As described in the previous post, the ‘Kitchen (work) Triangle’ is widely known and appreciated as a design ‘tool’: a set of design parameters which establish the basis of highly effective and efficient ‘layout’ of appliances and floorplan.
The length of an (average) person’s stride and reach, forms the anatomical basis from which the ‘distances’ between the utilities (refrigerator, sink and oven) are determined.
This is the field of ‘ergonomics‘.
We need to apply these same ergonomic principles to establish formalized design parameters for effective/efficient communities.
By determining the distance a person can walk (slowly, to account for those physically challenged), we can establish appropriate set of parameters to guild the design of vibrant communities.
For example: What if we set an average of, say, 300 metres for each leg of a ‘Community Triangle’; with Maximum for the total of the three sides at 1200m.
And, further, we set a goal that a minimum of 80% of the residents of a neighbourhood/community were ’served’ by the ‘1200m return-trip’ design parameter(s).
Imagine the various ‘forms’ of neighbourhoods/communities would result!
Such constraints become the stimulus for creativity and design.
And just as a home (kitchen) renovation can drastically improve our lives through better functionality for the most common daily ‘life’ tasks, so too, we can renovate our neighbourhoods/communities (and entire cities) to improve our lives.
This is Urban Transformation.
This is the way to achieve a sustainable resilient society. This is the way for civilization to Thrive!
