Political Science

When we think about a progressive city, we often imagine wide highways, freeways and tall buildings in between.  Grand Rapids has its share of these too but the difference is that at its core, it values the sense of community living. While GR is also known for rush hour traffic, the leaders in the city seem to be in better support of new urbanism compared to its neighbour city Detroit along with the majority of cities in USA.

Most in the area are of walking distance. The East Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, Celadon, Rockford among others are all known for its small downtown, sailing club, great school and affordable housing projects. Most importantly, there is little need for gas if you choose to support the Mayors preferred transportation method which is either walking or biking.  Walking and biking were made possible in the city because the roads are direct and there are bike paths.

If there are cities that immediately supported the concept of new urbanism, GRs definitely one of them. While it has its own suburbs, most if not all are only 5 to 10 minutes bus ride from the central district. Further, shops for different purpose are located in close proximity. Even Rockford, known for being a school district, has great shopping areas.

To sum it up, GR almost followed the suggestions made by James Howard Kunstler about the concept of new urbanism. Kunstler is very vocal in his opinion about our dependency on cars. He also said that in the centuries that we have lived this way, we have created a city made for cars rather than for people. GR, by beginning to making it possible for its citizens to enjoy the benefits of biking and walking, is already on its way in embracing the traditional neighborhood development concept  introduced by Kunstler.

My suggestions below are only to make it even better.
Limited Size  The central business district of GR and its suburbs are situated close from each other that its residents can either walk or ride a bike to get to one place from another. In order to further promote human interaction, buildings for a variety of functions should be established. There should be a building with variety of commercial shops in the first few floors and residential units in the upper floors.
Mixed Use Buildings  Having mixed-use buildings and facilities in a community makes it possible for anyone to get out of his house, go to work, go shopping then dine out all without the hassle of commute or driving a car. Though establishments in GR are situated in close distance to one another, you will seldom see a building where as mentioned above both have commercial shops and residential units. What you would normally see is either a plain residential or a plain commercial building. Seldom will you see one which has both.

Mixed Use District  Rockford, the widest school district in GR, still have an interconnection of shops and residential units. Nevertheless, the area is far from workplaces that working people still have to brave the traffic just to get to work. Tax system among others should be improved in order to encourage more investors in the area. More investments generates more job and if people no longer have to travel just to get to work, in the long run, it will make the city more productive because there is lesser time wasted.

Mixed-Income District  GRs residential areas are categorized according to life status. There are plush subdivisions for the rich and the opposite for the less fortunate. Providing housing types for people with different incomes will promote practicality in a society.

Increased Density  Buildings, shops and residences in GR are situated close from each other making it a walkable city. To improve this further, workplaces particularly for white collar jobs should also be within close proximity.

Pedestrian Friendly and Lively StreetsWalkability  There are already great bike paths in GR but more should be added to accommodate its growing number of biking population.

Public Spaces  Just like most of the cities in America, GRs centre is its commercial district. To make it a better place to live in, public spaces should be at the centre of the neighbourhood. This will promote connectivity among its residence therefore promoting a better and more meaningful relationships among one another.

Diversity and Density of Building Types and quality architectural style  Buildings in GR are at par with the best buildings in any modern community. However, city leaders should also improve the quality of our roads. Most already have cracks making it hard for motorists to pass.

Prominent Public Buildings and Symbols  Public offices in GR are overshadowed by the tall commercial skyscrapers. In an ideal TND, this should be changed. Public infrastructure should be situated in a more famous and accessible location so it will become the neighbourhoods centre of activity.

Smart TransportationTransit Linkage Transit linkage on cities and neighbourhoods encourages less driving therefore less traffic, car accidents and air pollution. We will have a better community if there are transits connecting neighbourhoods. Though GR have a bus system called Rapids, it would really help the mobility of its citizen if it has a train that has drop off points connecting its neighbourhoods.
Sustainability  Sustainability is almost tantamount to environmentalism. GR wants to go green and most of its residents are already doing what they can in support of this. The development of bike paths and sidewalks would surely ensure this.

The principles of new urbanism may indeed save us from a society of too much individualism and give us back the sense of community and belongingness. But as suburbia living has its own followers, this will not be as easy it seems. For one, it will be difficult to convince people who were so used in driving fancy cars to take a leisurely stroll in the neighborhood.

Lucky for Grand Rapids, its citizens are in full support of this endeavor. Nonetheless, there are some areas they need to address No matter the walkability, there will be times when people have to use their cars, and the narrow streets of GR may make it difficult for cars to get through. Intensifying public transportation should be carefully done therefore and I guess the ultimate solution to this is providing the public with a transit services that will link major neighborhoods in the city.

Second, though mixed income housing is a real example of democracy, it may be impossible to happen as a rank and file employees income surely cannot afford what his boss pocket can.

Most importantly, not all parts of America are the same as GR. America is a free country its citizens are used to making their own decisions. Prohibiting people from doing what they want to do on their own property may be perceived as a threat to their liberty. The strict zoning policy that is associated with new urbanism therefore is the biggest obstacle.

If we are to sum it up, new urbanisms biggest obstacle is convincing people to conform to its overall concept. Thus, it should be carefully explained to the public.