NEW URBANISMpromotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities. These contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. New Urbanism promotes the increased use of trains and light rail, instead of more highways and roads. Urban living is rapidly becoming the new hip and modern way to live for people of all ages. Currently, there are over 4,000 New Urbanist projects planned or under construction in the United States alone, half of which are in historic urban centers.

NEW URBANISMis the most important planning movement this century, and is about creating a better future for us all. It is an international movement to reform the design of the built environment, and is about raising our quality of life and standard of living by creating better places to live. New Urbanism is the revival of our lost art of place-making, and is essentially a re-ordering of the built environment into the form of complete cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods - the way communities have been built for centuries around the world. New Urbanism involves fixing and infilling cities, as well as the creation of compact new towns and villages.

THE PRINCIPLES OF NEW URBANISM

The principles of New Urbanism can be applied increasingly to projects at the full range of scales from a single building to an entire community.

1. Walkability

-Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work-Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows & doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane; narrow, slow speed streets)-Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

2. Connectivity

-Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable

3. Mixed-Use & Diversity

-A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighborhoods, within blocks, and within buildings-Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races

4. Mixed Housing

A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design

Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit

6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure

-Discernable center and edge-Public space at center-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art-Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk-Transect planning: Highest densities at town center; progressively less dense towards the edge. The transect is an analytical system that conceptualizes mutually reinforcing elements, creating a series of specific natural habitats and/or urban lifestyle settings. The Transect integrates environmental methodology for habitat assessment with zoning methodology for community design. The professional boundary between the natural and man-made disappears, enabling environmentalists to assess the design of the human habitat and the urbanists to support the viability of nature. This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate building and street types for each area along the continuum.

The Transect

More informationon the transect

7. Increased Density

-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live.-New Urbanism design principles are applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities

8. Smart Transportation

-A network of high-quality trains connecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods together-Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation

9. Sustainability

-Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations-Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems-Energy efficiency-Less use of finite fuels-More local production-More walking, less driving

10. Quality of Life

Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The sum of human happiness increases because of New Urbanism" -Andres Duany-------------------------------------------------------

BENEFITS OF NEW URBANISM

1. BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS

Higher quality of life; Better places to live, work, & play; Higher, more stable property values; Less traffic congestion & less driving; Healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less stress; Close proximity to main street retail & services; Close proximity to bike trails, parks, and nature; Pedestrian friendly communities offer more opportunities to get to know others in the neighborhood and town, resulting in meaningful relationships with more people, and a friendlier town; More freedom and independence to children, elderly, and the poor in being able to get to jobs, recreation, and services without the need for a car or someone to drive them; Great savings to residents and school boards in reduced busing costs from children being able to walk or bicycle to neighborhood schools; More diversity and smaller, unique shops and services with local owners who are involved in community; Big savings by driving less, and owning less cars; Less ugly, congested sprawl to deal with daily; Better sense of place and community identity with more unique architecture; More open space to enjoy that will remain open space; More efficient use of tax money with less spent on spread out utilities and roads

2. BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES

Increased sales due to more foot traffic & people spending less on cars and gas; More profits due to spending less on advertising and large signs; Better lifestyle by living above shop in live-work units - saves the stressful & costly commute; Economies of scale in marketing due to close proximity and cooperation with other local businesses; Smaller spaces promote small local business incubation; Lower rents due to smaller spaces & smaller parking lots; Healthier lifestyle due to more walking and being near healthier restaurants; More community involvement from being part of community and knowing residents

3. BENEFITS TO DEVELOPERS

More income potential from higher density mixed-use projects due to more leasable square footage, more sales per square foot, and higher property values and selling prices; Faster approvals in communities that have adopted smart growth principles resulting in cost / time savings; Cost savings in parking facilities in mixed-use properties due to sharing of spaces throughout the day and night, resulting in less duplication in providing parking; Less need for parking facilities due to mix of residences and commercial uses within walking distance of each other; Less impact on roads / traffic, which can result in lower impact fees; Lower cost of utilities due to compact nature of New Urbanist design; Greater acceptance by the public and less resistance from NIMBYS; Faster sell out due to greater acceptance by consumers from a wider product range resulting in wider market share

4. BENEFITS TO MUNICIPALITIES

Stable, appreciating tax base; Less spent per capita on infrastructure and utilities than typical suburban development due to compact, high-density nature of projects; Increased tax base due to more buildings packed into a tighter area; Less traffic congestion due to walkability of design; Less crime and less spent on policing due to the presence of more people day and night; Less resistance from community; Better overall community image and sense of place; Less incentive to sprawl when urban core area is desirable; Easy to install transit where it's not, and improve it where it is; Greater civic involvement of population leads to better governance

WAYS TO IMPLEMENT NEW URBANISM

The most effective way to implement New Urbanism is to plan for it, and write it into zoning and development codes. This directs all future development into this form.Latest version of the SmartCode

New Urbanism is best planned at all levels of development:

-The single building-Groups of buildings-The urban block-The neighborhood-Networks of neighborhoods-Towns-Cities-Regions

Increasingly, regional planning techniques are being used to control and shape growth into compact, high-density, mixed-use neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities. Planning new train systems (instead of more roads) delivers the best results when designed in harmony with regional land planning - known as Transit Oriented Development (TOD). At the same time, the revitalization of urban areas directs and encourages infill development back into city centers.

Planning for compact growth, rather than letting it sprawl out, has the potential to greatly increase the quality of the environment. It also prevents congestion problems and the environmental degradation normally associated with growth.OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME

The most important obstacle to overcomeis therestrictive and incorrect zoning codes currently in force in most municipalities.Current codes do not allow New Urbanism to be built, but do allow sprawl.Adopting a TND ordinance and/or a system of 'smart codes' allows New Urbanism to be built easily without having to rewrite existing codes.

Download the latest SmartCode for free

An equally important obstacle is the continuous road building and expansion taking place in every community across America.This encourages more driving and more sprawl which has a domino effect increasing traffic congestion across the region. Halting road projects and building new train systems helps reverse this problematic trend.Read more

"Only when humans are again permitted to build authentic urbanism those cities, towns, and villages that nurture us by their comforts and delights will we cease the despoiling of Nature by escaping to sprawl"-Andres Duany

Check out our bookstore

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistence." -Daniel Burnham

Click to view national high speed rail map

Take the New Urbanism Online Course Now!

