I love the almost random way the buildings are angled in relation to each other. Just that small factor makes it feel more organic and old, and it makes each building feel a little different.
Part of what it does is daylight capture. Notice that all buildings are painted white for daylight reflection. And most have windows in all directions. Also , limiting the height , avoids the creation of shadows that prevent daylight exposure. Another gain from this master plan is that it breaks heavy crosswinds. Arizona being mostly desert and flat lands , winds do bring in dust and particles.
I feel like it makes it feel claustrophobic by cutting off sigh lines of the horizons. i like being able to see the mountains and expansive horizons in the distance.
really like and appreciate the gentleman who has much knowledge of food-based plants and trees. holding his children. wise and gentle soul. this project is very forward thinking. ha, ironically, we are turning to our past in order to be more progressive and human. car centered, we lost sight of one another.
I toured Culdesac in June of 2023. Beautiful, lovely new [old] concept. This way of living increases physical and mental health and is much better for the environment. I'm working with S.I. Container Builds out of Chicago to do something similar.
Make sure you don't do what they did and put the air conditioners on the roof which vibrate nonstop, and send loud compressor noise down through the hollow walls. It's loud! I lived in an apartment building where the ACs were on the roof and that's the first thing I look for now. Contractors never think of stuff like this. ACs need to be outside on firm ground where solid walls and thermal pane windows block the sound to a low hum. But on the roof it's loud compressor noise at all hours night and day.
@@c.harris9989 I live in Temp and my AC. Unit is on the top of my roof. I own in townhouse in south Tempe. It doesn’t vibrate down the walls. Of course my townhouse was built in 1980 so it’s pretty old. My backyard is small so I’m glad the AC unit is not back there taking up space and making noise.
I studied Urban Planning and Development at ASU 04-08 during the Valley's boom years in the run-up to the financial crisis. The light rail had just been finished. We studied projects like these, and urban planners and the development community were excited at the prospect of having these in the Valley. Many were even proposed along the light rail line. I remember seeing many renderings. The crash killed them all. But also, these ideas were ahead of their time in 2008. Everything else had to catch up. The city had to ease parking requirements. Building design regulations had to change. The overall density of the area had to grow. Now 15 years later, the first one is built. Progress comes at a glacial pace. The circumstances around ASU in Tempe are good for a development like this to be successful, but I worry that it will soon devolve into just a fancy dorm.
i agree for sure. i only would disagree in saying these are not ideas and certainly not ahead of their time. they are actually behind in time. this is how all people had to live before the automobile, and were meant to live. it just _feels_ new because its something that was intentionally abandoned after the advent of the automobile, so we are so far removed from natural living. by many countries and cities all over the world, mainly north america. its like if someone created a technology to live indefinitely; everywhere would adopt it but it would decrease overall life fulfillment because it wouldnt be how were innately intended to live.
This was not well thought out for summertime! The largest water feature I saw was a three-foot little wall waterfall thing. This needs water features a pond/lake to create a micro-climate with big trees for shade and cooling. Heck a few pools would be great!
@@exchangAscribe No, this is made to appear old, but in reality, it's not. It's a facade made to look old. It's window dressing and is little more than an apartment complex for hipsters pretending to be environmentally minded. The cars are still parked around the perimeter like every other apartment complex since it's not really a walkable city. When you need groceries, you are still driving to the grocery store - you just have to carry the groceries farther.
Im from the Rep of Ireland , which is part of Europe too. but i would never say "I'm from Europe" i have lived in 4 countries in Europe but i still live in Europe
@@oakld this is not a good design and thankfully it is not followed in Europe. Most tiny streets and old town centers in Europe which there are thousands of, are adapted to modern needs. The above is just an American extremist fantasy about what a walkable city would be. It is a project of people who make their interests and ideologies their personality. It is not well thought out at all which is visible in the video. In Europe we only have centuries old tiny streets, and they are still more better fit to modern ergonomic person respecting living than the above.
Our US towns were like this created near train stops or water waterways. People biked, walked, had electric scooters, trains, electric trollies, or even electric buses and subways pre WW1.
Go back a few more years and you'll find the root of the problem. The creation of the federal reserve (look up "Creature From Jekyll Island"), and the IRS, as well as several other big -gov't decisions took power away from the people, and allowed the federal gov't to subsidize the unsustainable society that has evolved since then. #FiatCurrency #CentralPlanningFail
Yeh that's a great way to live. I would love shopping areas and several foodie places too. Maybe in the section between the new section that hasn't been built yet they can adjust to that atmosphere and/or have it separated by a water feature(s) or plantings with colorful plants 🌿 that will give oxygen, calmness, and clean air. With some comfortable settings like benches surrounded by artistic tables but functional. Soft lighting for night time uses. Say for having tea and biscuits with friends. Then would need sound absorbing structures to softening the voices if it bothers the neighborhood.
@@bevwhite-martini5757 The weight on the roof from people and a garden might be a concern, as well as potential damage to air conditioners & drainage pipes from soil & plant debris.
I really appreciate just how uniquely Arizonan it feels. Whenever a new “dense and walkabale” development is made it always tries to appeal to the same modern wood-and-metal aesthetic.
I’ve seen many videos for Culdesac recently & following this for years. This video showed some important & unique features that none of the others have: no asphalt, live-work, small shops, Thursday night events, unique perspective views throughout, crushed granite walkways, edible landscape. These items make this video special!
This is a great way to create financial sustainability. I live in a 2,900 sqft house in the suburbs and it's incredibly expensive for me personally (car, property tax, huge house maintenance bills) and it's expensive for the city (roads, sewer, water stretched over very few homes). This model would allow people to retire early or work less by spending way less and utlimately incurring less taxes since the city can provide infrastructure more affordably. The added benefit is you get to have friends close by and you get in great shape walking to everything. Another plus less death from car crashes which is really and understated risk.
There isn’t much pedestrian traffic to these storefronts. If the developer created a small retail plaza , then it would make sense. What you see as storefronts were garden apartment conversions.
@@serafinacosta7118 there isnt enough foot traffic because those apartment units and business units arent *filled yet* . the developer mentioned this in another video. its only recently opened and started taking residents in. people still have to find out its even there. pedestrianized car-less areas always get more people traffic and do economically better. what you see there is a retail plaza anyway, just a more natural one. if they created a typical retail plaza like everywhere else it would create the same problems its alleviating and more car traffic.
@@exchangAscribe the young woman also specifically said “I’m taking a small risk because it’s not finished yet” but that she’s confident once the development is complete there will be traffic to her store.
It makes you feel like you're living in a grand ancient Roman estate, but still gives you privacy without feeling isolated. Like your pocket village is a family.
@@LaineyBug2020 Yeah, most people are good and all but if anyone believes that living in a huge apartment complex is one big happy family, they should get their head examined!
I grew up in Los Angeles. I do not know where a concept like Culdesac would fit. Public transportation in LA is not user-friendly at all. One year, I went home to visit for 9 days. I reserved a one week rental car and thgt I could get around LA on the bus for 2 days. I nearly lost my mind trying to manage the Metro bus!! None of the buses I took line up for transfers. LA is a really hard town to try and live an East Coast lifestyle. If you want to live car-free in LA, I would suggest moving to a neighborhood that already has a decent walkability score like DTLA, BH, Pasadena, Glendale (near The Americana at Brand/Glendale Galleria), and the area near The Grove. All of the amenities are already built-in in these communities like shopping, restaurants, apartments, and offices. Plus it's safe, and clean.
Your videos never disappoint. I am so happy you and your family continue to explore these communities, and open our eyes to what is possible and better for the world. Thank you.
The architect didn't create the missing middle, he just addressed it. It's a great copy of southern euro life. It will be nice to see if residents socialize like European villages.
Kirsten, come to Civano in Tucson,it will have its 25 year anniversary this year. It is a neighborhood that tried to do a lot of these concepts along with environmental benefits, new urbanism,mixed zoning , creating a sense of place etc. Some successes some failures along the way.
What I do see missing our fruit trees food forest and you could put bees or living rooms up on top with succulents so still more room for improvement but grace start
@@troywhite6039trust me, I hate Shwaub but having pollinating insects and birds in gardens is very important. Nothing worse than a garden void of life.
