New Urbanism
A New Approach to Urban Living
In the late 1980s, a new approach to the creation and revitalization of communities began to emerge in North America. Based on the development patterns used prior to World War II, the New Urbanism seeks to reintegrate the components of modern life — housing, workplace, shopping and recreation — into compact, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods linked by transit and set in a larger regional open space framework.
The New Urbanism is an alternative to suburban sprawl, a form of low-density development that consists of large, single-use "pods" — office parks, housing subdivisions, apartment complexes, shopping centers — all of which must be accessed by private automobile.
Initially dubbed "neo-traditional planning," the New Urbanism is best known for projects built in new growth areas such as Seaside (Walton County, Florida, 1981; Duany and Plater-Zyberk Town Planners), Kentlands (Gaithersburg, Maryland, 1988; Duany and Plater-Zyberk Town Planners) and Laguna West (Sacramento County, California, 1990; Calthorpe Associates).
The principles which define New Urbanism can also be applied successfully to infill and redevelopment sites within existing urbanized areas.
In fact, the leading proponents of New Urbanism believe that infill development should be given priority over new development in order to revitalize city centers and limit sprawl. An early manifesto by several leading New Urbanists states: "...we can, first, infill existing communities and, second, plan new communities that will more successfully serve the needs of those who live and work within them" (Ahwahnee Principles, 1991, Local Government Commission). Unfortunately, many of the current social, political and economic realities in the U.S. favor development at the metropolitan edge.
The major principles of New Urbanism are: All development should be in the form of compact, walkable neighborhoods and/or districts. Such places should have clearly defined centers and edges. The center should include a public space — such as a square, green or an important street intersection — and public buildings — such a library, church or community center, a transit stop and retail businesses. Neighborhoods and districts should be compact (typically no more than one quarter mile from center to edge) and detailed to encourage pedestrian activity without excluding automobiles altogether. Streets should be laid out as an interconnected network (usually in a grid or modified grid pattern), forming coherent blocks where building entrances front the street rather than parking lots. Public transit should connect neighborhoods to each other and the surrounding region. A diverse mix of activities (residences, shops, schools, workplaces and parks, etc.) should occur in proximity. Also, a wide spectrum of housing options should enable people of a broad range of incomes, ages and family types to live within a single neighborhood/district.