Click image for more information

Check out our plan for a NEW DEAL to fix America

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has" -Margaret Mead----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Urbanism is"the most important collective architectural movement in the United States in the past fifty years."-New York Times

NewUrbanism.orgwas started in 1998, and has since grown to become a leading and well respected informational websitepromotingwalkable urbanism,transit oriented development, trains and sustainability.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Check out the Canons of Sustainable Architecture and UrbanismClick here----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A message of urgencyfor taking action on climate changefrom His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales

Sprawling land use patterns and auto-dominated transportation choicesare the largest contributor to global warming and dwindling oil supplies. Major changes to transportation and land planning are the most important solutions.

The debate about Global Warming and Peak Oil are over. All the latestreports confirm Global Warming is happening now, is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, and urges serious and immediate action to prevent global catastrophe.The urgent message is that we need to reduce our oil consumption by 80-90% as quickly as possible. The solutions have to be as big as the problem.Positive changes have begun!Awareness of the seriousness of the problem hasspread rapidly around the planet.Global Warming and oil supply problems are nowurgent topics of daily concern all around the world.Business leaders are asking for changes and new regulation.Governments are seeking solutions and ideas.Citizens want to participate in the changes, and everyone wants a bright future for their children and grandchildren. In America alone,more than 70% of the voters,the Supreme Court, over 800 cities, more than 500 Universities, the US National Academy ofSciences, and numerous major US corporations all want change.The solutions for reducing oil consumption are all around us. Theresearch iscomplete and the results are in its now time to quickly putthe right solutionsinto widespread use across America, and around the world.At the same time, we need to stop investing in the systems that are at the root of the problem (sprawl, roads, cars, aviation).

Oil Replacements Are Not Economically FeasibleCreating a replacement for oiland continuing 'business as usual' is not possible. In America alone, we currently use more than 20 million barrels of oil EVERY DAY.The US population is expected to double by 2050, which means double the energy and foodconsumption! Biofuels will never be able to produce more than a tiny percent of what we use today,andcompetes directly with food production. It is questionable ifany net energy is actually produced when all theinputs of energy are added up:growing the crops (such as corn), harvesting, transporting, processing, and delivery.SeeTime Magazine'sstory "The Clean Energy Scam"

The Real Solution is to Reduce Oil DemandWe needa replacement for cars.The transition away from carscan be accomplished by halting the growth of sprawl and roads, and greatly increasing the supply of trains and walkable communities connected to the trains - where people can live comfortablywithoutdependence on a car. Walking and riding trainsand bicycles are the replacement for cars. Communities need to be reconfigured to the scale and comfort of the pedestrian.Americans use8 times more energy per person, per day thanEuropeans, yetEuropeans actually have a higher standard of living because they are not forced to spend countless stressful hours stuck in traffic every day.Their cities are dense, walkable, and beautiful,and they have extensive, state-of-the-arttrain systems going everywhere.Americans use8 times more energy than Europeans because 90% of American communities are not walkable (sprawl), and we have not invested in a world-class national rail network the way Europeans havebeen doing for many years.We haveinvested our wealth in roads, cars,and sprawl all of which waste huge amounts of energy,are unsustainable, and have no future.With our new knowledge of the problems and solutions, we must now act quickly, and on a grand scale to redesign our communities and transportation systems to greatly reduce the need fordriving andcars.

Our 10 solutions below help point the way for a better future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We face a planetary emergency"

The urgency with which we need to act cannot be overstated. We need to adopt a crash mitigation program with the total participation of the American public like we had with WWII Victory Gardens, the technological focus of the Apollo Moon program, the scale of the US Interstate Highwayprogram, and the urgency of the Manhattan project.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is our proposal forreducing our oil use, and dealing with this emergency:

We are facing a convergence ofthe most seriouscrises in the history of the planet:>Global Warming and climate change threaten the survival of the human race>Peak Oil - World oil supplies are running out while our oil use is increasing rapidly>Energy Security - Increasing global conflicts over the remaining oil --"It's a fight to the last drop">Traffic congestion is rapidly paralyzing America andthe rest of the worldwhile wasting millionsof gallons ofgas daily>Rapidly growing sprawl is devouring prime farmlands and pristine wilderness areas, and creating the massive traffic congestion

While these situations seemimpossible to solve, our 10solutionswill solve all the problems at once:

10 solutionsthat are feasible, sustainable, & safe:

1.Apermanent moratorium on all new major road construction and expansions.Every additional dollar spent building and wideningroadsdigs us deeper into ourdangerous oil / auto addiction, andincreases global warming.

2.A huge increase in funding for Amtrak, and therapid construction of a new nationwide train network. This shouldconnectevery city, town, and neighborhood with an efficient, state-of-the-art electric train network comparable to what is currently operating all across Europe and Japan. This should be built to transport both passengers and all the cargo now movedinefficiently bytrucks. Trains are by far the most energy efficientform of transportationthat greatly reduces global warming, saves lives, and encourages compact, walkable communities.Read more

3.A permanentmoratorium on the building of any additional sprawl. Sprawl is probably the single largest contributor to oil addiction and global warming due toit's very design (or lack of). Sprawlforces everyone to drive many milesdaily for everything, which in turnrequires constant road expansions, encouraging more cars anddriving, andmore sprawl. Its a vicious cycle consuming ever moreoil, andspewing outmore pollution, makingglobal warming continually worse.

4.A major focus of federal, state, and local governments onNew Urbanism, Smart Growth,andTransit Oriented Development- the revitalization and densificationof all existing cities and towns across America into walkable, mixed-use communities, with pedestrians and bicycles given top priority over automobiles, and a serious focus on bicycles and trains as the major forms of transportation.

The installation of Paris style (Velib), city-widebicycle rental programs in the 200 largest cities inAmerica. In addition, the placementof smallneighborhood schools located sochildren can walk or bike to them, and the provision ofmillions of affordable housing units within walking distance of train stations. A big part of this is theconstruction of LEEDCertified green buildings, and the retrofitting of existing buildings to similar standards.

