The Design in HUD By Andrew F. Euston, Jr. Good or bad, design is never a simple matter of appearance; rather, it is the end product of decisions that determine what gets built. HUD's concern with design must thus be focused on the processes of decision-making, which, of course, involve social, economic, and cultural needs of the people and the community whom a project will serve. Because "design" is a term with widely-sometimes radically-differing connotations, any evaluation of the way in which it influences Federal assistance programs such as HUD's, must involve assumptions. Fortunately, the laws provide a reasonable basis for making assumptions about the Federal role. Federal Role in Design The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 directs all Federal agencies to "utilize a systematic, interdisciplinary approach which shall insure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts in planning and in decision-making which may have impact on man's environment." The implication of this Act is that man and his environment can be significantly and beneficially influenced by the "environmental design arts." But since the Act does not define the term, the problem is to establish which "arts" are to be included. The Interprofessional Council on Environmental Design, for example, comprises architects, city planners, landscape architects, and engineers. But many other disciplines are involved in the design of the built environment. The field of law is one example, as HUD's Assistant Secretary for Planning and Management Samuel Jackson observed in a speech before the American Bar Association, when he said, "... it is the Model of proposed joint development for Baltimore's Inner Harbor combining waterfront renewal, harbor improvements, and nearby highway facilities. lawyer functioning as a legislator or public official or acting for a client who designs and enforces the basic ground rules which govern the urban dynamic." Not only law makers and lawyers, but public officials, investors, citizens, and users all have roles to play in the process of design. The Environmental Policy Act also provides highly effective police powers for protecting our environmental resources, but in Section 102 (2)(A) it has given the first direct statutory mandate for interdisciplinary design. Another law, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968, intends that design as a value is to be a consideration in allocating Federal assistance for public works. One section says that to the extent authorized by law, reasoned choices shall be made between such objectives as appropriate land uses, conservation, balanced tranportation, adequate open space, properly planned community facilities, and concern for high standards of design. Here the law recognizes a significant connection between design standards, among other values, and what it terms "sound and orderly development." As for design mandated by housing and community development statutes, the Housing Act of 1968 (Section 4) requires "efforts to improve architectural standards" in HUD-assisted housing; directs that we "encourage city demonstration agencies to enhance neighborhoods by applying a high standard of design" (Section 103 (b)(3), 1966 Act): and of course we have the national goal of "a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family," (Section 2, Housing Act of 1949) which sets the stage for our overall design efforts. Occasionally Congress itself gets into the design process; for example, when it sets limits on construction costs. Enabling legislation is generally permissive on the Design Trends subject of design, and, therefore, Departmental policies, Moderate density residential development and mobile technical requirements, and financial provisions act as homes are now the rule. Shifts in the focus of the pragmatic guides which shift with concepts of "environ- biennial Design Awards program have occurred that give mental design arts" as the Nation adjusts to change. attention to the new and larger scale of project conceptualization called urban concept design. Meanwhile the infant Departmental research program is wading into the vast vacuum of ignorance about the socio-physical effects upon society of what we build. This research may eventually provide a factual basis for designing our urban environments that is now missing. Finally, of course, there is industrialized construction and innovation. Rather than describe the maze of administrative provisions that currently influence the role of design in HUD programs, it would be appropriate here to suggest what the trends appear to be. Briefly, to the physical planning requirements and technical assistance provisions introduced during the 50's have been added social dimensions and environmental considerations such as those for conservation and pollution. Monument building and the narrow "bricks-and-mortar" approaches of the past are now discarded. Institutional public housing design is out. Beyond these programmatic trends a more immediate and dynamic role for design is emerging. In a number of localities public design strategies are being introduced. Factors such as the increased talent and sophistication in local government, the public awareness of environment, MII and a universal rise in expectations have combined in these areas to induce public initiative in harnessing together both public and private development investments. This trend has great significance for HUD in that assistance for design strategies can have enormous leverage in creating new development opportunities. Through these "joint development strategies," large subsectors of cities can be privately redeveloped, thereby leveraging Federal funds. The opportunity is present in many localities to mobilize the public resources, greatly reducing the cost for the private sector in risk-taking where public consensus and clearances are the key to workable development projects. By using the right design approach the value of a project can also be increased through economies of scale, market reinforcement, richer activity and amenity, etc. HUD and the Department of Minneapolis Skyway pedestrian circulation system is part of a major joint development concept. Transportation have recently announced that several cities. may be selected to demonstrate these kinds of development strategies related to transit station districts. Legal, financial, and administrative aspects of this concept are the focus of a study for both agencies by the National League of Cities/U.S. Conference of Mayors. In cities like New Orleans and San Antonio, where center city new communities are anticipated, as in many Operation BREAKTHROUGH cities, there is recognition of the identical need to create a means for management of the public sector responsibilities to assure that public benefits accrue from the public resources needed to promote private activity. New York City and Dallas have already introduced such approaches into their administrative structures, using design as the basic means to identify and communicate the options that are to be negotiated between the public and private sectors. Design approvals are becoming the most effective means that local governments have in modifying the important consequences that large scale private developments exert in urban areas. By actualizing their potentialities for joint development, localities can induce significant investment activity while upgrading their own built environment. Organization of a public client that can work with the private sector and the establishing of a public design capacity are the keys to effective public sector initiative. The public client provides decision-making power. Design provides the best forum for testing ideas and gathering consensus. In this new role design is very likely to come into its own as a major hope for positive, creative solutions to urban problems that go beyond the limitations of individual buildings and single agency projects to which it has largely been confined. |