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Elizabeth Moule and Stefanos Polyzoides characterize New Urbanism as a general restructuring of the physical forms of urbanism. Their guideline approach includes the following: The form of the New Urbanism is realized by the deliberate assembly of streets, blocks and buildings. In the American urban tradition, the cutting of a grid is the first presence of urban structure in the landscape. In this act the making of place, space is allocated for both public and private use-for buildings and for open spaces. Shaping this void in the city is an act of democratic responsibility. The focus should be on the design of areas which society shares in common, or the public realm. The public realm are those shared spaces where people gather together, to relate to or share a common experience with others, and/or to be separate. The three components of creating the public realm are: the street, the block and the building. Each influences the others in defining the qualities and livability of a settlement. The public realm is that spatial area between buildings and including a publicly accessible membrane at building edge. THE STREET is an outcome of the overall patterns of blocks, its place within a hierarchy of other streets, its proportional space defined as the width divided by the height of adjacent buildings, and the levels of detail for the optimal benefit of the pedestrian. All streets should have a balance of vehicular, pedestrian and service traffic but with traffic-calming devices for the sake of pedestrian safety. THE BLOCK creates a modulation of the public realm and architectural identity. Sizes should vary from 250 feet to a maximum of 600 feet in length. Shape of the block has little to contribute in terms of quality and is usually defined by the street. Interface with the street is where the transitional public realm occurs, with the design of lobbies, covered walks and arcades, enclosed gardens and courtyards, balconies, porches, eaves and cornices, and the display window all helping to enhance the life of the street. THE BUILDING types are to be organized by reference to type (dwelling, employment or institutional) rather than solely by function. The design of a group of buildings or the design of one building in relation to other buildings surrounding it should be the guiding forces of architectural design. Buildings should be designed on the basis of street-wall articulation. The building is design.ed as either a 'fabric' building (designed to fit seamlessly within it's contextual surroundings) or a 'monumental' building (an iconic focal point designed to stand alone). The building type, not style, is the source of historical continuity. The social content of a building creates character and scale. Recognizing environmental limitations, adhering to regional construction materials and methods, and using recycled, low- energy components are the cornerstones of New Urbanist architecture. 7