5.Thetripling of minimum vehicle miles per gallon standards for all vehicles produced in America- accomplished by a quick and complete conversion of all automobile manufacturing facilities to the building of only hybrid, solar,and fully electric vehicles.

Government and institutional car purchases made each year should be switched to buying only hybrids and fully electric cars. It is estimated that the entire U.S. governmentpurchaseswell over7 million new vehicles each year - the sum total of Federal, State, & Local Government agencies, municipalities, counties, universities,the US Postal Service, highway patrol, sheriff, policeand fire departments, etc. - more than enough demand to change entire assembly lines at car factories.

The real solution is tostop making cars altogether bya phased retooling of the auto industry into manufacturing trains, wind turbines, and solar panels(much like during the second world war when they switched to building military equipment).

6.Amoratorium onnew airport construction and expansions, as well as an end toaviation subsidies.

7.A moratorium on the construction of any new coal fired or nuclear power generating plants. Contrary to industry proponents who say nuclear is a "clean energy" solution to global warming -nuclear power is far from clean. The waste it produces is the most toxic substance known to humankind, remaining deadly radioactive for many thousands of years,with no safe way to store or dispose of it, and no way of preventing it from beingmade into weapons.

8.The rapid construction ofnew solar and wind power generating capacity all across America, from large-scale installations to smaller neighborhood and roof-top units.Also, the immediate installation of new hydropower generatingcapacity in the form ofcoastalwave and tidalenergy capture.

9.Theinstallation of full roof solar panels on every building in America.

10.The installation of hundreds of acres oforganic farmsthroughout every city and townin America. In addition to this, theplanting of millions of trees across America.

More information and solutions below

WAYS TO PAY FOR THESE SOLUTIONS-The $620 billion + spent so far on the Iraq war could have paid for a lot of this (experts predict this war will end up costing over $2 trillion!)-A portion of the $680 billion United States annual defensebudget-The hundreds of billions spent annuallyon road construction-The hundreds of billionsspent on airport expansions-The hundreds of billions spentconstructing nuclear and coal fired power plants-The $300 billion each yearspent subsidizing the oil industry-A new 'waste tax' imposed on waste and inefficiency-A new carbon tax on the burning of fossil fuels

"There is no more debate. We face a planetary emergency. The phrase sounds shrill but it is an accurate description of the climate crisis that we have to confront and solve."--Al Gore

It is imperative that we invest in the solutions as soon as possible for a smooth transition to a sustainable future. Right now, "unfortunately, we're investing in war, not in crash projects to develop new transportation and energy sources."The real problem is that after we conclude the Iraq warspendingin excess of $2 trillion, and burning up millions of barrels of oil,we will still be just as dependent on oil as before the war - nothing will have been improved with our society and our dangerous oil addiction.

What we need now more than anything isunified leadership and committed, focused,emergency actionon a massive scale to save the planet before it's too late.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MORE INFORMATION & SOLUTIONS

Global Warming

Criminal:The Global Warming Denial Industry Delayed Action forMore Than a Decade

TheGlobal Warming Denial MachineExposed|New York Timeson the Denial Machine

The Union of Concerned Scientistson the Denial Machine Disinformation Campaign

New York Times: Science Panel Calls Global Warming 'Unequivocal'

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |Read Newly Released Report

Must see movie: Crude Impact- addressing all the problems(peak oil, global warming, transportation, agriculture,etc)

Bloomberg: Global Warming CouldCostWorld $9.6 Trillion |Cost Analysis

BBC: Potential Catastrophic Costs |Environmental Defense

International Herald Tribune |Global Public Media|MSNBC-Interactive

Union of Concerned Scientists |Natural Resources Defense CouncilWashington Post |Movie: "An Inconvenient Truth"

Fox Newsabout"An Inconvenient Truth":"Not to be missed. It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative...your mind will be changed in a nanosecond."

World Bank, Pentagon:"Global Warming Bigger Threat than Terrorism"

Time Magazinecover story: "The Clean Energy Scam"

Peak Oil

Fortune Magazine: Here Comes $500 Oil

Shell Oil CEO: Peak Oil Could Be Here in 7 Years

Boston Globe: "The oil supply problem is a matter of national security"

Military Oil Pains|US Department of Defense- "World's LargestConsumer of Oil"

Video: The US Government is not at all prepared for oil supply disruptions

Video: Crude Realities |Video: The Coming End of Oil |Video: Bloomberg

Guardian: World Oil Peaked in 2006 - Serious Risks

Scientists: "World Oil Supplies Set to RunOut Faster Than Expected"

"The Energy Crisis Has Arrived" -MatthewR. Simmons, Oil Industry Investment Banker

ABC News: "Real Oil Crisis"Video |Kick the Oil Habit - Video |Peak Oil USA

US Government Report: "Peak Oil a Serious Threat" |Peak OilNews |Peak Oil info

"Its time to start making other arrangements" James Howard Kunstler

Richard Heinberg Peak Oil Presentation |Life After the Oil Crash

Aviation-Peak Oil and The End of Aviation |A Bloodbath for the Airlines

The End of Aviation-The New Republic

"WhoKilled theElectric Car"movie |Collapse of World Seafood

SOLUTIONS

Trains

France High Speed Trains|RailTeam Europe|High Speed Trains - Japan

Video:France's New Super High SpeedTrain - World Record Setting Fast Run

TGVSuper High Speed|TGV -Profitable|Trains Inc.|High Speed Train News

Forbes:World's Fastest Trains|Forbes: High Speed Trains|TGV

Trains - Solution to Clmate Change|Train Solution Interactive

Parade Magazine:Trains A Better Way To Travel|U.S. Rail Projects

Check out the newUS High Speed Rail Association

Video:Super Fast Trains|Video:MoreFast Trains

New Urbanism & Transit Oriented Development

Principles of New Urbanism|Transit Oriented Development

New Study: Walkable Cities are the Solution

Urbanism and Solutions -The Correa Report|Congressional TOD Testimony

Congress for the New Urbanism|Reconnecting America|Rail-volution

New Towns|Urban Design|NEW DEAL 2009

Car-Free Cities

Green Cities, End of Oil|EcoCities|Car Free Cities|Car Free Cities book

Green Buildings

US Green Building Council / LEED

Wind

CNN: "Wind Farms Could Meet Energy Needs"|Global Warming Solutions

Wind - A Major Solution to Global Warming & Peak Oil|Wind Energy - US

Wind Energy - UK|Wind Power Inc - AES|Wind Power Inc.

