In traditional development,
civic buildings are located in front of squares,
in the centers of squares, and terminating vistas.
Pedestrians and cars can access the buildings,
and the buildings usually increase surrounding
property values. The most important element to
traditional civic buildings is that they are located
by design. There is a conscientious choice for
the location and how it will be incorporated into
the community.
On the other hand, with sprawl
development, the bigger the building the bigger
the set back is. The larger setback creates the
need to articulate the building so that a driver
can see it from the road. It is a self-fulfilling
prophecy—because the building is so far
away, it lacks spatial definition. Since the building
has become so complicated, the community lacks
civic pride, and the building lacks a sense of
place. Most importantly, these buildings are located
by zoning not by common sense.
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