David Dixon FAIA Senior Principal,
Stantec Leader, Stantec’s Urban Places Group November 4, 2014 CEOs for Cities National Meeting To Make Your Community Healthier…Try Density

In the wake of 9/11
“Density kills….[It] is a problem that will grow only more explosive— or infectious…”December 2001 “Blueprint for a Better City”

Density saves lives Inactivity and
poor diet, largely associated with auto-dependent, low- density environments, caused “300,000 deaths in the United States… second only to tobacco.” 1996 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control

Density saves lives

How density saves lives 150-200Chronic
health conditions per 100 people Miles per year 20,000-25,000 EXURBAN

How density saves lives 150-200Chronic
health conditions per 100 people Miles per year 20,000-25,000 120-140 15,000-20,000 SUBURBAN EXURBAN

How density saves lives 150-200Chronic
health conditions per 100 people Miles per year 20,000-25,000 120-140 15,000-20,000 100-120 5,000-10,000 URBAN SUBURBAN EXURBAN

Not all densities are created
equal

Not all densities are created
equal

Walkable density: 5-minute rule A
mix of housing, shopping, recreation and other choices within a 5-minute walk builds quality of life and makes active transportation a viable choice for most people. David Dixon led planning for suburban Dublin, Ohio’s new downtown when he was principal-in-charge of planning at Goody Clancy

Walkable density: 5-minute rule A
mix of housing, shopping, recreation and other choices within a 5-minute walk builds quality of life and makes active transportation a viable choice for most people. The Dublin plan is transforming 1,000 acres of shopping centers and similar uses into a “higher density, mixed-use downtown” organized into 5-minute walking districts.

Walkable density: 5-minute rule A
mix of housing, shopping, recreation and other choices within a 5-minute walk builds quality of life and makes active transportation a viable choice for most people. More than four million SF of mixed-use development is currently in the pipeline for Dublin.

Walkable density: every street has
a job • main streets (focus amenity, walkability) • primary streets (walkability, connections) • secondary streets (parking, service) Stantec’s Urban Places Group led planning for Charlotte’s Hall House site to spur downtown growth (Charlotte Housing Authority, with Perkins and Will)

Walkable density: critical mass Replace
with Wei sketch 1,000 to 2,000 housing units within a 5-10 minute walk can bring a block of Main Street to life. Thresholds like these are critical to meeting meaningful density goals. More than 700 units on the Hall House site will hit a tipping point for reviving lifeless streets.

Walkable density: public benefits Use
density bonuses to fund “public goods”—lively squares, transit, arts, job training and affordable housing. Planning for redevelopment of the Hall House site focused on meeting thresholds to support shops and cafés along now- lifeless streets, affordable housing, an animated public realm, and parking for nearby sites. The plan creates a new public square on the site.

Walkable density: public-realm hierarchy A
multilayered hiearchy of spaces, from the most interactive to the most personal, builds community. David Dixon led planning and rezoning to guide the next chapter of growth in the Boston region’s leading innovation district, Kendall Square, while principal-in-charge of planning at Goody Clancy.

The Jane Jacobs paradox Amenity-rich,
walkable urban places create value...but reduce the economic diversity Jane Jacobs envisioned.

The Jane Jacobs paradox Kendall
Square’s Amenity-rich, walkable urban places create value...but reduce the economic diversity Jane Jacobs envisioned.

The Jane Jacobs paradox Equity
is now a central issue in planning for growth. The 2010 census showed that, for the first time, more US poor live in suburbs than cities—rising more than 50% from 2000 in more than half of large US metros. SOURCE:THENEWYORKTIMES

Density saves lives David Dixon
and Larissa Brown (leader of comprehensive planning for the Urban Places Group) receive the American Planning Association “Hard-Won Victory” Award for the New Orleans post-Katrina master plan, which they led while at Goody Clancy. Stantec’s Urban Places Group: current and recent work

Cities and regions Stantec’s Urban
Places Group, with Goody Clancy, is preparing a smart- growth comprehensive plan for Corpus Christi, Texas

Downtown revival Downtown Albany Strategic
Plan David Dixon and Larissa Brown receiving the American Planning Association’s Hard Won Victory Award for the New Orleans Master Plan, which they led while at Goody Clancy David Dixon led planning for Project Downtown in Wichita while principal-in- charge of planning at Goody Clancy.

Dublin, OH: Bridge Street Corridor
plan Stantec’s Urban Places Group planned West 5 in London, Ontario, the region’s first new suburban downtown. New suburban centers and downtowns

Stantec’s Urban Places Group created
the plan for Calgary’s new West Village, a mixed- use riverfront district that extends the city’s transit-oriented-centers policy. The district will grow to more than 8 millionSF and 5,000 residents. Transit-oriented districts

Stantec’s Urban Places GroupNeighborhood revitalization
Replace with charlotte CNIP image from Matt Stantec’s Urban Places Group is developing a revitalization plan for the 27 neighborhoods of the West Trade/ Rozzelles Ferry area in Charlotte.

Stantec’s Urban Places GroupUrban infrastructure
Stantec’s Urban Places Group is planning for significant infrastructure improvements and a new transit-oriented district in Stamford, Connecticut.

Urban mixed-use development Stantec’s Urban
Places Group’s plan for One Channel Center in Boston’s Seaport District mixes housing, retail, office, and a public square. Stantec Commercial Architecture Group— formerly ADD, Inc.—is the project architect.

Stantec’s Urban Places Group By
helping people manage the rising demand for urban life, we help shape more livable, equitable, and resilient communities.