It has a very catalan looking. It's a mix of Sant Cugat, Masnou, Sitges with Terrassa, Sabadell and some places of Poble Nou. If you wear me there with closed eyes and I don't listen anybody talking English I could really think that I'm in Masnou, for instance. Congratulations to the architects. And thanks to them because it makes me feel more valuable my experiences on places like these.
@Bearmund come and walk by Masnou, Sitges, and other old coast villages from Maresme to Costa Brava. Greece too. We are very similar to greeks and italians. We are mediterranean brothers, we have dry conditions, same plants, same latitude, same light, same blue of sky and also same architectonic solutions in order to reppeal heat from home. That's why many old town houses are very very white.
I've been following Culdesac for years, only thing I really dislike is that it's renter-only. Edit: at the end they say they'll be adding availability for purchase which I do appreciate. Hope to see this template expand across the US. Edit 2: I visited this location while driving through for the 2024 eclipse. It’s small, but delightful. If this concept were scaled up, it were closer to me in California, and ownership were an option, I’d be in.
I guess you know that even if you own such an apartment, you still pay kind of "rent", which builds up a fond for maintaining and repairing the building and common spaces. Though it's typically less than half the normal rent and if the market prices spiral away, you still pay just that maintenance fond. From my point of view, the largest down side is that the buildings are made from "cardboard", feels wrong especially for apartment building. Has to be terrible for living, when you hear your neighbors all the time.
@@oakld Arizona's been like that for awhile now, sadly. Everything used to be cinderblock because of the natural insulation (especially for the heat) but now you have to find a specialty builder if you want anything made out of brick.
I think it's a very nice community and I do love the concept, but it made me incredibly sad when the one young lady mentioned that displacement of residents of the trailer park that formerly sat at the site. Where did they go? Where COULD they go? I do appreciate her bringing that to light, because it's an important part of the conversation.
It's sad. But everyone is getting displaced now. At least, for once, we're displacing with something better. Everywhere else, their putting up luxury condos.
@exchangAscribe Most trailer/mobile home parks where the residents are evicted end up losing their homes because they are too old to be moved without falling apart.
@@VOLUMEnightclub Meh. It's not about being perfect, it isn't really good. It's about appearing to good withou actually providing any benefit. THis is all about appearance. Studio apartments over $1500 a month crammed so close together you'll hear your neighbor's flatulence. There's no passive solar design, so they need substantial air conditioning. There's no real overhangs to provide protection from the son. Very limited vegetation to add some humidity and shade. The exposed stairs will be dangerous during the monsoon rains. Just expanses of concrete - which bake during the day rather than absoring to release it at night. The video is taken in the evening when the shadows exist. At noon, the place is like aon oven. The video talks about visiting your neighbors, but has no porch areas or places outside to hangout.
@@RichardChappell1 Its still being worked on, with additional structures being planned on constructed. Also at 5:31 there are little areas like that spread out where people can sit and speak.
@@AnakinSkywakka You miss the point. The additional construction is more of the same. It's not about having little area of shade and sitting areas - people don't use those, and they don't impact what I discussed at all. Every door should have a covered porch, windows should have awnings, and having an expanse of concrete wall with a bit of sidwalk between the road and the building is the opposite of walkable. What you are talking about is the same kind of window dressing to pretend it's somethng different than every other apartment complex in the area.
@RichardChappell1 The proximity of the buildings is meant to provide more shade, alongside with the lack of asphalt, granted the neighborhood is surrounded by many roads paved with asphalt. But some of the apartments do have their own awnings and balconies included. And the additional structures are to add more amenities such as a park and a pool ontop of additional homes as well as open up potential for more businesses to move in. Residents are also provided with a platinum pass for the nearby tram as well as e bikes being available, so the walkability is there.
Very insightful developer. I like how she references how people used to live in proximity to one another and I immediately thought of Spain but especially Italy...the old Italian villages. I am only 3 minutes in will have to come back and finish later. Superbowl starts shortly.
yes but the origins of dense urban areas across the Mediterranean was medieval warfare... if you look at areas unaffected by constant raiding, the houses spread out.
Love the concept but the rents are insane. Thanks for asking about the rents. Also the retail store that got a break on rent/lease was interesting. I live in a trailer park, same deal with community only cheaper. I wish I could show people how I decoriated the inside of my trailer. Dump to designer but I'm a regular person who studiies thi & took my time, did it mostly myself. I was quoted $2K for a video and that's more than it''s worth to me. Tailer parks are awesome. Thanksfor your chanel.
Id love to see a video of inside your trailer. Im in Australia and spent lots if holidays camping in coastal parks where there are permanent caravan setups. Ive always loved seeing how people decorate and put their own stamp on their place.
@@janeparent9178 But there’s no investment for the renter. When you have owners they’re more apt to maintain areas. We have rental homes all around us in a historical district renter trash property they don’t own.
The TH-cam channel "Not Just Bikes" explains the history of why the U.S. and Europe became car-centric. He also shows how parts of European cities looked before they reduced automotive use and increased the types of transporting people that best suits them and the environment. He prefers trains. He doesn't own a car. "Bicycle Dutch" is all bicycle and also shows before and after riding infrastructure. He films entire rides so that you get the idea what riding can be like. We are SO far behind.
I’ve seen all of his videos. He is relentless on his narrative. But he brings in good points , and always put up good material to support his views. He backs up with real footage.
For cycling and walking to be a viable option, the community needs to be civilised and high trust. Perhaps there are fundamental differences between Europe and the US that explain the difference. None of the new urbanists/anti car folk want to address this which immediately raises my suspicions.
Ah, the man who got me into this whole urbanist topic. He drives his points home but it gets pretty tiresome hearing him gloat about how much he loves Amsterdam ALL THE TIME (no offense to the Dutch) and just how "doomer" he acts when it comes to North America. At least other channels like RM Transit and City Nerd are a bit more humble and stay optimistic.
Very intersting! I'm an American who has lived in Asia since 1996.....I'm somewhat comparing that little culdesac Tempe with what is so commonplace over here....crazy amount of entire cities and huge neighborhoods that no car ever needed, unless you want one. I hope that more communities expand and increase in the U.S. I've long thought that region of the U.S. - CA/AZ would be ideal for it.
@@yaash4123 You can still grow things in a desert. Native plants would work. A container garden. And with well designed solar shade structures, you could have a very inviting outdoor space to enjoy, especially in the mornings and evenings
@@yaash4123 That’s fine. “Traditional” is a subjective term anyway. Yes, water is an issue, but one that can be mitigated to some extend through the use of grey water capture. Rainwater capture, and/or atmospheric water generators may have limited viability in that particular area but would be worth looking into..
There are gutter systems visible that can be put toward water catchment. There is plenty of roof space that can evetually hold solar panels - that can be shade for rooftop social spaces too. They also did mention that a good deal of the plants are edible. As far as a community garden, I think the space lends itself better to container gardening, but the developers might aim to set aside some more spaces for that. As someone else said, Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Lovely place. Well thought out except for disabled access. Only three levels to an able bodied person isn’t much but can be insurmountable for a disabled person. I was discouraged by a flippant remark about using elevators to avoid talking with others….that’s not why I use an elevator. I use it for access and for independence.
I think the ADA workaround is that buildings under 4 stories don’t need to have accessibility accommodations because disabled folks can just live on the first floor
That's AZ building code. You can go up to 3 levels with no elevator. Older apartments got grandfathered in, my friend lived in a 5 floor walkup - uuugh!
Add in the temporarily disabled who don't qualify for the magic plackard: people who need surgery for knees, hips etc etc. So many stairs are a huge obstacle to us , but we don't qualify for the handicapped access privileges.
Given the location, Apache/101, the transients will love all those little corners and hidey spots to hangout amongst the residents of this community. Such a forward thinking concept to create such an inviting space for the local street community.
Seems like one may have to walk their ebike thru the narrowness to reach ones unit. And the a/c units on the rooftops need sun protection so as not having to work so hard to cool. The AZ sun is brutal at this elevation
Where are the Solar Panels?? I like the earthen tracks around but looks a bit "crowded" like a motel?? Would like to see some communal plant growing areas, play park for kids and adults and some wider views rather than just more houses!!
