Restoring community through traditional neighborhood design: A case study of Diggs town public housing |
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Authors: | Stephanie E. Bothwell Raymond Gindroz Robert E. Lang |
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Affiliation: | 1. Associate Professor in the College of Architecture , Auburn University;2. Principal architect at Urban Design Associates;3. Senior Editor of Housing Policy Debate and a Senior Research Fellow , Fannie Mae Foundation |
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Abstract: | Abstract This article examines how traditional neighborhood design (TND) can restore a sense of community to distressed neighborhoods. Traditional neighborhoods, such as those found in many cities and inner suburbs, provide their residents numerous opportunities and venues for social interaction. We apply the principles of TND to the redesign of a public housing project. We call our approach an “architecture of engagement.” Using a case study of Diggs Town, a public housing project in Norfolk, VA, we explore how the application of TND principles transformed a socially alienated and distressed neighborhood into a socially integrated and functional one. We find that TND techniques improve the quality of life by facilitating the social exchanges that create social capital. |
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Keywords: | Community Low‐income housing Social capital |
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