Bennett W. Mark, AICP CUD
The ASC in Urban Design has enhanced my ability to manage effectively a design commission in Hawaii County. By explaining how good urban design concepts and practices could be incorporated into a project, the design commission was able to make these good design concepts part of the approval. Successful high profile projects included a shopping complex that redesigned its roofs to have split gable roofs instead of flat roofs, and a hotel that re-oriented its buildings to preserve views of the ocean.
The studying for the ASC Certification in Urban Design, has led me to studies of form based code, which how this new type of zoning can result in communities that will be compact, walkable, urban-like, and mixed use, resulting in more livable communities. This Urban Design, and Form Based Codes knowledge, has enhanced my ability to manage a design center which is now shaping two new form based code projects in Hawaii County.