Property Crossroads - Real Estate Info

New Urbanism…a reaction to urban sprawl

by Maricel Ferrer-Custodio on December 7th, 2006

From my previous post, I wrote about our decision to purchase a property in a developing area over an established area.

While browsing the internet about urban planning and its impact on new developments, I chanced upon the term "New Urbanism".

New Urbanism is actually an urban design movement that aims to reform all aspects of real estate development. Thier works affect regional and local plans, established and new community developments. They incorporate the community, economics, environment and design in their urban planning.

It is a reaction to the urban sprawl.

An urban sprawl occurs when there is a rapid and expansive growth of a city that its boundaries are pushed outwards into the rural areas in the fringe of the city.  It is similar to the story behind the  Dreamworks animation film "Over the Hedge".  Forests, farmlands and coastal areas are being developed into residential communities.  Moreover, due to the rapid growth, it often lacks planning. For instance, new housing developments on the edge of cities may not be supported by services such as public transport, hospitals and banks located in the city center.  People have to drive far to go to their place of work or to go to the nearest hospital.

However, with New U/rbansim, they are after functional and sustainable development. The neighborhoods are walkable, with lots of greens, there is a diverse range of housing balanced with the development of jobs in mixed used town centers. . 

The heart of new urbanism is in the design of neighborhoods, which can be defined by 13 elements, according to town planners Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, two of the founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism.

(Excerpt from Wikipedia under Defining Elements of New Urbanism)

"An authentic neighborhood contains most of these elements:

1. The neighborhood has a discernible center. This is often a square or a green and sometimes a busy or memorable street corner. A transit stop would be located at this center.
2. Most of the dwellings are within a five-minute walk of the center, an average of roughly 2,000 feet.
3. There are a variety of dwelling types—usually houses, rowhouses and apartments—so that younger and older people, singles and families, the poor and the wealthy may find places to live.
4. At the edge of the neighborhood, there are shops and offices of sufficiently varied types to supply the weekly needs of a household.
5. A small ancillary building or garage apartment is permitted within the backyard of each house. It may be used as a rental unit or place to work (for example, office or craft workshop).
6. An elementary school is close enough so that most children can walk from their home.
7. There are small playgrounds accessible to every dwelling—not more than a tenth of a mile away.
8. Streets within the neighborhood form a connected network, which disperses traffic by providing a variety of pedestrian and vehicular routes to any destination.
9. The streets are relatively narrow and shaded by rows of trees. This slows traffic, creating an environment suitable for pedestrians and bicycles.
10. Buildings in the neighborhood center are placed close to the street, creating a well-defined outdoor room.
11. Parking lots and garage doors rarely front the street. Parking is relegated to the rear of buildings, usually accessed by alleys.
12. Certain prominent sites at the termination of street vistas or in the neighborhood center are reserved for civic buildings. These provide sites for community meetings, education, and religious or cultural activities.
13. The neighborhood is organized to be self-governing. A formal association debates and decides matters of maintenance, security, and physical change. Taxation is the responsibility of the larger community."

Famous examples of New Urbanism developments is Seaside, Florida and Disney’s town of Celebration.

Seaside, Florida is the town that appeared in the movie The Truman Show.   It began development in 1981, the lots sold from $15,000, over a decade later it appreciated to $200,000. At present, most lots are selling for more than a million dollars and houses can sell to up to $5,000,000.

Having read about New Urbanism, now I’m more certain about our choice in buying in the developing area of Rouse Hill. I’m not sure if the urban planner used the New Urbanism principles but the elements are definitely present in our neighborhood.

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