MISSION: Southwest Research and Information Center is a multi-cultural organization working to promote the health of people and communities, protect natural resources, ensure citizen participation, and secure environmental and social justice now and for future generations

REVIEW

New Village Journal: Building Sustainable Cultures

Lynne Elizabeth, Editor
Berkeley, Calif.: Architects/Designers/Planners
for Social Responsibility, 1999
80 pp., $15/yr. (individuals), $24/yr. (institutions),
foreign subscribers add $10 postage,
semi-annual journal

Urban renewal is art, in that each community has its own subjective approach and its own set of unique obstacles. The premier issue of New Village Journal, published by Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), demonstrates this theory by presenting a kaleidoscope of topics ranging from gentrification and environmental racism to special needs housing and "green" building.

A diverse group of contributors takes us on a coast-to-coast journey through revitalized neighborhoods, and graphic designer Yingzhao Liu creates a pleasing vehicle in the tradition of Whole Earth Review. The cover shows us the gardens, murals, and people of these communities in exuberant full color, while 80 pages of quality, yet understated, black-and-white photographs and crisp, classy design underline the professionalism of the writing.

New Village Journal is the catalyst of dialogue about community revitalization that goes beyond creating affordable housing out of the ashes of impoverished neighborhoods, using a holistic viewpoint to bring a variety of other components into the discussion. Using examples from New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Tucson, and Washington, D.C., the journal mirrors the ADPSR platform, which has evolved from nuclear disarmament, environmental protection, and socially responsible development to include green architecture, historic preservation, and greenspace conservation.

There's Tucson's warehouse district transformed from industrial decline into a "fashionably gritty" center for the arts. And the Lyric Hotel in San Francisco, providing decent housing for homeless people with mental illness as well as HIV or drug and alcohol addictions. Or rebuilding a multicultural village from the rubble of demolished buildings and abandoned lots near Boston.

The success stories in New Village Journal show both professional planners and architects as well as laypersons how community activism can fill in the gaps left by government agencies, with grassroots organizing as the driving force. The interdisciplinary approach to sustainable community development featured in the pages of this journal exemplifies the diversity in neighborhood revitalization. Articles from psychologists, architects, economists, environmentalists, college professors, and community organizers run the gamut of environmental and social issues arising out of the built environment.

It's not surprising that the journal is produced from an office in Berkeley, the hub of innovations in city planning and green design as well as the foundation of the eco-city and cohousing movements. Founded by a group of architects and planners, New Village Journal includes the expected share of blueprint floor plans, innovative interiors, and exterior facades. But it also shows readers more than just the faces of buildings it shows us the faces of communities and of neighborhoods. It boldly places human interest in the center of academic discussions.

The second issue is slated for distribution this fall, with articles on neighborhood business incubators, worker-owned cooperatives, and local currencies. A third issue is due out in the spring of 2000, featuring ecological literacy, sustainability studies, and education for collaborative process.

Twice-a-year publication may not be enough for this valuable resource, which includes listings of recommended publications and organizations to augment its articles. New Village Journal lends credibility to the sustainable living movement, integrating environmentally and socially conscious ideas into our urban areas rather than isolating them within the communal islands that typically represent them and separate them from the mainstream. This sort of intelligent presentation may be just what the sustainability movement needs to launch itself into the arena of serious alternatives to cities as we have known them.

— Cynthia Taylor

Available from:
Architects/Designers/Planners
for Social Responsibility
P.O. Box 18375
Washington, DC 20036-8375
Memberships, $40
(includes subscription)
www.adpsr.org

New Village Journal Editorial Office
2000 Center Street, Suite 120
Berkeley, CA 94704
www.newvillage.net

Cynthia Taylor is managing editor of The Workbook.

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