Urban Wind Turbines|Backyard Wind Turbines|Mini Wind Turbines

Mini Wind Turbines - Pacwind

Solar

Solar Power|Vote Solar|Solar Energy|Solar Energy Industry Association

Solar Power Inc. - FSLR|Solar Power Inc. - SPWR|Solar Power Inc. - TSL

Ocean & Wave

Wave EnergyOrg|Wave Energy|Wave Energy Inc.|WaveGen Inc.|MSNBC

Energy From the Motion of the Ocean|Ocean Power Inc.|Renewable EnergyNews

Wavebob Inc.|Ocean Energy Inc.|OpenHydro Inc.

People Power

People-Powered Vehicles|Electric Bike Video|ElectricBicycles|Car-Bikes

Human Powered|More Human-Powered Vehicles|Human-Powered Challenge

Pedal-Powered Taxi|Bicycles|World Bicycling

Green Transportation

Electric Vehicles

Electric Cars|More Electric Cars|Plug-In America|EV World|Aerorider

Films

FILM:"The Community Solution: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"Order DVD

FILM:"Contested Streets"Order DVD

Must see free video on consumption:The Story of Stuff

Investors

Investor Network on Climate Risk

More Info

Apollo Alliance|Resources|More Resources|Climate Solution Reports

Step it Up.org|1 Sky|The Alliance for Climate Protection

Great Video:The Story of Stuff

Consultants

Sustainability Expert Consultants

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON GLOBAL WARMING

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ARAPID& UNPRECEDENTED MOBILIZATIONOF HUMANITY IS NEEDED

"It is no exaggeration to say that stabilizing the climate poses a political challenge of unprecedented scope. Needed emission reductions on the order of 80% can only be achieved through a rapid transition to clean energy technologies--and not only in the rich countries, but in the developing world as well." -World Watch Institute

"Given the magnitude and urgency of the accelerating pace of climate change, the only hope lies in a rapid and unprecedented mobilization of humanity around this issue." -Ross Gelbspan

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The quicker we get about the business of reducing our reliance on oil, the better we're going to be."- Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State (May, 2006) -Probably the smartest thing is to stopcutting funding for Amtrak, the nation's most efficient form of transportation. And probably even smarter would be to vastly increase the budget for Amtrak sothetrain system canrapidly expand to allow millions of people toget around by train instead of gas-guzzling SUVs and fuel-wasting airplanes.

"We have a window of only 10 to 15 years to take the steps we need to avoid crossing catastrophic tipping points"-Tony Blair, Prime Minister, UK (October, 2006)

"Global warming requires immediate action" -The Pentagon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir humanitys blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical plan once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Daniel Burnham

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Be part of the fast growing New Urbanism movement!List your firm or servicehere inourMarketplace Professional Services Directory... and be seen by over 140,000 people per year.List your firm now

*Looking for a professional? Need to hire an architect, urban designer, marketing specialist, or other professional?Check out ourMarketplace Professional Services Directory-created to help meet the growing demand for New Urbanism Practitioners -Still Accepting Professional Listings...We have the professionals you need!Check it out

THE END OF SUBURBIA A MUST SEE MOVIE!NOW AVAILABLE on DVD!Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too the suburban way of life has become embedded in the American consciousness.Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream.But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now.The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous.Order Your DVD Now!Read more about the film and the crisis

Order Your DVD Today!

Read about the Transportation Crisis in America

Check out the new

Virgin Trains

National TV commercial

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*NEW STUDIES: Many benefitswith rail systems.Click hereto read the studies

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PEAK OILis upon us! "We're a world that lives on oil; we eat oil, and there's a global energy famine coming." says Richard Heinberg, a leading voice inthe debate over the timing of peak oil.

Heinberg,aprofessor of human ecology at New College of California,calls it "a fight for the last drop," andbelieves Peak Oil isalready here. The signs are all around: The Chinese bid for Unocal, the war in Iraq, oil prices at record levels.

The world is facing a historic change that is unprecedented in scope and depth of impact. If we don't start preparing now, Heinberg predicts economic and political chaos.

While there are many ways to reduce energy consumption - from turning out lights to installing solar panels on the roof -the best way to save oil is to use less gasoline - which can be accomplished by driving smaller cars, switching to hybrid cars, and moving to a walkable city and riding trains and bicycles. New Urbanism, Transit Oriented Development, and rail transportation are all major solutions to this crisis.

Energy Bulletin: Government Report Acknowledges Peak Oil ThreatNewsweek:How to Live Without OilResource Investor:Government Report DisturbingOil ChangeAn Inconvenient TruthCulture ChangeLife After the Oil CrashASPO Peak Oil

**Read theGovernment Report**

Solutions:New Urbanism|Transit Oriented Development|Trains|Smart Transportation

THE EUROPEAN DREAMby Jeremy RifkinA must read book!The American Dream is in decline. Americans are increasingly overworked, underpaid, and squeezed for time. But there is an alternative: the European Dream - a more leisurely, healthy, prosperous, and sustainable way of life. Europe's lifestyle is not only desirable, argues Jeremy Rifkin, but may be crucial to sustaining prosperity in the new era.

With the dawn of the European Union, Europe has become an economic superpower in its own right-its GDP now surpasses that of the United States. Europe has achieved newfound dominance not by single-mindedly driving up stock prices, expanding working hours, and pressing every household into a double-wage-earner conundrum. Instead, the New Europe relies on market networks that place cooperation above competition; promotes a new sense of citizenship that extols the well-being of the whole person and the community rather than the dominant individual; and recognizes the necessity of deep play and leisure to create a better, more productive, and healthier workforce.Much of Europe enjoys a longer life span and greater literacy, and has less poverty and crime, less blight and sprawl, longer vacations, and shorter commutes to work than we do in the United States.When one considers what makes a people great and what constitutes a better way of life, observes Rifkin, Europe now surpasses America.Order your copy today!

