New Urbanism is a design movement that focuses on the planning and creation of walkable, sustainable communities. "Community," in this sense, includes all the elements needed to make up a vibrant, thriving, urban neighborhood: diverse housing options, services, offices, shops, restaurants, and civic and recreational opportunities.
Brytan is a Master Planned Community that embraces these principals. Homes range from modern studio apartments in the heart of the urban center to single family detached homes well suited for growing families. Unlike conventional subdivisions where the homogeneous housing stock is only suited to one stage of your life, Brytan allows you choices to suite your needs throughout your life: You may grow up in a single family home, live in an apartment as a student or young professional, buy a starter home, expand to a larger home, or down-size to a townhouse and never have to give up the neighbors and amenities that have become part of your life.
Within walking distance of all the homes, there is a town center where you can meet with friends and neighbors, shop, dine, find services and entertainment, and employment opportunities - less driving for those with cars, more independence for those without.
By densifying and mixing uses, New Urbanist neighborhoods are able to use less land, less infrastructure, and less resources per person which reduces waste and pollution and preserves more green space for everyone to enjoy. All of these factors combine to make New Urbanist neighborhoods like Brytan strong, sustainable communities with lasting value for generations to come.
To learn more, visit the website for the Congress for the New Urbanism: www.cnu.org
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What would be the pros and cons of living in this type of neighborhood?
ReplyDeleteAre TND's (Traditional Neighborhood Development) just a fad? or are they here to stay? can you find this type community all over the country or just here in Florida?
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ReplyDeletePros and cons of living in a New Urbanist - or for that matter a historic urban neighborhood - vary with the lifestyle of the resident as well as the area of the neighborhood where you might be.
ReplyDeleteIn the heart of the activity center, for instance, you would have easy access to the commercial services that neighborhood offers. You may be able to hear live music coming from a restaurant, conversation from sidewalk cafes and other sounds of the nightlife on the street. That would be a "pro" if you are the type of person who might like to sit out on your balcony and take in that energy. It might be a "con" if you prefer a quite early evening.
A few blocks away, on a street of single family houses, it may be more peaceful and family-oriented, with the closer amenities being a playground, a park, or a jogging trail. But, it is a few more steps to the coffee shop.
Most of the residential lots are very compact. For someone like me, that is a "pro" - no lawn mower to buy. But for someone who would like to park their travel trailer in their yard, it may be a "con."
Some people have concerns about privacy on small lots. But, in reality, the homes are carefully planned to use their proximity to enhance the level of privacy in their courtyard spaces. That is a "pro" for everyone.
Garages in the rear allow front porches to be the prominent feature of the front of the house. So, you can easily get to know your neighbors and enjoy the beauty of the neighborhood.
Another "pro" for everyone, whether you live in one of these neighborhood or not, is the efficiency of the neighborhood design. Higher density and mixed-uses mean less driving miles per resident and less acreage of developed land per person. That means more space in our County is left available for agriculture and natural areas.
TND or New Urbanism isn't really "new." It is more of a rediscovery of time-tested town building patterns with the addition of modern technology. Before our development processes became focused on automobile traffic patterns and before we imposed zoning restrictions, towns naturally grew based on the scale and needs of the people in them. It was certainly convenient to have homes and services within close proximity. It was even more convenient to own one building for your business and your home. Scale and proportion were driven by what people could make by hand and how far they wanted wanted to walk. Those historic cities and towns that have remained intact are still successful today. In fact, many people choose those places as vacations destinations; consider St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, and the like. What the TND movement does is seek to bring back those traditional design elements and development patterns that make places comfortable to the people, rather than the automobile. With hundreds of years of successful history on which to draw, TND's are a solid, long-term solution for future growth.
ReplyDeleteThe New Urbanist movement has deep roots in Florida. Seaside, a neighborhood development designed by DPZ in the Florida Panhandle, is certainly one of the early great examples that has spurred the ideas. Florida has, I believe, the most developments that would be considered TND's. But, the movement has spread to projects all over the country and the world.
ReplyDeleteI spent a few months living in a village in southern England in the early 90's. I had not heard of New Urbanism. I was impressed that the villages I visited were tightly designed, and that I could bicycle a short distance and be in an agricultural area rather than biking through miles of subdivisions. We never had to worry about 'drinking and driving' because, first of all, we did not have a car (public transit was excellent, even in a small village) and because restaurants and pubs were within walking distance and were connected by sidewalks and footpaths. The little "town center" had public areas that became bazaar like on Thursdays - market day. I think these European villages are a fine example of what you are trying to accomplish in Brytan.
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