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Find out what makes urban districts successful.
Planners, cities and scholars have been trying for decades to hone in on the qualities that make urban districts successful. URBAN Rx provides an essential piece of that puzzle. Not only does it analyze and compare the empirical data of some of the most enduring and memorable urban places in the U.S., but it is also among the first studies to aggregate big data, social media, and economic data to create a more robust picture of the elements of success. Download URBAN Rx the book now for instant access to the results and conclusions of this innovative research project.
INSIDE THE BOOK
MEASURING SUCCESS: METHODOLOGY
The URBAN Rx methodology integrates Urban Analytics, a growing field of study that collects Big Data to inform and evaluate cities. URBAN Rx blends this approach with urban design, social science and economic metrics to develop a robust assessment of an urban district’s success factors. The research follows these steps:
- Selection: sample chosen of 50 top-performing U.S. urban districts
- Analysis: districts analyzed against 65 metrics across 3 broad categories: built environment, social and economic
- Scoring: points awarded out of 100 to create basis for comparison
- Conclusions: trends, commonalities and opportunities identified across projects
TOWARD THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE: METRICS
URBAN Rx is the first study of its kind to analyze urban districts against a blend of physical, social, and economic metrics. The 65 metrics employed fall under the following categories:
Built Environment — Density, Blocks and Streets, Mobility, Land Use, Open Space
Social — Time of Use, Human Amenity, Social Media, Age and Ethnicity
Economic — Household Income, Employment, Residential Sales, Commercial Rents
The URBAN Rx Team
Nate Cherry
FAIA AICP LEED BD+C
Nate has led the Los Angeles based Planning and Urban Design team at RTKL for 20 years. In addition to URBAN Rx, he is the co-author of Reconsidering Jane Jacobs (Planners Press 2011) and Grid / Street / Place (Planners Press 2009). Nate currently teaches at USC.
Susan Clark
Susan is currently in RTKL’s Environment Studio, and teaches a class entitled “The Art of Research” at Art Center College of Design. She draws from her background in Sociology and Education from UCLA with her degrees in Graphic and Media Design.
ADAM RUBIN
Adam has a Master of Planning from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Architecture from UC Berkeley. He is a member of APA and ULI and fundraises for the Los Angeles Jewish Home.
TAMAR TAWILIAN
A Los Angeles native, Tamar holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California, and has a keen interest in Urban Design.