THE NEW TRANSIT TOWN by Hank Dittmar & Gloria Ohland

Best Practices in Transit-Oriented Development.Now available... "Transit-oriented development (TOD) seeks to maximize access to mass transit and nonmotorized transportation with centrally located rail or bus stations surrounded by relatively high-density commercial and residential development. New Urbanists and smart growth proponents have embraced the concept and interest in TOD is growing, both in the United States and around the world.The New Transit Townbrings together leading experts in planning, transportation, and sustainable design -- including Scott Bernstein, Peter Calthorpe, Jim Daisa, Sharon Feigon, Ellen Greenberg, David Hoyt, Dennis Leach, and Shelley Poticha -- to examine the first generation of TOD projects and derive lessons for the next generation. It offers topic chapters that provide detailed discussion of key issues along with case studies that present an in-depth look at specific projects."Purchase book

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----New Urbanism University Programs----

Notre Dame

The University of Miami

*For a complete list of New Urbanism friendly university programs,click here

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Support for Amtrak is at an all time high in America. According to aJune 7, 2003poll in the Washington Post, there is "71 percent public support for subsidizingAmtrak at current or increased levels. Support for Amtrak is strongamong all regions, ages, education levels and income groups."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READ THE JUST-RELEASED REPORT: "Highways and Transit: Leveling the Playing Field in Federal Transportation Policy"from the Brookings Institution. "A new report released December 15 by the Brooking Institution confirms what transportation reform advocates have learned from their experience in the field, documenting that there is in fact an unlevel playing field between transit and highway projects.The report provides an excellent overview of the variations in federal policies affecting project sponsors undertaking major transit investments and what is required of sponsors of federally-assisted highway projects. It discusses the differential treatment of these projects, comparing the specific federal requirements that are applicable to decision-makers seeking to undertake major transit investments, principally those funded under the New Starts program." -Surface Transportation Policy Project

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SHOCKING NEW REPORT: THE PENTAGON NOW SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE WILL BE DEADLY- A secret report obtained byThe Observer -with direct implications against sprawl and endless road building -predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents. The findings will prove humiliating to the Bush administration, which has repeatedly denied that climate change even exists. Experts said that they will also make unsettling reading for a President who has insisted national defence is a priority.Last week the Bush administration came under heavy fire from a large body of respected scientists who claimed that it cherry-picked science to suit its policy agenda and suppressed studies that it did not like. Jeremy Symons, a former whistleblower at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that suppression of the report for four months was a further example of the White House trying to bury the threat of climate change. Senior climatologists, however, believe that their verdicts could prove the catalyst in forcing Bush to accept climate change as a real and happening phenomenon. They also hope it will convince the United States to sign up to global treaties to reduce the rate of climatic change. "The consequences for some nations of the climate change are unbelievable.It seems obvious that cutting the use of fossil fuels would be worthwhile."Read more

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------READ THE NEW REPORT:"More Highways, More Pollution: Road-building And Air Pollution In America's Cities"from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. Pirg). The research finds that cities with the most highway capacity per capita tend to have the worst air pollution from vehicles per capita. A review of the academic literature and empirical data on road building and traffic congestion concludes thatbuilding new roads will do little to alleviate traffic congestion in the long runand likely will exacerbate already severe air pollution problems in cities across the country.

Read:Light Rail Success Stories |Landscape Architecture|Transit Oriented Development-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Sign up to receive our complimentary newsletter:

Top of FormSign up for our Email NewsletterBottom of Form

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW REPORT: "CREATING GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS: DENSITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY"Read more

NEW STUDY: TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS ALLRead more

NATIONAL SMART GROWTH AWARDS ANNOUNCEDRead more

TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT GROWING IN POPULARITYRead more

SPRAWL DETRIMENTAL TO HEALTH - NEW STUDIESRead more

NEW URBANISM AND SMART GROWTH SWEEPING THE COUNTRYRead more

9 STUDIES: ROAD EXPANSION PROJECTS CREATEMORECONGESTIONRead more

"NO MORE ROADS OR SPRAWL!"... VOTERS SAY LOUD AND CLEARRead more

WE NOW HAVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT SMART GROWTH WORKS AND REDUCES AUTO USE.Read more

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Most people do not think road building is an effective way to fight congestion; 75% see other strategies as more effective." -Smart Growth America. Yet 80% of America's transportation spending goes for road building! --- What's wrong with this picture? ---Read more-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TIME MAGAZINE: TRAINS ARE THE SOLUTION TO OURCRISIS.Read more

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONTACT USfor more information,speaking engagements, consultation, or design work:

NewUrbanism.org824King Street, Suite 103Alexandria, VA 22314

Email

New UrbanismFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Neotraditionalism" redirects here. For other uses, seeNeotraditional.

Seaside, FloridaNew Urbanismis anurban designmovement which promoteswalkableneighborhoods containing a range ofhousingand job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually informed many aspects ofreal estate development,urban planning, and municipalland-usestrategies.New Urbanism is strongly influenced by urban design standards that were prominent until the rise of theautomobilein the mid-20th century; it encompasses principles such astraditional neighborhood design(TND) andtransit-oriented development(TOD).[1]It is also closely related toregionalism,environmentalismand the broader concept ofsmart growth. The movement also includes a more pedestrian-oriented variant known asNew Pedestrianism, which has its origins in a 1929planned communityinRadburn, New Jersey.[2]

