2011 March 16

Repair, Retrofit & Light Imprint: Sustainable Development Tools for Houston

Texas Southern University, Urban Planning & Environmental Policy (UPEP)

Houston has problems implementing and advocating for sustainable growth patterns. Its current built form does not serve new and developing markets, providing neither the diversity and stimulation desired by the younger millennial generation nor the convenience needed by their parents, the Baby Boomers. The authors of the Sprawl Repair Manual (Tachieva) and The Light Imprint Handbook (Low) will present an innovative toolbox for new development and redevelopment in the Houston region. Tachieva, a Partner at Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) in Miami, will introduce the step-by-step design, regulatory, and implementation process to repair sprawl and the components supporting its continued creation, equipping attendees with cutting-edge strategies and a toolkit developed from two decades of successful repair projects. Low, a Partner at DPZ Charlotte, will demonstrate how to employ the Light Imprint Handbook and create sustainable site designs for real-world projects, including brownfield, infill and new greenfield developments and greyfield redevelopment. The presenters will introduce retrofit and development solutions at all urban scales, from the regional domain to the transformation of sprawl elements at the community scale, down to the re-configuration of conventional suburban blocks and the adaptation of single structures.