The RA-50 proposal for the HOME Competition, designed by in situ studio and David Hill, AIA, focuses on building density through alleyway living. By assessing each existing residential parcel in the city of Raleigh, it was apparent that most downtown parcels are larger than the current zoning requirements and will be even larger proportionally once the new UDO is ratified. Therefore, their proposal establishes a new zone within the UDO – alley residential, or RA-50. This new zone would be allowed in any block that is bisected by an existing or potential alleyway and where lots backing up to the alleyways have a surplus of land to shave away and form new, smaller lots that could front the alleyway. More images and architects’ description after the break.
In 2008, the world’s population became predominantly urban. In the US, rather than gravitating to urban centers along the West Coast, in the Northeast, and across the upper Midwest, new urban populations landed in emerging urban centers. The fastest growing US cities between 2000 and 2010 were Charlotte, Raleigh, Cape Coral, Provo, Austin, Las Vegas, McAllen, Knoxville, Greenville, and San Antonio. These cities have young, educated populations, mild weather, entrepreneurial economies, and concentrations of technical creativity. These cities also generally lack substantial mass transit infrastructure, do not readily accommodate non-traditional populations, and are land-locked by single-family housing grids. Establishing new zoning that can accommodate denser populations and support smaller household formats in these cities is likely a more relevant effort than anything related to New York, Chicago, or San Francisco.