Great video! I think Mr Money Mustache lives there. Love to see you guys in parts of the video! I've been watching Nicolas's channel too - would love to see more content where we hear from you both. I find myself watching some of the older videos for that side of the channel occasionally. Thanks for all you guys do!
Oh wow, I'm a long time fan of both your channel and Culdesac and didn't even realize you were here making this video! As a Culdesac resident for the past few months, I saw myself in a few accidental cameos in your shots but it would have definitely said hello in person if we had met.
@mmm my husband and I were there end of January for a week thx to you sharing about your adventure back in November. We took light rail everywhere, worked out daily, and swam with the masters at ASU. Great vacation. We looked for you everywhere. But probably wouldn’t have bothered you if we saw you. ☺️ I am also a long time follower of Kirsten Dirksen. I was wondering if she was there when we were there. Cheers!
I adore this concept. I'm part of the lucky 8% of Americans who lives in a walkable neighborhood, and I hope more and more people are given that chance.
There's no way this isn't an expensive place to live, but that's not a knock on this development at all. It's going to be expensive because this is the kind of place people want to live. This concept should be a model for building all over the country. Well done.
I encourage the principles and the ideas in this but the interior of the apartments is uninspiring and the court yard areas somewhat uninviting. Do the windows need to be so small?
I like this concept and the layout of the community. It keeps the busy areas away from the residential areas, yet close enough to walk there. I love that! I hope communities like these become more common around the area, otherwise you might feel like you don't have a lot of options close enough or reachable enough. The Phoenix metro area has the light rail system, but with the limited stops it isn't enough to get to most necessities. Phoenix is technically very bike friendly, but the drivers most times aren't. I hope this changes since I really like this community, but for the moment it works better in a city like Tempe.
It is very funny that Americans are rediscovering the wheel and selling it for a premium. I am very glad to see builders go in this direction, it is long overdue for the horrible urban sprawls of America. Great video!
So true. It's kind of sad to see all the people who think this is some sort of wild new idea. As if this hasn't been the default way to build a city for all of human civilization pre-20th century...
You clearly didn't watch the video and are only using this video as a chance to get on your soapbox and complain about whatever it is you want to direct your bitterness and pettiness at. They specifically mention throughout the video how this is an old way of living inspired by European cities. They also aren't selling this at a premium. This is an affordable community that has been developed out of necessity and demand.
@@YTEH38 I did watch the entire video since I’ve been watching this channel since its beginnings, if you think this is affordable you are probably out of touch . I am Greek and they are emulating Greek Island style housing which has existed literally for millennia.
We’re not acting like we’re re discovering anything. Did you not see the beginning. There are laws against building like this 💀 this has been an active conversation for decades. Just because we don’t voice it to the world, doesn’t mean we haven’t been looking for the opportunity to do so.
I love the concept, but as with other comments, I wish they had incorporated a community food forest, solar,rain water collection systems, for these are concepts that are already proven to be effective all over Arizona and I’m a bit dismayed those were not added into this wonderful project. I pray they leave room in their expansion plan for a large food forest
YIKES! That bicycling at the beginning was horrific! Never ride on the right side of traffic turning right. And never squeeze between a curb and a car like that (or two cars). This is one reason why so many bike lanes are so deadly, as they encourage dangerous driving by everyone. Always merge carefully into normal traffic if you're coming up to a busy intersection where you're not turning right and you're not already in a normal travel lane when biking, so that you're predictable and visible.
It's crazy seeing my home town on this channel. I grew up 2 minutes from this "gentrification". A lot of trailers and poor apartments got bought up and demolished for this.
You can get your degree and move out or some 3 month training to get a CDL or become a plumber/HVAC/Electrician. I hear people tell the same sad story but they are not doing anything about it. I try to encourage others but they take it in a bad way 🎉 I myself will be trying again soon, I was interested in the CDL program but a major failure set me back.
I live in Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries on this planet where the majority of people rent because they can't afford to buy, and even I was shocked.
@@ShiranovaUnfortunately, because there is huge pent up demand for walkable housing in the US, charging such a price is the only way to avoid years long waiting lists.
Not at all. 14,000 something. Acres? Certainly not miles. Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona. It’s big and sprawled out. Like driving from Brooklyn to Long Island.
It's like one, but lacking schools and healthcare. Where I live everything for daily life just happens to be less than 15 minutes travel. The area I live in is 140 years old, neighbourhoods with facilities is an old concept.
This is cool, there is something to this, love the community aspect. I wonder if consideration for the need to care for people as they age or those with walking disabilities having to walk up stairs, this can be a little more challenging.
Having lived in the valley for 30 years I will tell you the only ones biking in Tempe are college students and in the summer months (April through October) you won't find people out during the daytime walking or biking around unless on the ASU campus . The light rail is generally ridden by students or homeless people and it only goes to downtown Phoenix. It's great if you are going to an event downtown but not realistic for anything else. I've taken the light rail once and that is when it first opened over ten years ago. Additionally, the area on Apache Blvd wasn't a good area in the past. It looks like they've removed the old rundown homes and have gentrified the area for ASU students.
This evokes the quality of a community of attached and taller cottage courts, a housing archetype that are mostly found in Southern California and happen to still exist by the dozens in the central core of San Diego and where I live in a walkable, 100+ y.o. streetcar suburb. You can tell the residents really grasp the quality of life prospect of this type of living. Having a mostly car-free lifestyle myself I could never imagine living any other way.
Nobody wants to interact with their psycho neighbors. People don't want to hear their neighbors yelling, their neighbors TV, their neighbors radio, their neighbors having sex...People want PEACE & QUIET & PRIVACY!
15 minute cites are pretty nice when they are not forced on you. Not for everyone but nice if your footprint is this small. Hard to imagine your pleasure with rowdy young families and multiple pets! lol I would be the one harvesting those plants and adding some others if allowed... Young families hmmm I hardly notice them these days...
I would 100% live in this community! I invented this type of area for myself in the San Francisco Bay area, buying a condo across from a light rail station & a commuter train station, and got a job at a university near the train line (they have shuttles to take employees & students to campus). There were not many businesses near my condo, but I could find anything I wanted within 10 minutes along the light rail line. I was searching for a European style of life.
And yet they put the air conditioners on the roof which vibrate nonstop, and send loud compressor noise down through the hollow walls. It's loud! I lived in an apartment building where the ACs were on the roof and that's the first thing I look for now. Contractors never think of stuff like this. ACs need to be outside on firm ground where solid walls and thermal pane windows block the sound to a low hum. But on the roof it's loud compressor noise at all hours night and day.
I like the idea of this, but for me there is one major thing missing. Private outdoor space! I want a walkable/bikeable community and I don't mind living in an apartment, but I also want to be able to spend time outdoors without bumping into my neighbors. I want to be able to grow a few plants on the patio, drink my coffee in peace and let my dog nap under a tree without worrying that she'll wander off. I don't think I'm the only person that feels this way. You haven't achieved "missing middle" housing until these communities give people some of what they retreat to the suburbs for; a yard, a decent amount of storage, and some privacy. Seems like it would have been relatively easy to include rooftop gardens, or enclosed patios.
I mean, you want basically everything in one. If you want space, you give up walkability, health and community. If you want walkability, health, and community you will give up some space. It's all about trade offs in life. And you have to decide for yourself what you want. But I find that space is overrated and that many people who complain about loneliness live in far out reach suburbs in cul de sacs designed for isolation and space. Then those same people complain about loneliness. And remember, loneliness is worse for you than smoking cigarettes every day. So, its up to you to decide. If you have walkability, health and community, you will be far healthier. Biking has been proven as the best way to commute for people's mental health. Your mental health will improve. You will have more friends. But sometimes, you will be inconvenienced. There will be too much noise sometimes. Sometimes you will want people to leave you alone. But would you rather have that, or would you rather be lonely in the suburb? My analogy isn't perfect, but its the general gist. Obviously, your gonna have to consider where your family is as well.