Market Street,Celebration, FloridaThe organizing body for New Urbanism is the Congress for the New Urbanism, founded in 1993. Its foundational text is theCharter of the New Urbanism, which says:We advocate the restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the following principles: neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate,ecology, and building practice.[3]New Urbanists supportregional planningfor open space, context-appropriatearchitectureand planning, and the balanced development of jobs and housing. They believe their strategies can reduce traffic congestion, increase the supply of affordable housing, and rein insuburban sprawl. TheCharter of the New Urbanismalso covers issues such ashistoric preservation, safe streets,green building, and the re-development ofbrownfield land.Contents[hide] 1Background 2Defining elements 3Examples 3.1United States 3.1.1University Place in Memphis 3.1.2The Cotton District 3.1.3Seaside 3.1.4Stapleton 3.1.5San Antonio 3.1.6Mountain House 3.1.7Mesa del Sol 3.1.8I'On 3.1.9Haile Plantation 3.1.10Disney's Celebration, Florida 3.1.11Jersey City 3.1.12Old York Village, Chesterfield Township, New Jersey 3.2Other countries 3.2.1Europe 3.2.2Americas 3.2.3Asia 3.2.4Africa 4Organizations 5Film 6Criticisms 7See also 7.1Urban planners, architects and New Urbanists 7.2Locations 7.3Topics 8References 9Further reading 10External linksBackground[edit]

The TransectUntil the mid 20th century, cities were generally organized into and developed around mixed-use walkable neighborhoods. For most of human history this meant a city that was entirely walkable, although with the development ofmass transitthe reach of the city extended outward along transit lines, allowing for the growth of new pedestrian communities such asstreetcar suburbs. But with the advent of cheap automobiles and favorable government policies, attention began to shift away from cities and towards ways of growth more focused on the needs of the car.[4]Specifically, after World War IIurban planninglargely centered around the use of municipalzoningordinances to segregate residential from commercial and industrial development, and focused on the construction of low density single family detached houses as the preferred housing option for the growing middle class. The physical separation of where people lived from where they worked, shopped and frequently spend their recreational time, together with low housing density, which often drastically reduced population density relative to historical norms, made automobiles indispensable for efficient transportation and contributed to the emergence of a culture ofautomobile dependency.This new system of development, with its rigorous separation of uses, arose afterWorld War IIand became known as "conventional suburban development"[5]or pejoratively asurban sprawl. The majority of U.S. citizens now live insuburbancommunities built in the last fifty years, and automobile use per capita has soared.Although New Urbanism as an organized movement would only arise later, a number of activists and thinkers soon began to criticize themodernistplanning techniques being put into practice. Social philosopher and historianLewis Mumfordcriticized the "anti-urban" development of post-war America.The Death and Life of Great American Cities,written byJane Jacobsin the early 1960s, called for planners to reconsider the single-use housing projects, large car-dependent thoroughfares, and segregated commercial centers that had become the "norm."Rooted in these early dissenters, New Urbanism emerged in the 1970s and 80s with the urban visions and theoretical models for the reconstruction of the "European" city proposed by architectLeon Krier, and the "pattern language" theories ofChristopher Alexander.In 1991, theLocal Government Commission, a private nonprofit group inSacramento, California, invited architectsPeter Calthorpe, Michael Corbett,Andrs Duany,Elizabeth Moule,Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk,Stefanos Polyzoides, andDaniel Solomonto develop a set of community principles for land use planning. Named theAhwahnee Principles(afterYosemite National Park'sAhwahnee Hotel), the commission presented the principles to about one hundred government officials in the fall of 1991, at its first Yosemite Conference for Local Elected Officials.Calthorpe, Duany, Moule, Plater-Zyberk, Polyzoides, and Solomon founded the Chicago-based Congress for the New Urbanism in 1993. The CNU has grown to more than 3,000 members, and is the leading international organization promoting New Urbanist design principles. It holds annual Congresses in various U.S. cities.New Urbanism is a broad movement that spans a number of different disciplines and geographic scales. And while the conventional approach to growth remains dominant, New Urbanist principles have become increasingly influential in the fields of planning, architecture, and public policy.[6]Defining elements[edit]This sectiondoes notciteanyreferences or sources.Please help improve this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(May 2010)

