downtown, has been released to the public. Pre-charrette analysis and outreach began in early 2005, followed by a six-day charrette which produced the major components of the plan as well as a four-chapter specific plan that includes a form-based code and environmental impact report. Outreach will continue over the next few months with the plan being presented at public meetings for review and comment.