@@djwestbrook36 EXACTLY. its such america-brain way of thinking. they worry too much about not owning things and not having space. theres still plenty of privacy there by having your own unit. people naturally like living in vicinity to other people, and that comes with some noise. but many people find that comforting to feel not so isolated and dead quiet. private patios, balconies, or yard would be nice but arent necessary. they would totally be doable if theyre small and dont disrupt the public space. as far as her wanting a place to have her dog, they could easily build a little dog park there and im sure people would love it. it would also foster more community that way by people bringing there dogs there over private yards.
I see younger people. I don't see older people, I don't see people with disabilities or mobility issues. For most of us cars give us our freedom. In Mountain View, California, the decision was made to close down Castro Street to cars. It's a fun place... for young healthy people. The older people who used to be able to drive to their favorite store, park in front and were able to be part of the community they grew up in, no longer can. I am not saying this is a bad idea, but it needs more work to be inclusive.
We passed the 1.5 Celsius climate boundary so I think her growth projections might be a bit off... when avg temp from May to Oct is already around 95 degrees. Plus its arizona.
I know its not aesthetically desirable but solar on the roofs to supplement electric and water catchment systems to water the green spaces, could make the outrageous minimum 1,600. a month price tag a bit more tolerable. Also, small grocery stores tend to be more expensive. This seems to be made for young professionals or wealthy college students. Nice idea if could be focused on everyone else also.
I love this. I hope we see more examples that push this further, where a single block ranges from more dense units to single-family homes. I think people need to see that some form of suburbs can exist where you have a house and a yard, that can coexist with multi-family/low-rise, with a key focus on walkability, community, habitat and trail systems. I'm fairly convinced you could even win a lot of the McMansion crowd over if you just gave them an alternative that isn't mutli-family, but built at a more human scale.
This complex brings together so many aspects for better living..a hub for community to interact..being less car dependent..would take up a place there for what it offers for sure..❤
Pretty easily. There's plenty of space in between the pod clusters. Or do you think an emergency vehicle needs to be able to pull right up to a specific door?
Lived in Arizona for 6 years and I would never do it again. Over 100 degrees for weeks at a time, nighttime doesn't give much relief, the desert landscape is nice for a short while but nothing beats natural greenery. And this type of arrangement with no car makes you a slave to the public transit system, what if you need to go somewhere in the middle of the night and this transit system is not working at those hours or doesn't take you to your destination? So many better options inside and outside of the country than Arizona! No Thank YOU!
Agree! I grew up there and moved when I finished college.. I’ve never been back!! A few years is more than enough in AZ. And now seeing that it’s being overdeveloped and getting overcrowded. Not worth it!
Did you go see James Turrell's installation at the first ASU light rail stop? Chandler, AZ has a core that is similar. It's less dense but very walkable. North of downtown Phoenix, there's this strip called Portland Parkway Park that is a different scale of a walkable neighborhood, copying PDX's South Park Blocks, but at half-size. It's possible to go carless in metro Phoenix if you have an electric bicycle. In-between that and public transportation, you can reach everywhere. I just hate the constant heat.
Excellent episode. You asked several important questions such as how much rent is like there. What is it like to live there. How the residents interact with each other. I love the concept and design of the Culdesac. (In French, it means "cul de sac" which means dead-end street, however, in this example, in a good way.) The colors are vibrant, yet gentle. The intentional "lack" of asphalt and concrete on the ground helps with climate control in there. The way the "pods" are laid out does not overwhelm residents when walking around. Not hearing cars and trucks drive around within the "village" is good for mental health, as constant traffic noise is a big stressor. This does not feel like a cold, isolating, and "self-centred" attitude villiage. There are three things I would change if I developed something similar: 1-not be made of wood frame. I would build out of either a combination of masonry blocks with bricks or masonry blocks with natural materials to look like what is shown in this episode. Though concrete may be used, it uses too much energy to use. Wood frame construction is a fire hazard. Example: how does a fire truck reach the burning structure? 2-I would add accessible units for disabled and elderly. The lack of elevators does make it hard for those who are not permanently disabled, and for those who have mobility issues. I can walk, but due to arthritis, stairs are a barrier. On the other hand, being a "walkable" village is good for daily exercise and meeting neighbors. This is good for well-being of people. 3-Affordability. I believe that 1/3 of the village should be rent-geared-to income (30% of gross income) and not to segregate the low income residents from everyone else. (no "poor door" system allowed).
I love the almost random way the buildings are angled in relation to each other. Just that small factor makes it feel more organic and old, and it makes each building feel a little different.
Part of what it does is daylight capture. Notice that all buildings are painted white for daylight reflection. And most have windows in all directions.
Also , limiting the height , avoids the creation of shadows that prevent daylight exposure.
Another gain from this master plan is that it breaks heavy crosswinds. Arizona being mostly desert and flat lands , winds do bring in dust and particles.
I feel like it makes it feel claustrophobic by cutting off sigh lines of the horizons. i like being able to see the mountains and expansive horizons in the distance.
really like and appreciate the gentleman who has much knowledge of food-based plants and trees. holding his children. wise and gentle soul. this project is very forward thinking. ha, ironically, we are turning to our past in order to be more progressive and human. car centered, we lost sight of one another.
I toured Culdesac in June of 2023. Beautiful, lovely new [old] concept. This way of living increases physical and mental health and is much better for the environment. I'm working with S.I. Container Builds out of Chicago to do something similar.
Make sure you don't do what they did and put the air conditioners on the roof which vibrate nonstop, and send loud compressor noise down through the hollow walls. It's loud! I lived in an apartment building where the ACs were on the roof and that's the first thing I look for now. Contractors never think of stuff like this. ACs need to be outside on firm ground where solid walls and thermal pane windows block the sound to a low hum. But on the roof it's loud compressor noise at all hours night and day.
Apartments are better for mental health? Laughable. Clearly from Chicago.
@@c.harris9989 I love to see that's you have help for me. I am a senior on social security
I think this is good thing.
@@c.harris9989 I live in Temp and my AC. Unit is on the top of my roof. I own in townhouse in south Tempe. It doesn’t vibrate down the walls. Of course my townhouse was built in 1980 so it’s pretty old. My backyard is small so I’m glad the AC unit is not back there taking up space and making noise.
yes please do i live in chicago and would love to see this happen out here!!!
I studied Urban Planning and Development at ASU 04-08 during the Valley's boom years in the run-up to the financial crisis. The light rail had just been finished. We studied projects like these, and urban planners and the development community were excited at the prospect of having these in the Valley. Many were even proposed along the light rail line. I remember seeing many renderings. The crash killed them all. But also, these ideas were ahead of their time in 2008. Everything else had to catch up. The city had to ease parking requirements. Building design regulations had to change. The overall density of the area had to grow. Now 15 years later, the first one is built. Progress comes at a glacial pace. The circumstances around ASU in Tempe are good for a development like this to be successful, but I worry that it will soon devolve into just a fancy dorm.
Well said. Spoken like a true local.
i agree for sure.
i only would disagree in saying these are not ideas and certainly not ahead of their time. they are actually behind in time. this is how all people had to live before the automobile, and were meant to live.
it just _feels_ new because its something that was intentionally abandoned after the advent of the automobile, so we are so far removed from natural living. by many countries and cities all over the world, mainly north america.
its like if someone created a technology to live indefinitely; everywhere would adopt it but it would decrease overall life fulfillment because it wouldnt be how were innately intended to live.
This was not well thought out for summertime! The largest water feature I saw was a three-foot little wall waterfall thing. This needs water features a pond/lake to create a micro-climate with big trees for shade and cooling. Heck a few pools would be great!
@@exchangAscribe No, this is made to appear old, but in reality, it's not. It's a facade made to look old. It's window dressing and is little more than an apartment complex for hipsters pretending to be environmentally minded.
The cars are still parked around the perimeter like every other apartment complex since it's not really a walkable city. When you need groceries, you are still driving to the grocery store - you just have to carry the groceries farther.
@@RichardChappell1 whats old what do you mean
I'm from Europe and used to towns with beautifully chaotic tiny streets, but no new development looks like this. I'm blown away 👏👏👏
Luckily.
