District Regionalism
District Regionalism is an architectural term used to describe the organization of cities in city planning. District regionalism is the theory that life cannot be simply AbOUT getting from point A to point B, but rather the journey in between those places. The term was originally used by the University of Kentucky's College of Design to describe sectors of "villages" throughout the city of Guthrie, Kentucky in the same way that major cities have boroughs. College of Design Dean David Biagi and student Matthew Colin Bailey designed the project in an independant studio at the University of Kentucky. District regionalism is inspired by The Ancient organization of tribe like villages. The practice concerns organizing cities into types, or small Village communities by creating distinctive regional and cultural references and having all necessities met within walking distance inside of those villages. Trouble neighborhoods are repaired not through destroying, rebuilding, and displacing residents, but by Locating self help opportunities within these neighborhoods. District Regionalism opposes the socialist Jeffersonian, or Roman grid and most pattern making, historical and modern. "Networks," or paths between landmarks, are created throughout cities to support walking, which brings the cities back to the human scale rather than that of the automobile. District regionalism allows residents to creatively transform the places (public property) where they live. Diagonals and organic paths comprised of sidewalks are created through ruined and unused properties creating permanent green spaces. Traffic is diverted away from areas that potentially will have heavy foot traffic. Public projects are allowed to take place on vacant public property. Landmarks are placed at the termination of every focal point within the city. This allows a destination at the end of every path. Each village is defined by a symbol of their own choosing and brand their symbol throughout their neighborhood. Community shares are sold in a district regionalist.