subdivision

Lake country

Mathieu Helie — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:53:06 +0000

In the outskirts of Miami, ill-thought subdivision development codes require developers to build on-site water reservoirs. The result is a patchwork of unconnected pools.

The development model is finished

Mathieu Helie — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:59:48 +0000

An interesting graph on the state of the housing subdivision industry in America posted at the Daily Reckoning.

Squatter urbanism comes to America

Mathieu Helie — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:35:00 +0000

In previous posts I argued that the only way a modern housing subdivision was possible was by the creation of a permanent, extreme housing crisis by the authorities attempting to control development. Now this housing crisis is catching up with American cities and a phenomenon that was until then limited to dysfunctional third world countries, squatter camps, is popping up all over the country.

A cuter form of sprawl

Mathieu Helie — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:19:14 +0000

The National Post reports about the failures of Canada's most famous New Urbanist experience, Cornell in the Toronto Suburbs.

More evidence that New Urbanism is really dense sprawl

Mathieu Helie — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:12:02 +0000

From The New Geography magazine.

The challenge of dense sprawl

Mathieu Helie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:11:59 +0000

The emergent dimension, or why New Urbanism is not urbanism

Mathieu Helie — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:22:25 +0000

There are two methods for producing fractal geometry. The first method, the decomposition, is the most easily understood. In a decomposition we apply an algorithm that breaks up the geometry of some starting point into several parts. We then re-apply this algorithm to the smaller parts created, obtain many more, even smaller parts, and continue this reiteration until we have reached the complexity limit at the smallest scale of object we can possibly make. This is how an architectural design proceeds because it reflects the way that building proceeds.

Victims of the subdivision

Mathieu Helie — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:48:06 +0000

When a subdivision developer goes bust in mid-development, the few families who invested are stranded in an unfinished megabuilding with no lights, no roads and no security. The economic risk inherent in the subdivision system of development is made obvious.

How is a subdivision possible?

Mathieu Helie — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:02:12 +0000

The subdivision is the dominant building typology of contemporary urbanism. The prototype subdivision was Levittown, Long Island New York State. Built for soldiers returning from the war, it served the role of emergency housing in a crowded post-war. In that sense, the mass-produced uniform housing estate had a useful purpose.