Im from the Rep of Ireland , which is part of Europe too. but i would never say "I'm from Europe"
i have lived in 4 countries in Europe
but i still live in Europe
@@bobdickweed I don't get your point. My point was about tiny streets and old town centers, which are in Ireland plentiful. Ask me how I know :-D
@@oakld this is not a good design and thankfully it is not followed in Europe. Most tiny streets and old town centers in Europe which there are thousands of, are adapted to modern needs. The above is just an American extremist fantasy about what a walkable city would be. It is a project of people who make their interests and ideologies their personality. It is not well thought out at all which is visible in the video. In Europe we only have centuries old tiny streets, and they are still more better fit to modern ergonomic person respecting living than the above.
@Brian-jv8iy Ohh shut up dude! This is how Europe is and many cities in Mexico are like that too!!
Our US towns were like this created near train stops or water waterways. People biked, walked, had electric scooters, trains, electric trollies, or even electric buses and subways pre WW1.
Go back a few more years and you'll find the root of the problem.
The creation of the federal reserve (look up "Creature From Jekyll Island"), and the IRS, as well as several other big -gov't decisions took power away from the people, and allowed the federal gov't to subsidize the unsustainable society that has evolved since then.
#FiatCurrency #CentralPlanningFail
Pre WW1 horses were also still common.
Yeh that's a great way to live. I would love shopping areas and several foodie places too. Maybe in the section between the new section that hasn't been built yet they can adjust to that atmosphere and/or have it separated by a water feature(s) or plantings with colorful plants 🌿 that will give oxygen, calmness, and clean air. With some comfortable settings like benches surrounded by artistic tables but functional. Soft lighting for night time uses. Say for having tea and biscuits with friends. Then would need sound absorbing structures to softening the voices if it bothers the neighborhood.
Pre WWI subways it can be limited to Boston, not sure if NYC. Electric scooters , I highly doubt.
Pretty much feels at least aesthetically like a huge apartment complex- nothing special
I agree that the rooftop should be made so that residence could plant gardens
@@bevwhite-martini5757 The weight on the roof from people and a garden might be a concern, as well as potential damage to air conditioners & drainage pipes from soil & plant debris.
I really appreciate just how uniquely Arizonan it feels. Whenever a new “dense and walkabale” development is made it always tries to appeal to the same modern wood-and-metal aesthetic.
I’ve seen many videos for Culdesac recently & following this for years. This video showed some important & unique features that none of the others have: no asphalt, live-work, small shops, Thursday night events, unique perspective views throughout, crushed granite walkways, edible landscape. These items make this video special!
This is a great way to create financial sustainability. I live in a 2,900 sqft house in the suburbs and it's incredibly expensive for me personally (car, property tax, huge house maintenance bills) and it's expensive for the city (roads, sewer, water stretched over very few homes). This model would allow people to retire early or work less by spending way less and utlimately incurring less taxes since the city can provide infrastructure more affordably. The added benefit is you get to have friends close by and you get in great shape walking to everything. Another plus less death from car crashes which is really and understated risk.
This is the best video of Culdesac that actually lets me see what it's like. More raw
Urban planning. An entire field of study, thought and practice - a philosophy of sorts, that all communities need, yet almost none utilize.
It's uplifting to see young, small biz owners in a community setting.
There isn’t much pedestrian traffic to these storefronts. If the developer created a small retail plaza , then it would make sense. What you see as storefronts were garden apartment conversions.
Young is all you will see in that part of tempe. You feel out of place if you’re over 30.
@@DMills-un1tl doubtful. The “young”can’t even afford groceries.
@@serafinacosta7118 there isnt enough foot traffic because those apartment units and business units arent *filled yet* . the developer mentioned this in another video. its only recently opened and started taking residents in. people still have to find out its even there. pedestrianized car-less areas always get more people traffic and do economically better. what you see there is a retail plaza anyway, just a more natural one.
if they created a typical retail plaza like everywhere else it would create the same problems its alleviating and more car traffic.
@@exchangAscribe the young woman also specifically said “I’m taking a small risk because it’s not finished yet” but that she’s confident once the development is complete there will be traffic to her store.
It makes you feel like you're living in a grand ancient Roman estate, but still gives you privacy without feeling isolated. Like your pocket village is a family.
LOL, good luck if you believe it is all one happy family!
@@jayess6318 what fun would a happy family be?
@@LaineyBug2020 Yeah, most people are good and all but if anyone believes that living in a huge apartment complex is one big happy family, they should get their head examined!
It's ugly. I have no idea what you guys are seeing that I'm not.
@@circesoul2218 100% agree!
Los Angeles needs this. You'd be surprised how many of us don't have cars.
I grew up in Los Angeles. I do not know where a concept like Culdesac would fit. Public transportation in LA is not user-friendly at all. One year, I went home to visit for 9 days. I reserved a one week rental car and thgt I could get around LA on the bus for 2 days. I nearly lost my mind trying to manage the Metro bus!! None of the buses I took line up for transfers. LA is a really hard town to try and live an East Coast lifestyle. If you want to live car-free in LA, I would suggest moving to a neighborhood that already has a decent walkability score like DTLA, BH, Pasadena, Glendale (near The Americana at Brand/Glendale Galleria), and the area near The Grove. All of the amenities are already built-in in these communities like shopping, restaurants, apartments, and offices. Plus it's safe, and clean.
Downtown LA is walkable, but definitely not village style
I love the white buildings with different colored doors. This would be such a cool place to start out living and making a career path.
Your videos never disappoint. I am so happy you and your family continue to explore these communities, and open our eyes to what is possible and better for the world. Thank you.
The architect didn't create the missing middle, he just addressed it. It's a great copy of southern euro life. It will be nice to see if residents socialize like European villages.
Kirsten, come to Civano in Tucson,it will have its 25 year anniversary this year. It is a neighborhood that tried to do a lot of these concepts along with environmental benefits, new urbanism,mixed zoning , creating a sense of place etc. Some successes some failures along the way.
I love Civano.
I would love to see a video on Civano
What I do see missing our fruit trees food forest and you could put bees or living rooms up on top with succulents so still more room for improvement but grace start
We definitely need to keep bugs in mind when building these types of communities. They are SO important to our overall health.
Ye will eat ze bugs and like it.
@@sarahrose9944 For our health??
@@troywhite6039trust me, I hate Shwaub but having pollinating insects and birds in gardens is very important. Nothing worse than a garden void of life.
It has a very catalan looking. It's a mix of Sant Cugat, Masnou, Sitges with Terrassa, Sabadell and some places of Poble Nou. If you wear me there with closed eyes and I don't listen anybody talking English I could really think that I'm in Masnou, for instance.
Congratulations to the architects. And thanks to them because it makes me feel more valuable my experiences on places like these.
Thanks for bringing contemporary templates.
thankfully old catalan designs keep their human friendly design, which this has none of
@Bearmund come and walk by Masnou, Sitges, and other old coast villages from Maresme to Costa Brava. Greece too. We are very similar to greeks and italians. We are mediterranean brothers, we have dry conditions, same plants, same latitude, same light, same blue of sky and also same architectonic solutions in order to reppeal heat from home. That's why many old town houses are very very white.
I've been following Culdesac for years, only thing I really dislike is that it's renter-only.
Edit: at the end they say they'll be adding availability for purchase which I do appreciate. Hope to see this template expand across the US.
Edit 2: I visited this location while driving through for the 2024 eclipse. It’s small, but delightful. If this concept were scaled up, it were closer to me in California, and ownership were an option, I’d be in.
It's called a smart city. You rent and never own anything and like it
I guess you know that even if you own such an apartment, you still pay kind of "rent", which builds up a fond for maintaining and repairing the building and common spaces. Though it's typically less than half the normal rent and if the market prices spiral away, you still pay just that maintenance fond. From my point of view, the largest down side is that the buildings are made from "cardboard", feels wrong especially for apartment building. Has to be terrible for living, when you hear your neighbors all the time.
Too bad it isn't structured as an owner occupied co-op or condos, instead of for profit rentals.
@@AnnieOaklee This is the new living projects. Now owned by a corp.
@@oakld Arizona's been like that for awhile now, sadly. Everything used to be cinderblock because of the natural insulation (especially for the heat) but now you have to find a specialty builder if you want anything made out of brick.
