Our team at Moser Design Group recently collaborated with the Coastal Conservation League to compile an alternative development plan to the sprawl-based models proposed by large-scale developers in Ridgeville, SC. Although it was created with coastal SC in mind, it is an approach that can be applied to similar projects to ensure a deep level of intentionality - and it is an approach that we integrate frequently as a firm. Here’s a glimpse into what went into the creation of this proposal.

Ideology

Every city, town, village, and hamlet has a unique identity - there are a range of different types and sizes of places, all of which have unique natural and man-made elements that give them distinct identities. Ridgeville, SC could be classified as a hamlet. It is a series of gridded intersections, bisected by a railroad, which quickly feathers out to more rural, agricultural, and industrial development patterns. The introduction of new development, especially at such a magnitude that will triple the existing population, requires careful thought and consideration. It must respect existing development patterns, draw upon local and regional development precedents, and establish new patterns in such a way that the original core is not degraded or abolished. This is a difficult task and requires a clear process and methodology.

Methodology

The concept of Transect-Based Planning is the underlying strategy behind our Alternative Development Strategy. For more information on this approach, which can be credited to DPZ Codesign, visit these resources: Center for Applied Transect Studies  The Rural-To-Urban Transect

Design Principles

Several guiding principles inform our strategy and form the basis for Transect-Based Planning, commonly known as Traditional Neighborhood Development.

Connectivity

• Create a network of streets, blocks, and greenspaces

• Provide multiple ways to get to the new neighborhoods from the core of Ridgeville and surrounding neighborhoods

• Provide multiple ways to get through the new neighborhoods that integrate into the existing street network

• Make as many new connections to the existing street network as possible. This will require property acquisition and/or access easements since much of the new development parcels don’t have direct frontage onto the primary existing streets.

A fine-grained network of streets can reduce pressure on the primary thoroughfares and provide ways for cars, bikes, and pedestrians to travel.

Utilizing the Pedestrian Shed 

The Pedestrian Shed, or the average distance one can reasonably walk within 5 minutes, is about ¼ of a mile. It is a great organizational tool for laying out new towns and neighborhoods. Providing the ability to easily get to many aspects of daily life within ¼ mile, via a walkable, connected, and pedestrian-friendly environment, is a tenant of TNDs.

Respect for the Surrounding Context

• Understand and respect the existing context and development patterns of Ridgeville

• Add a more rural zone, such as Farmstead, to provide an appropriate transition from and buffer to the existing large-lot development and agricultural uses directly abutting the new development parcels

• Locate the more intense development closer to the existing streets and downtown Ridgeville 

• Utilize existing wetlands as well as new usable greenspace to further assist with the transition between the existing and new development patterns

Diversity of Development Types 

• Treat each new development as an extension of the Ridgeville town fabric

• Ensure a Fine-Grained development pattern. These developments should not be a series of homogenous pods such as single-family attached, single-family detached, apartment complex, etc… but rather a fine-grained mixture of building types 

• Foster authentic community building. A diversity of building types, mixed into each zone, helps with community building. This allows for a wide range of housing choices for people in different social, familial, and socio-economic situations. These choices also allow families and households to grow and change without having to move neighborhoods.

Cohesive and Appropriate Infrastructure

• Ensure that greenway networks are part of the interconnected infrastructure. They should not be in the backyards but should be fronted by houses and civic spaces as much as possible.

• Stormwater management should be treated as an amenity and should be interconnected as part of the greenway and open space network. It should be fronted by houses and civic spaces as much as possible

• Consolidate the development pattern into logical and interconnected systems. This allows infrastructure to be consolidated as well. This proposed development pattern will lead to less or at worst, an equitable amount of roads, driveways (or alleys), and paving in general. 

• Streets are not one-size-fits-all. The street sections and multi-modal infrastructure they provide - e.g., bike lanes, sidewalks, trails - should change based on the context of the neighborhood. The streets in the Neighborhood area should be different from those in the Village Center.

• Stormwater management should be treated as an amenity and should be interconnected as part of the greenway and open space network. It should be fronted by houses and civic spaces as much as possible.