Prospect New TowninLongmont, Colorado, showing a mix ofaggregate housingand traditionaldetached homesAndrs DuanyandElizabeth Plater-Zyberk, two of the founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism, observed mixed-use streetscapes with corner shops, front porches, and a diversity of well-crafted housing while living in one ofNew Haven'sVictorianneighborhoods.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 0.25 miles (1,300ft; 0.40km).3. There are a variety of dwelling types usually houses,rowhouses, andapartments so that younger and older people,singlesand 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 orgarage apartmentis permitted within the backyard of each house. It may be used as a rental unit or place to work (for example, an 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.Examples[edit]Main article:Examples of New UrbanismUnited States[edit]New Urbanism is having a growing influence on how and where metropolitan regions choose to grow. At least fourteen large-scale planning initiatives are based on the principles of linking transportation and land-use policies, and using the neighborhood as the fundamental building block of a region.[citation needed]Miami, Florida, has adopted the most ambitious New Urbanist-based zoning code reform yet undertaken by a major U.S. city.[7]More than six hundred new towns, villages, and neighborhoods in the U.S. following New Urbanist principles are planned or under construction. Hundreds of new, small-scale, urban and suburban infill projects are under way to reestablish walkable streets and blocks. In Maryland and several other states, New Urbanist principles are an integral part ofsmart growthlegislation.In the mid-1990s, theU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) adopted the principles of the New Urbanism in its multi-billion dollar program to rebuild public housing projects nationwide. New Urbanists have planned and developed hundreds of projects in infill locations. Most were driven by the private sector, but many, including HUD projects, used public money.University Place in Memphis[edit]In 2010 University Place in Memphis became the second onlyU.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) LEED certified neighborhood. LEED ND (neighborhood development) standards integrates principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building and were developed through a collaboration between USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism, and theNatural Resources Defense Council. University Place, developed byMcCormack Baron Salazar, is a 405-unit, 30-acre, mixed-income, mixed use, multigenerational,HOPE VIgrant community that revitalized the severely distressed Lamar Terrace public housing site.[8]The Cotton District[edit]The Cotton DistrictinStarkville, Mississippi, was the first New Urbanist development, begun in 1968 long before the New Urbanism movement was organized.[9]The District borders Mississippi State University, and consists mostly of residential rental units for college students along with restaurants, bars and retail. The Cotton District got its name because it is built in the vicinity of an old cotton mill.Seaside[edit]Seaside, Florida, the first fully New Urbanist town, began development in 1981 on eighty acres (324,000m) ofFlorida Panhandlecoastline. It was featured on the cover of theAtlantic Monthlyin 1988, when only a few streets were completed, and has become internationally famous for its architecture, and the quality of its streets and public spaces.[citation needed]Seaside is now a tourist destination and appeared in the movieThe Truman Show. Lots sold for $15,000 in the early 1980s, and slightly over a decade later, the price had escalated to about $200,000. Today, most lots sell for more than a million dollars, and some houses top $5million.[citation needed]Stapleton[edit]The site of the formerStapleton International AirportinDenver, Colorado, closed in 1995, is now being redeveloped byForest City Enterprises. Stapleton is expected to be home to at least 30,000 residents, six schools and 2million square feet (180,000m) of retail. Construction began in 2001.[10][11]Northfield Stapleton, one of the development's major retail centers, recently opened.San Antonio[edit]In 1997San Antonio, Texas, as part of a new master plan, created new regulations called the Unified Development Code (UDC), largely influenced by New Urbanism. One feature of the UDC is six unique land development patterns that can be applied to certain districts: Conservation Development, Commercial Center Development, Office or Institutional Campus Development, Commercial Retrofit Development, Tradition Neighborhood Development,Transit Oriented Development. Each district has specific standards and design regulation. The six development patterns were created to reflect existing development patterns.[12]Mountain House[edit]Mountain House, one of the latest New Urbanist projects in the United States, is a new town located nearTracy, California. Construction started in 2001. Mountain House will consist of 12 villages, each with its own elementary school, park, and commercial area. In addition, a futuretrain station, transit center and bus system are planned for Mountain House.Mesa del Sol[edit]Mesa del Sol, New Mexicothe largest New Urbanist project in the United Stateswas designed by architectPeter Calthorpe, and is being developed byForest City Enterprises. Mesa del Sol may take five decades to reach full build-out, at which time it should have 38,000 residential units, housing a population of 100,000; a 1,400-acre (5.7km2) industrial office park; four town centers; an urban center; and adowntownthat would provide atwin citywithinAlbuquerque.I'On[edit]Located inMount Pleasant, South Carolina,I'Onis a traditional neighborhood development, mixed with a new urbanism styled architecture, reflecting on the building designs of the nearby downtown areas ofCharleston, South Carolina. Founded on April 30, 1995, I'On was designed by the town planning firms of Dover, Kohl & Partners andDuany Plater-Zyberk & Company, and currently holds over 750 single family homes. Features of the community include extensive sidewalks, sharedpublicgreens and parks,trailsand a grid of narrow,traffic calmingstreets. Most homes are required to have afront porchof not less than eight feet (2.46 m) in depth. Floor heights of 10 feet (3.1 m), raised foundations and smaller lot sizes give the community adense, vertical feel.Haile Plantation[edit]Haile Plantation, Florida, is a 2,600 household (1,700 acres (6.9km2)) development of regional impact southwest of the city of Gainesville, within Alachua County. Haile Village Center is a traditional neighborhood center within the development. It was originally started in 1978 and completed in 2007. In addition to the 2,600 homes the neighborhood consists of two merchant centers (one a New England narrow street village and the other a chain grocery strip mall). There are also two public elementary schools and an 18-hole golf course.Disney's Celebration, Florida[edit]In June 1996, theWalt Disney Companyunveiled its 5,000acre (20km) town ofCelebration, near Orlando, Florida. Celebration opened its downtown in October 1996, relying heavily on the experiences of Seaside, whose downtown was nearly complete. Disney shuns the label New Urbanism, calling Celebration simply a "town."Celebration's Downtown has become one of the area's most popular tourist destinations making the community a showcase for New Urbanism as a prime example of the creation of a "sense of place".[13]Jersey City[edit]The construction of theHudson Bergen Light RailinHudson County, New Jerseyhas spurred transit-oriented development. InJersey City, two projects are planned to transformbrownfieldsites, both of which have required remediation oftoxic wasteby previous owners.Bayfront, once site of aHoneywellplant is a 100 acres (0.40km2) site on theHackensack River, and is nearby the planned West Campus ofNew Jersey City University.Canal Crossing, named for the formerMorris Canal, was once partially owned byPPG Industries, and is a 117 acres (0.47km2) site west ofLiberty State Park.Old York Village, Chesterfield Township, New Jersey[edit]The sparsely developed agriculturalTownship of ChesterfieldinNew Jerseycovers approximately 21.61 square miles (56.0km2) and has made farmland preservation a priority since the 1970s. Chesterfield has permanently preserved more than 7,000 acres (28km2) of farmland through state and county programs and a township-wide transfer of development credits program that directs future growth to a designated "receiving area" known as Old York Village. Old York Village is a neo-traditional, new urbanism town on 560 acres (2.3km2) incorporating a variety of housing types, neighborhood commercial facilities, a new elementary school, civic uses, and active and passive open space areas with preserved agricultural land surrounding the planned village. Construction began in the early 2000s and a significant percentage of the community is now complete. Old York Village was the winner of the American Planning Association National Outstanding Planning Award in 2004.[14][15][16]Other countries[edit]New Urbanism is closely related to theUrban villagemovement in Europe. They both occurred at similar times and share many of the same principles although urban villages has an emphasis on traditional city planning. In Europe many brown-field sites have been redeveloped since the 1980s following the models of the traditional city neighbourhoods rather than Modernist models. One well-publicized example isPoundburyin England, a suburban extension to the town of Dorchester, which was built on land owned by theDuchy of Cornwallunder the overview ofPrince Charles. The original masterplan was designed byLeon Krier. A report carried out after the first phase of construction found a high degree of satisfaction by residents, although the aspirations to reducecar dependencyhad not been successful. Rising house prices and a perceived premium have made the open market housing unaffordable for many local people.[17]The Council for European Urbanism (C.E.U.), formed in 2003, shares many of the same aims as the U.S.'s New Urbanists. C.E.U.'s Charter is a development of theCongress for the New UrbanismCharter revised and reorganised to relate better to European conditions. An Australian organisation, Australian Council for New Urbanism has since 2001 run conferences and events to promote New Urbanism in that country. ANew Zealand Urban Design Protocolwas created by the Ministry for the Environment in 2005.There are many developments around the world that follow New Urbanist principles to a greater or lesser extent:Europe[edit]