I think it's a very nice community and I do love the concept, but it made me incredibly sad when the one young lady mentioned that displacement of residents of the trailer park that formerly sat at the site. Where did they go? Where COULD they go?
I do appreciate her bringing that to light, because it's an important part of the conversation.
It's sad. But everyone is getting displaced now. At least, for once, we're displacing with something better. Everywhere else, their putting up luxury condos.
yah kind of sad but it needs to happen for places like this. also it was a trailer park.. so all movable homes. they might be fine.
@exchangAscribe Most trailer/mobile home parks where the residents are evicted end up losing their homes because they are too old to be moved without falling apart.
"Is it perfect? No. Is it better?" YES. More of this plz.
This is the most rational comment in the comment section 🙏🏼
@@VOLUMEnightclub Meh. It's not about being perfect, it isn't really good. It's about appearing to good withou actually providing any benefit. THis is all about appearance. Studio apartments over $1500 a month crammed so close together you'll hear your neighbor's flatulence. There's no passive solar design, so they need substantial air conditioning. There's no real overhangs to provide protection from the son. Very limited vegetation to add some humidity and shade. The exposed stairs will be dangerous during the monsoon rains. Just expanses of concrete - which bake during the day rather than absoring to release it at night. The video is taken in the evening when the shadows exist. At noon, the place is like aon oven.
The video talks about visiting your neighbors, but has no porch areas or places outside to hangout.
@@RichardChappell1 Its still being worked on, with additional structures being planned on constructed. Also at 5:31 there are little areas like that spread out where people can sit and speak.
@@AnakinSkywakka You miss the point. The additional construction is more of the same. It's not about having little area of shade and sitting areas - people don't use those, and they don't impact what I discussed at all. Every door should have a covered porch, windows should have awnings, and having an expanse of concrete wall with a bit of sidwalk between the road and the building is the opposite of walkable. What you are talking about is the same kind of window dressing to pretend it's somethng different than every other apartment complex in the area.
@RichardChappell1 The proximity of the buildings is meant to provide more shade, alongside with the lack of asphalt, granted the neighborhood is surrounded by many roads paved with asphalt. But some of the apartments do have their own awnings and balconies included. And the additional structures are to add more amenities such as a park and a pool ontop of additional homes as well as open up potential for more businesses to move in. Residents are also provided with a platinum pass for the nearby tram as well as e bikes being available, so the walkability is there.
Had no idea anything was even available like this in the US. I love to see it and I hope to see it expand and become more widely available.
Very insightful developer. I like how she references how people used to live in proximity to one another and I immediately thought of Spain but especially Italy...the old Italian villages. I am only 3 minutes in will have to come back and finish later. Superbowl starts shortly.
yes but the origins of dense urban areas across the Mediterranean was medieval warfare... if you look at areas unaffected by constant raiding, the houses spread out.
Love the concept but the rents are insane. Thanks for asking about the rents. Also the retail store that got a break on rent/lease was interesting. I live in a trailer park, same deal with community only cheaper. I wish I could show people how I decoriated the inside of my trailer. Dump to designer but I'm a regular person who studiies thi & took my time, did it mostly myself. I was quoted $2K for a video and that's more than it''s worth to me. Tailer parks are awesome. Thanksfor your chanel.
Id love to see a video of inside your trailer. Im in Australia and spent lots if holidays camping in coastal parks where there are permanent caravan setups. Ive always loved seeing how people decorate and put their own stamp on their place.
All of Phoenix rents are insane !!! 1400 is not bad considering how nice it is and the amenities
@@janeparent9178what you're saving on the cost of a vehicle will make it worth it. 🚎
@@janeparent9178 But there’s no investment for the renter. When you have owners they’re more apt to maintain areas. We have rental homes all around us in a historical district renter trash property they don’t own.
@@janeparent9178Crime rate high as well
The TH-cam channel "Not Just Bikes" explains the history of why the U.S. and Europe became car-centric. He also shows how parts of European cities looked before they reduced automotive use and increased the types of transporting people that best suits them and the environment. He prefers trains. He doesn't own a car.
"Bicycle Dutch" is all bicycle and also shows before and after riding infrastructure. He films entire rides so that you get the idea what riding can be like. We are SO far behind.
I’ve seen all of his videos. He is relentless on his narrative. But he brings in good points , and always put up good material to support his views. He backs up with real footage.
For cycling and walking to be a viable option, the community needs to be civilised and high trust. Perhaps there are fundamental differences between Europe and the US that explain the difference.
None of the new urbanists/anti car folk want to address this which immediately raises my suspicions.
Ah, the man who got me into this whole urbanist topic. He drives his points home but it gets pretty tiresome hearing him gloat about how much he loves Amsterdam ALL THE TIME (no offense to the Dutch) and just how "doomer" he acts when it comes to North America. At least other channels like RM Transit and City Nerd are a bit more humble and stay optimistic.
Very intersting! I'm an American who has lived in Asia since 1996.....I'm somewhat comparing that little culdesac Tempe with what is so commonplace over here....crazy amount of entire cities and huge neighborhoods that no car ever needed, unless you want one. I hope that more communities expand and increase in the U.S. I've long thought that region of the U.S. - CA/AZ would be ideal for it.
I'm just imagining the block party!💃🕺🤹♂️🎆🎶🎙
Perhaps they’re rules about having parties such as just having them on the weekends
Some great ideas for sure…would be nice if the roof could be used as gardens/patios. Community gardens maybe?
This is in the desert, but the design might be used in a different region with a climate that plants could tolerate.
@@yaash4123 You can still grow things in a desert. Native plants would work. A container garden. And with well designed solar shade structures, you could have a very inviting outdoor space to enjoy, especially in the mornings and evenings
@@redblur389 it might work. You're just not going to see a traditional garden, and you might not have spare water during a drought.
@@yaash4123 That’s fine. “Traditional” is a subjective term anyway. Yes, water is an issue, but one that can be mitigated to some extend through the use of grey water capture. Rainwater capture, and/or atmospheric water generators may have limited viability in that particular area but would be worth looking into..
Yes
Where is the community garden space? Where are the solar panels or rainwater catchment system?
Agreed
Its hard to do it all, those features can be eventually added on.......
They do have edible plants on site around the 20 minute mark
Do not let perfect be the enemy of the good
There are gutter systems visible that can be put toward water catchment. There is plenty of roof space that can evetually hold solar panels - that can be shade for rooftop social spaces too. They also did mention that a good deal of the plants are edible. As far as a community garden, I think the space lends itself better to container gardening, but the developers might aim to set aside some more spaces for that. As someone else said, Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
The community garden is coming soon. Not sure about rainwater collection, but it doesn't rain a ton out here, so not sure how useful that would be.
Lovely place. Well thought out except for disabled access. Only three levels to an able bodied person isn’t much but can be insurmountable for a disabled person. I was discouraged by a flippant remark about using elevators to avoid talking with others….that’s not why I use an elevator. I use it for access and for independence.
I think the ADA workaround is that buildings under 4 stories don’t need to have accessibility accommodations because disabled folks can just live on the first floor
Handicapped accessibility would have to be available through ground floor units.
That's AZ building code. You can go up to 3 levels with no elevator. Older apartments got grandfathered in, my friend lived in a 5 floor walkup - uuugh!
Add in the temporarily disabled who don't qualify for the magic plackard: people who need surgery for knees, hips etc etc. So many stairs are a huge obstacle to us , but we don't qualify for the handicapped access privileges.
Disability access is not just abiut getting into your house folks. It us about traversing the spaces. An manual wheelchair can not travel on gravel.
Given the location, Apache/101, the transients will love all those little corners and hidey spots to hangout amongst the residents of this community. Such a forward thinking concept to create such an inviting space for the local street community.
Awesome Kirsten, love your videos, just bringing us new perspectives and innovations
Seems like one may have to walk their ebike thru the narrowness to reach ones unit. And the a/c units on the rooftops need sun protection so as not having to work so hard to cool. The AZ sun is brutal at this elevation
Where are the Solar Panels?? I like the earthen tracks around but looks a bit "crowded" like a motel?? Would like to see some communal plant growing areas, play park for kids and adults and some wider views rather than just more houses!!
I think wider views are unnecessary, coziness is better,.def needs solar panels tho
This area is not for children.
