Bakersfield deserves better
July 17, 2005
By Keith Gardiner
Bakersfield Californian
Section:Editorial; Page: b
As a lifelong resident of Bakersfield, I have always taken a lot of pride in our community. It was a great place to grow up and it has been a great place to raise my own family. In recent years, more and more people have come to appreciate the appeal of living in Bakersfield. That growth has brought us some long-overdue respect we're not the brunt of Johnny Carson jokes anymore. But it has also resulted in a pattern of piecemeal development and a patchwork of walled subdivisions.
I believe Bakersfield deserves better. With the population of Kern County expected to nearly double to more than 1.1 million people in the next 25 years, we have to figure out how to accommodate that growth in a way that makes us all feel proud to live in Bakersfield.
While planning the future uses of the Rosedale Ranch property in northwest Bakersfield, I became aware of the concept of "Smart Growth," a comprehensive, long-range approach to planning that assures new development respects the environment, enhances the quality of life and contributes to the overall economic health of the community.
These are the same principles and policies at the core of the Vision 2020 mission statement. Large-scale "master planned communities," like RosedaleRanch, are an important element of smart growth, especially in expanding urban and suburban areas, such as Bakersfield.
Ordinarily 1,500 acres or more in size and under single ownership, master planned communities (MPCs) or what I prefer to call "well-planned" communities offer unique opportunities to create a "place," in contrast to being simply a "project."
While their look and character may vary from one another, MPCs typically demonstrate two primary principles that, I believe, distinguish good development from poor development:
- They take a comprehensive approach to planning, design, construction and management.
- They incorporate an intentionally balanced mix of land uses so that people can live, work, shop and play in their own community, and be part of a place in which they take great pride.
A successful MPC is the result of the thoughtful organization of uses, spaces, elements and amenities to create a sense of "community" and "place."
First and foremost, MPCs are about creating places for people to live. The best well-planned communities provide a wide variety of housing choices, sizes, and prices; incorporate a complementary mix of community services, shopping, education, employment, and entertainment; provide a balance of housing and jobs; include common green space, recreational amenities, trails and parks; treat streets as a critical design element; are pedestrian friendly and encourage alternative forms of transportation; use efficient and sustainable infrastructure; recognize the importance of aesthetics by establishing design guidelines to address architecture, site design, landscape and signage; and incorporate a form of community governance to assure the long-term viability of the community.
One of the most appealing aspects of a well-planned MPC is the ability to create a small-town atmosphere and an environment where people can walk, bike, or take public transit to work, school, shopping, entertainment, and social activities.
In these new communities, walkability is very important. Since most people are comfortable walking about a quarter-mile to a given destination, keeping retail centers, employment centers and civic uses in close proximity is critical. The village center for such a new community becomes an important gathering place for friends and neighbors.
A pedestrian-friendly community will have a well-designed interconnected trail system and open space network. An equally important element for walkability is the street network within the community.
Streets must be designed to be pedestrian-friendly with pleasant tree-lined sidewalks that are separated from the curb by a landscaped parkway; narrower driving lanes; and design features that will slow or "calm" traffic, especially at points where pedestrians will cross the streets.
One innovative traffic control and calming method is the use of roundabouts in lieu of stop signs or traffic signals. Roundabouts require a driver to approach and maneuver through an intersection at safe, slow speeds, reducing both the number and severity of collisions.
Improved air quality is another benefit as traffic is continuously moving and vehicles are not stopped with engines idling waiting for the signal light to change.
The city of Bakersfield will soon experience the implementation of many of these "Smart Growth" principles in practice. RosedaleRanch, our new master planned, or "well-planned," community has been designed to deliver the best example of community development that Bakersfield has yet seen. We are scheduled for City Planning Commission and City Council approvals later this summer.
Keith Gardiner is managing partner of RosedaleRanch.
Photo Captions:
Restful retreats and water elements are planned for the "walkable community" of RosedaleRanch in northwest Bakersfield.
Places for families to walk and play are part of a "Smart Growth" community that features "walkable" amenities.
CALIFORNIAN FILE PHOTO
Keith Gardiner stands among palm trees and an almond orchard in the historical palm crossing on his RosedaleRanch. Gardiner is developing a master-planned community of schools, housing, parks and commercial land.