WellUrban on air: mixed use

File under: urbanism, radio

I'll be talking on National Radio at about 11:45am tomorrow, though unlike last time, I'm unlikely to be talking about Martinis (despite that fact that I'm on after the head barman of the American Bar at the Savoy, home of the Best Martini Ever). This time, I'll be discussing the late Jane Jacobs and the implications for New Zealand cities of her four "conditions for diversity":

To generate exuberant diversity in a city's streets and districts, four conditions are indispensable:

1. The district, and indeed as many of its internal parts as possible, must serve more than one primary function; preferably more than two. These must insure the presence of people who go outdoors on different schedules and are in the place for different purposes, but who are able to use many facilities in common.

2. Most blocks must be short; that is, streets and opportunities to turn corners must be frequent.

3. The district must mingle buildings that vary in age and condition; including a good proportion of old ones so that they vary in the economic yield they must produce. This mingling must be fairly close-grained.

4. There must be sufficiently dense concentration of people, for whatever purposes they may be there. This includes dense concentrations ... of people who are there because of residence.

Those principles, and many of her most important quotes, are online here. On tomorrow's show, I'll be concentrating on the first principle (the importance of mixed use), and I'll cover the other points on later shows. If anyone's got any stories, examples or pet hates about mixed use (or the lack thereof), especially in cities outside Wellington, then please let me know and they may get a mention.