Unit 2 Assignment Rough Draft:

Tyler Snell

For a community to be livable the citizens must feel an attachment and a sense of place in their town. In the most livable communities, citizens have a neighborhood identity meaning they feel a bond to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of where they live. It is important for builders of communities to understand that people feel more at home when they are surrounded by places and things they recognize as they go through their daily routines. Contractors can also keep the idea of a livable community in mind when remodeling or building new structures by reusing existing buildings and designing architecture that is familiar to the citizens. Urban sprawl is a growing problem around metropolitan areas; an easy way to slow or halt this problem is to set aside protected land in communities for conservation. Whether shopping, eating out or spending the day at the park, citizens of more livable communities live more enjoyable lives than those in the average community.

By building and preserving unique man-made and natural structures, citizens can identify with these places and associate them as part of their culture. Livable communities are easily identified by their citizens because the architecture and landmarks of their towns are unique. In order to create a neighborhood identity a community needs landmarks and structures that give its citizens a sense of place. Rather than having cookie cutter houses, livable communities would contain structures that are either designed by the user or with the user’s interests in mind. Probably just as important in architecture as functionality is aesthetics. It is important for the style of the buildings throughout a community to be pleasing not only to the citizens, but also to visitors, as this will create revenue to the town through tourism.

Life in a livable community is the ultimate goal for most people in the world. Creating more livable communities would make that goal possible for more people. Sustainability is the most vital aspect of a livable community. An easy and obvious way to make a community more sustainable is to take advantage of existing structures. This means that instead of buying out a huge empty lot to build the local grocery store on, companies should look for abandoned buildings that they can renovate and reuse. When talking about a livable community it is important to remember that a community is not only comprised of man-made structures, but also of natural places. Setting aside a substantial amount of land in or near a community that is free of houses and businesses will help the citizens feel more in tune with nature. Parks and recreation areas are great for making a community livable because it gives people a place to exercise and be active outdoors.

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-Reusing existing buildings/structures

-Preserving/building identifiable/unique landmarks

-Setting aside land for conservation