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INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The Bemal Property Phase I Specific Plan applied 'neo-traditional' planning principles to the development <br />of neighborhoods within the Phase I Plan Area. Neo-traditional planning is based largely on the concept <br />that narrower, pedestrian-oriented streets and higher density neighborhoods are more conducive to neighbor <br />interaction, thus creating a more livable community. The basis of this 'new' way of designing neighborhoods is <br />the more traditional pattern of American city form at the beginning of the 20th century, up until the post-World <br />War 11 suburban expansion. <br /> <br />The Phase I residential neighborhoods have been built, for the most part, in accordance with these neo- <br />traditional, or more commonly now referred to as 'New Urbanism', planning axioms. These principles include <br />mixing a variety of residential, commercial, institutional and park uses in the same general areas, focusing the <br />neighborhood around a village square, and interconnecting cimulation patterns that create pedestrian-friendly <br />outdoor environments. <br /> <br />The Phase II Specific Plan will focus on the development of park and open space elements of the 318-acre <br />City-owned Bernal Property. The City Design Team envisions the entire Phase I and Phase Il Bernal Property <br />as a 516-acre integrated community, set within a 'grand' park environment. Defining characteristics of the <br />grand I;~_,Lk setting are: stately, inclusive, commanding presence, forested, and recognizable form. Historical <br />precedents considered comparable in purpose include Golden Gate Park in San Francisco (1,013 acres), and <br />Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon (93 acres). <br /> <br />The existing residential and future commercial and office park developments planned for the Bernal Property <br />should fit comfortably within the grand park setting. Future park facilities proposed in the Phase Il Specific Plan <br />could also be arranged according to new urbanism park and open space principles, in addition to other pertinent <br />park planning and design policies and guidelines. <br /> <br />The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of New Urbanism to grand park and open space planning <br />and design, in the context of the Phase II Specific Plan area, and to define the design parameters of the grand <br />park opportunity for the City of Pleasanton. <br /> <br />PROFILE OF NEW URBANISM <br /> <br />New Urbanism is a current theory of community planning and design that applies traditional urban design <br />patterns to suburban settings. Key features of new urbanism include pedestrian-scaled buildings and streets, <br />access to transit, and a mixture of land uses, including housing, arranged both horizontally and vertically in <br />the same block. In terms of open space and parks, the emphasis is on arranging mixed use, pedestrian-scaled <br /> <br /> <br />