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Essay / Smart Growth and New Urbanism Movements
In this essay, the differences between the two movements are not discussed and the term SGNU is used for both smart growth and new urbanism. One thing needs to be clarified: the UNSG emerged to join the postmodernism versus modernism debate, but is not an adherent of one or the other. As Beauregard, RA (2002) points out, the SGNU rejects the relativism of the first and the sterility of the second. The following discussion is necessary and essential to understanding the social justice concerns related to the UNSG. On the one hand, apparently the SGNU is not a fan of postmodernism. Influenced by a number of urban planners and architects, SGNU was established as a theory for seeking good urban form or what our metropolitan areas should be (Ellis, C. , 2002). This type of instrumental rationality of normative planning is rejected by postmodernism. An example is the concept of well-defined boundaries in SGNU. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Specifically, UNSG defines centers, network, space, and community based on clearly demarcated boundaries, while postmodernism sees all boundaries, even physical ones, as "blurred and contested" ( Zerubavel, 1991). Furthermore, the implementation aspect of the UNSG is rejected by postmodernists. Specifically, a typical UNSG implementation process begins with a public charrette, a series of workshops where local people come together to discuss the types of places they expect and how they would prefer to live. The goal is to find common understanding and consensus on the desired urban form, transportation contexts or built environment. However, postmodernists reject this approach to reaching consensus. From their point of view, consensus is based on common values and thus confuses differences (Harvey, 1997). A more extreme view of postmodernists is that the views of individuals are not commensurable (Beauregard, RA, 2002), particularly when they belong to different cultures/races. On the other hand, in terms of planning and design thinking, the UNSG is not a defense of modernism. Specifically, the UNSG did not follow the dominant theory of modernism, also known as the International Style (Relph, 1987). Instead, it rejects the insensitivity of human-scale modernism but encourages mixed-use, walkable and transit-accessible urban environments. In fact, the main toolkits and objectives of the UNSG reflect a common consideration: sustainable development which emerged as a wave of theories against modernist planning. According to Campbell, SD (2013), sustainable development in planning theory can be defined as "a broad set of principles and corresponding planning policies aimed at aligning urban economies and local land development more closely with long-term limits." landscape to support urban settlements, absorb waste from human activities, and allow non-human flora and fauna to flourish. thrive". From the point of view of urban and transport planners, urban sprawl can be treated as a "waste of human activities" and in this way, UNSG can be classified in the wave of sustainable development. It is appropriate note that another wave of planning theories – social justice – emerged at the same time against modernism (Beauregard, 2002)...