Planning Residential Environments: The Social Performance Standard

Abstract

Recent research and practice have led to the realization that the neighborhood unit concept may be outdated as the basic model of residential planning. With this in mind, a residential planning process built upon social and physical needs, human behavioral patterns, and user-oriented environmental functions is described. A performance standards approach is advocated to facilitate translation of these factors into developable designs. To complement environmental performance standards, the social performance standard is introduced. Criteria illustrating such an approach to recreation planning are presented to suggest how these standards might be applied by the planner, and what purpose they might serve.