Beautiful change of lifestyle! Ebikes are creating a new world... Far different from the Tempe I lived in for 3 years...
Great video! I think Mr Money Mustache lives there. Love to see you guys in parts of the video! I've been watching Nicolas's channel too - would love to see more content where we hear from you both. I find myself watching some of the older videos for that side of the channel occasionally. Thanks for all you guys do!
Hey Spencer, I’m taking it as a compliment coming from you. Your channel is a great resource, will recommend it.
Oh wow, I'm a long time fan of both your channel and Culdesac and didn't even realize you were here making this video! As a Culdesac resident for the past few months, I saw myself in a few accidental cameos in your shots but it would have definitely said hello in person if we had met.
@mmm my husband and I were there end of January for a week thx to you sharing about your adventure back in November. We took light rail everywhere, worked out daily, and swam with the masters at ASU. Great vacation. We looked for you everywhere. But probably wouldn’t have bothered you if we saw you. ☺️ I am also a long time follower of Kirsten Dirksen. I was wondering if she was there when we were there. Cheers!
May I please ask you, What size place do you have and what’s rent and utilities run you?
I adore this concept. I'm part of the lucky 8% of Americans who lives in a walkable neighborhood, and I hope more and more people are given that chance.
There's no way this isn't an expensive place to live, but that's not a knock on this development at all. It's going to be expensive because this is the kind of place people want to live. This concept should be a model for building all over the country. Well done.
It isn't that expensive especially for the area around it
@@valawee It’s pretty easy to find a 1 bedroom for less than $1800.
I encourage the principles and the ideas in this but the interior of the apartments is uninspiring and the court yard areas somewhat uninviting. Do the windows need to be so small?
So glad to see something like this in my city! I really hope the neighborhood takes off and inspires more like it.
I like this concept and the layout of the community. It keeps the busy areas away from the residential areas, yet close enough to walk there. I love that! I hope communities like these become more common around the area, otherwise you might feel like you don't have a lot of options close enough or reachable enough. The Phoenix metro area has the light rail system, but with the limited stops it isn't enough to get to most necessities. Phoenix is technically very bike friendly, but the drivers most times aren't. I hope this changes since I really like this community, but for the moment it works better in a city like Tempe.
So cool there is a big good parking lot just across the street....
You continue to bring such incredible and inspiring content! Well done!
This is where i want to live when its fully complete, so excited to see this!
It is very funny that Americans are rediscovering the wheel and selling it for a premium. I am very glad to see builders go in this direction, it is long overdue for the horrible urban sprawls of America. Great video!
So true. It's kind of sad to see all the people who think this is some sort of wild new idea. As if this hasn't been the default way to build a city for all of human civilization pre-20th century...
@@maanman3573 Its the default way in the world currently as well. Just not in America
You clearly didn't watch the video and are only using this video as a chance to get on your soapbox and complain about whatever it is you want to direct your bitterness and pettiness at. They specifically mention throughout the video how this is an old way of living inspired by European cities. They also aren't selling this at a premium. This is an affordable community that has been developed out of necessity and demand.
@@YTEH38 I did watch the entire video since I’ve been watching this channel since its beginnings, if you think this is affordable you are probably out of touch . I am Greek and they are emulating Greek Island style housing which has existed literally for millennia.
We’re not acting like we’re re discovering anything. Did you not see the beginning. There are laws against building like this 💀 this has been an active conversation for decades. Just because we don’t voice it to the world, doesn’t mean we haven’t been looking for the opportunity to do so.
Another incredible video! It fills me with passion and drive to see such a community-led and focused way of living.
Oh I’ve always wanted to see these new 15 minute cities 🎉
I think this is the beginning of something beautiful! Can’t wait to see more of these !
That plant guy is awesome
I love everything about this community
I love the concept, but as with other comments, I wish they had incorporated a community food forest, solar,rain water collection systems, for these are concepts that are already proven to be effective all over Arizona and I’m a bit dismayed those were not added into this wonderful project. I pray they leave room in their expansion plan for a large food forest
Probably because of codes
Please come to Montpellier. The tram and public transport is free for montpellier citizens since the end of 2023!
Vermont?
Very nice place, reminds me like living in a mediterranean village
great ideas --- great production ---- thank you
YIKES! That bicycling at the beginning was horrific! Never ride on the right side of traffic turning right. And never squeeze between a curb and a car like that (or two cars). This is one reason why so many bike lanes are so deadly, as they encourage dangerous driving by everyone. Always merge carefully into normal traffic if you're coming up to a busy intersection where you're not turning right and you're not already in a normal travel lane when biking, so that you're predictable and visible.
LOVE this! This is the kind of urban design the world needs!
beautiful, but wish it was more affordable!
I actually live in Tempe and didn’t know this was here. How cool!
Thank you so much.
I love it we need more of these around US
It's crazy seeing my home town on this channel. I grew up 2 minutes from this "gentrification". A lot of trailers and poor apartments got bought up and demolished for this.
You can get your degree and move out or some 3 month training to get a CDL or become a plumber/HVAC/Electrician. I hear people tell the same sad story but they are not doing anything about it. I try to encourage others but they take it in a bad way 🎉 I myself will be trying again soon, I was interested in the CDL program but a major failure set me back.
I watched this video so many times this one of my favorite
1800 $ per month...for 17 square meters, in which there is both a kitchen and a bedroom, holy cow.
holy 🐂💩 is right.
I live in Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries on this planet where the majority of people rent because they can't afford to buy, and even I was shocked.
@@ShiranovaUnfortunately, because there is huge pent up demand for walkable housing in the US, charging such a price is the only way to avoid years long waiting lists.
@@unconventionalideas5683 I’ll just drive I’d rather have a car anyway. Relying on delivery for everything. Yeah no thank you I’m good.
@@Shiranova god bless capitalism.
Wow this is amazing. Finally got to see this video and glad to be apart of your project and Culdesac. Had a blast doing the interview view you two!
Is this like a 15 minute city ?
Not at all. 14,000 something. Acres? Certainly not miles. Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona. It’s big and sprawled out. Like driving from Brooklyn to Long Island.
Yes, exactly like one.
Essentially
It's like one, but lacking schools and healthcare. Where I live everything for daily life just happens to be less than 15 minutes travel. The area I live in is 140 years old, neighbourhoods with facilities is an old concept.
It will be full of students!
I lived in Tempe from 2011-14, crazy how much it has transformed in 10 years … the light rail changed Phoenix !
This is cool, there is something to this, love the community aspect. I wonder if consideration for the need to care for people as they age or those with walking disabilities having to walk up stairs, this can be a little more challenging.
Great overview, and such a wonderful project. What I wouldn't give to have opportunities to meet my neighbors in a natural way!
Having lived in the valley for 30 years I will tell you the only ones biking in Tempe are college students and in the summer months (April through October) you won't find people out during the daytime walking or biking around unless on the ASU campus . The light rail is generally ridden by students or homeless people and it only goes to downtown Phoenix. It's great if you are going to an event downtown but not realistic for anything else. I've taken the light rail once and that is when it first opened over ten years ago. Additionally, the area on Apache Blvd wasn't a good area in the past. It looks like they've removed the old rundown homes and have gentrified the area for ASU students.
My comment is aligned with yours, this is a very virtuous idea and feels like a glorified dorm.
My 1960s off-campus college dorm (Bodington Hall in Leeds UK) espoused the same design principles.
Brilliant ideas, well executed.
This evokes the quality of a community of attached and taller cottage courts, a housing archetype that are mostly found in Southern California and happen to still exist by the dozens in the central core of San Diego and where I live in a walkable, 100+ y.o. streetcar suburb. You can tell the residents really grasp the quality of life prospect of this type of living. Having a mostly car-free lifestyle myself I could never imagine living any other way.
You meant Dingbats , right ?
Nobody wants to interact with their psycho neighbors. People don't want to hear their neighbors yelling, their neighbors TV, their neighbors radio, their neighbors having sex...People want PEACE & QUIET & PRIVACY!
People lived in cramped over populated areas because they were poor & didn't have resources to do otherwise.
