Wednesday, May 17, 2006

No Small Plans

Archinect points us to local architect Zoka Zola's proposed reworking of the Chicago Zoning Ordinance for a 21st century plan of the city.

Zola focuses on the ubiquitous Chicago lot: 25' wide, 125' deep, with a street in the front and an alley in the back. Her thoughtful, well-researched and thorough recommendations include:
:: Responding to site orientation,
:: Eliminating side yards,
:: Reducing front yard setback and requiring larger landscaped rear yards,
:: Allowing greenhouses on top of garages (off of alley),
:: Raising the required basement depth.

Missing image - zola1.jpg

These recommendations are targeted towards reducing energy consumption, reducing heat loss, increasing air quality, and ultimately creating better living conditions in Chicago's neighborhoods.

Missing image - zola2.jpg

Zola frames her research and proposal within Daniel "make no small plans" Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago's Metropolis 2020 Plan. Even though she admits that her plan isn't as broad as these, I think its impact could be just as great if enacted. In the meantime, her firm is working with the city on a pilot project on ten city lots. They are also looking for grants for further research and for developers interested in their plans.

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