¿Pro que no?

This is for the urban planners:

So I’m exploring my new neighborhood, Triana. The Main Street is Avenida de la Republic Argentina. Most of (all of) the buildings on the street are 8-10 stories with ground floor businesses. These ground floor businesses are groceries, doctors offices, restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, a little bit of everything.

And in the middle of this section of Avenida de la República Argentina, these is this office building that kinda towers over everything.

My first through was, “well that’s different…” then I thought, “why is that different?”

And it occurred to me that the urban form is a reflection of our collective values and priorities. So in this context, it’s not really that different or strange, it is why it is.

And that got me thinking, the separation of uses that form the urban fabric in the USA is a reflection of 1920s America, and Euclidean Zoning.

Maybe Euclidean Zoning is no longer relevant and it is time for a change. Just a thought.

Or Euclidean Zoning is what the collective in the U.S. wants and it will stay.