15 minute cites are pretty nice when they are not forced on you. Not for everyone but nice if your footprint is this small. Hard to imagine your pleasure with rowdy young families and multiple pets! lol I would be the one harvesting those plants and adding some others if allowed... Young families hmmm I hardly notice them these days...
The water issue w more density and not a lot of access to it is a huge red flag for Az. Long term it is said it will be an issue.
I would 100% live in this community! I invented this type of area for myself in the San Francisco Bay area, buying a condo across from a light rail station & a commuter train station, and got a job at a university near the train line (they have shuttles to take employees & students to campus). There were not many businesses near my condo, but I could find anything I wanted within 10 minutes along the light rail line. I was searching for a European style of life.
And yet they put the air conditioners on the roof which vibrate nonstop, and send loud compressor noise down through the hollow walls. It's loud! I lived in an apartment building where the ACs were on the roof and that's the first thing I look for now. Contractors never think of stuff like this. ACs need to be outside on firm ground where solid walls and thermal pane windows block the sound to a low hum. But on the roof it's loud compressor noise at all hours night and day.
I like the idea of this, but for me there is one major thing missing. Private outdoor space! I want a walkable/bikeable community and I don't mind living in an apartment, but I also want to be able to spend time outdoors without bumping into my neighbors. I want to be able to grow a few plants on the patio, drink my coffee in peace and let my dog nap under a tree without worrying that she'll wander off. I don't think I'm the only person that feels this way. You haven't achieved "missing middle" housing until these communities give people some of what they retreat to the suburbs for; a yard, a decent amount of storage, and some privacy. Seems like it would have been relatively easy to include rooftop gardens, or enclosed patios.
I mean, you want basically everything in one. If you want space, you give up walkability, health and community. If you want walkability, health, and community you will give up some space. It's all about trade offs in life. And you have to decide for yourself what you want.
But I find that space is overrated and that many people who complain about loneliness live in far out reach suburbs in cul de sacs designed for isolation and space. Then those same people complain about loneliness. And remember, loneliness is worse for you than smoking cigarettes every day.
So, its up to you to decide. If you have walkability, health and community, you will be far healthier. Biking has been proven as the best way to commute for people's mental health. Your mental health will improve. You will have more friends. But sometimes, you will be inconvenienced. There will be too much noise sometimes. Sometimes you will want people to leave you alone.
But would you rather have that, or would you rather be lonely in the suburb? My analogy isn't perfect, but its the general gist. Obviously, your gonna have to consider where your family is as well.
On their website, there are apartments that include private patios.
@@djwestbrook36 EXACTLY. its such america-brain way of thinking. they worry too much about not owning things and not having space. theres still plenty of privacy there by having your own unit. people naturally like living in vicinity to other people, and that comes with some noise. but many people find that comforting to feel not so isolated and dead quiet.
private patios, balconies, or yard would be nice but arent necessary. they would totally be doable if theyre small and dont disrupt the public space. as far as her wanting a place to have her dog, they could easily build a little dog park there and im sure people would love it. it would also foster more community that way by people bringing there dogs there over private yards.
It's like a pueblo, or reminiscent of cliff dwellings in the desert.
I see younger people. I don't see older people, I don't see people with disabilities or mobility issues. For most of us cars give us our freedom. In Mountain View, California, the decision was made to close down Castro Street to cars. It's a fun place... for young healthy people. The older people who used to be able to drive to their favorite store, park in front and were able to be part of the community they grew up in, no longer can. I am not saying this is a bad idea, but it needs more work to be inclusive.
Everything about this visionary project is brilliant.
Where do u park your car tho? People still need a car if they have to commute.
I guess you didn’t see the parking lot
CROSBY, NORTH DAKOTA ... I have never driven and I live in a small town that makes for an EASY WALK to DOWNTOWN for just about anything needed 🙂
We passed the 1.5 Celsius climate boundary so I think her growth projections might be a bit off... when avg temp from May to Oct is already around 95 degrees.
Plus its arizona.
This is great. I live in Portland. Haven’t been to Tempe in 20 years. Need to check this out ❤
I know its not aesthetically desirable but solar on the roofs to supplement electric and water catchment systems to water the green spaces, could make the outrageous minimum 1,600. a month price tag a bit more tolerable. Also, small grocery stores tend to be more expensive. This seems to be made for young professionals or wealthy college students. Nice idea if could be focused on everyone else also.
I live here, and the grocery store does offer resident discounts if you live here.
I love this. I hope we see more examples that push this further, where a single block ranges from more dense units to single-family homes. I think people need to see that some form of suburbs can exist where you have a house and a yard, that can coexist with multi-family/low-rise, with a key focus on walkability, community, habitat and trail systems. I'm fairly convinced you could even win a lot of the McMansion crowd over if you just gave them an alternative that isn't mutli-family, but built at a more human scale.
Just like every other developer they threw the poor people out to make room for those who are not.
Wonderful place and video. Thanks!!
Great to see people proving it's perfectly feasible to live without relying on a private car 👍
No thanks. I like open spaces and freedom of movement as God given right of private citizens.
I like buying 5 bags of groceries at a time.
it doesnt need to be proven but ya. its how humans lived for a majority of our existence. before the automobile.
@@Stacey721 sure but theres no restriction of movement there idk what your talking about
@@katydid2877 You can try that on a cargo bike, or there would be less cars on the road for you
This complex brings together so many aspects for better living..a hub for community to interact..being less car dependent..would take up a place there for what it offers for sure..❤
How do emergency vehicles reach a building in the community?
Pretty easily. There's plenty of space in between the pod clusters. Or do you think an emergency vehicle needs to be able to pull right up to a specific door?
The central paseo is sized for fire trucks.
@@todddammit4628 i know right haha like what is he thinking
Very interesting. I love in SW Phoenix and had not heard of this place.
Lived in Arizona for 6 years and I would never do it again. Over 100 degrees for weeks at a time, nighttime doesn't give much relief, the desert landscape is nice for a short while but nothing beats natural greenery. And this type of arrangement with no car makes you a slave to the public transit system, what if you need to go somewhere in the middle of the night and this transit system is not working at those hours or doesn't take you to your destination?
So many better options inside and outside of the country than Arizona!
No Thank YOU!
Agree! I grew up there and moved when I finished college.. I’ve never been back!! A few years is more than enough in AZ. And now seeing that it’s being overdeveloped and getting overcrowded. Not worth it!
Did you go see James Turrell's installation at the first ASU light rail stop? Chandler, AZ has a core that is similar. It's less dense but very walkable. North of downtown Phoenix, there's this strip called Portland Parkway Park that is a different scale of a walkable neighborhood, copying PDX's South Park Blocks, but at half-size. It's possible to go carless in metro Phoenix if you have an electric bicycle. In-between that and public transportation, you can reach everywhere. I just hate the constant heat.
Excellent episode. You asked several important questions such as how much rent is like there. What is it like to live there. How the residents interact with each other. I love the concept and design of the Culdesac. (In French, it means "cul de sac" which means dead-end street, however, in this example, in a good way.) The colors are vibrant, yet gentle. The intentional "lack" of asphalt and concrete on the ground helps with climate control in there. The way the "pods" are laid out does not overwhelm residents when walking around. Not hearing cars and trucks drive around within the "village" is good for mental health, as constant traffic noise is a big stressor. This does not feel like a cold, isolating, and "self-centred" attitude villiage.
There are three things I would change if I developed something similar:
1-not be made of wood frame. I would build out of either a combination of masonry blocks with bricks or masonry blocks with natural materials to look like what is shown in this episode. Though concrete may be used, it uses too much energy to use. Wood frame construction is a fire hazard. Example: how does a fire truck reach the burning structure?
2-I would add accessible units for disabled and elderly. The lack of elevators does make it hard for those who are not permanently disabled, and for those who have mobility issues. I can walk, but due to arthritis, stairs are a barrier. On the other hand, being a "walkable" village is good for daily exercise and meeting neighbors. This is good for well-being of people.
3-Affordability. I believe that 1/3 of the village should be rent-geared-to income (30% of gross income) and not to segregate the low income residents from everyone else. (no "poor door" system allowed).
Tempe has came along way. ❤
But no one has an area to go outside and have privacy... like a balcony.