Example of Neo-Traditionalism at Le Plessis Robinson

The new marketplace of Le Plessis-Robinson Le Plessis-Robinson, one of the most stunning example of Neo-traditionalism,[18]in the south-west of Paris this city is in the process of transforming itself, destroying old modern-block like building and replacing them by traditional buildings and houses one of the biggest world wide project with Val d'Europe.(In 2008 the city was nominated best european achritectuaral project of the european-union).[19]

Jakriborg, started in the late 1990s nearMalm Val d'Europe, east of Paris, France. Developed byDisneyland Resort Paris, this town is a kind of European counterpart to Walt Disney World Celebration City. Jakriborg, in SouthernSweden, is a recent example of the New Urbanist movement. Other developments can be found in the Netherlands, at Heulebrug, part ofKnokke-Heist, inBelgium, and Fonti di Matilde,Italy.Americas[edit] Orchid Bay, Belize, is one of the largest New Urbanist projects in Central America and the Caribbean. McKenzie Towneis a New Urbanist development which commenced in 1995 byCarma DevelopersLP inCalgary. Cornell, within the city ofMarkham, Ontario, was designed with walkable neighborhoods, density to support public transit, a variety of housing types and retail.[20] New Amherst is a new urbanist development in the town ofCobourg, Ontario. UniverCity, beside theSFUcampus on Burnaby Mountain inBurnaby,British Columbia, is an award-winning sustainable community that is designed to be walkable, dense, and well connected to public transit networks.Asia[edit] The structure plan forThimphu,Bhutan, followsPrinciples of Intelligent Urbanism, which share underlying axioms with the New Urbanism.Africa[edit]There are several such developments in South Africa. The most notable isMelrose ArchinJohannesburg.Triple Pointis a comparable mixed-use development inEast London, inEastern Capeprovince. The development, announced in 2007, comprises 30hectares. It is made up of three apartment complexes together with over 30 residential sites as well as 20,000 sqm of residential and office space. The development is valued at over R2billion ($250million).[21]Organizations[edit]

Mixed use pedestrian-friendly street inBitola,Republic of Macedonia.The primary organization promoting the New Urbanism in the United States is theCongress for the New Urbanism(CNU). The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions. CNU members promote the principles of CNU's Charter and the hallmarks of New Urbanism, including: Livable streets arranged in compact, walkable blocks. A range of housing choices to serve people of diverse ages and income levels. Schools, stores and other nearby destinations reachable by walking, bicycling or transit service. An affirming, human-scaled public realm where appropriately designed buildings define and enliven streets and other public spaces.The CNU has met annually since 1993 when they held their first general meeting inAlexandria, Virginia, with approximately 100 attendees. By 2008 the Congress was drawing 2,000 to 3,000 attendees to the annual meetings.The CNU began forming local and regional chapters circa 2004 with the founding of the New England and Florida Chapters. By 2011 there were 16 official chapters and interest groups for 7 more. As of 2013, Canada hosts two full CNU Chapters, one in Ontario (CNU Ontario), and one in British Columbia (Cascadia) which also includes a portion of the north-west US states.While the CNU has international participation in Canada, sister organizations have been formed in other areas of the world including the Council for European Urbanism (CEU), the Movement for Israeli Urbanism (MIU) and the Australian Council for the New Urbanism.By 2002 chapters of Students for the New Urbanism began appearing at universities including theSavannah College of Art and Design,University of Georgia,University of Notre Dame, and theUniversity of Miami. In 2003, a group of younger professionals and students met at the 11th Congress in Washington, D.C. and began developing a "Manifesto of the Next Generation of New Urbanists". TheNext Generation of New Urbanistsheld their first major session the following year at the 12th meeting of the CNU in Chicago in 2004. The group has continued meeting annually as of 2009 with a focus on young professionals, students, new member issues, and ensuring the flow of fresh ideas and diverse viewpoints within the New Urbanism and the CNU. Spinoff projects of the Next Generation of the New Urbanists include the Living Urbanism publication first published in 2008.The CNU has spawned publications and research groups. Publications include theNew Urban Newsand theNew Town Paper. Research groups have formed independent nonprofits to research individual topics such as the Form-Based Codes Institute, The National Charrette Institute and the Center for Applied Transect Studies.In theUnited KingdomNew Urbanist and European urbanism principles are practised and taught by theThe Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment. Other organisations promote New Urbanism as part of their remit, such asINTBAU, A Vision of Europe, and others.The CNU and other national organizations have also formed partnerships with like-minded groups. Organizations under the banner ofSmart Growthalso often work with the Congress for the New Urbanism. In addition the CNU has formed partnerships on specific projects such as working with the [United States Green Building Council] and theNatural Resources Defense Councilto develop theLEEDfor Neighborhood Development standards, and with theInstitute of Transportation Engineersto develop aContext Sensitive Solutions(CSS) Design manual.Film[edit]The 2004documentaryThe End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dreamargues that the depletion of oil will result in the demise of the sprawl-type development.[22]New Urban Cowboy: Toward a New Pedestrianism, a feature length 2008 documentary about urban designerMichael E. Arth, explains the principles of hisNew Pedestrianism, a more ecological and pedestrian-oriented version of New Urbanism.[2][23]The film also gives a brief history of New Urbanism, and chronicles the rebuilding of an inner city slum into a model of New Urbanism.[24][25]Criticisms[edit]The examples and perspective in this articlemay not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.Pleaseimprove this articleand discuss the issue on thetalk page.(February 2010)

New Urbanism has drawn both praise and criticism from all parts of thepolitical spectrum. In an interview inReason, aright-libertarianmagazine, professor Peter Gordon, a professor of Urban Planning fromUniversity of Southern California, spoke out in favor of suburbanization and criticized New Urbanism as ignoring consumer preference and the free market claiming that cities have moved towards car-oriented development because that is what people want.[26]On the other hand, journalistAlex Marshallhas decried New Urbanism as essentially a marketing scheme that repackages conventional suburban sprawl behind a faade of nostalgic imagery and empty, aspirational slogans.[27]In a 1996 article inMetropolis Magazine, Marshall denounced New Urbanism as "a grand fraud".[28]The attack continued in numerous articles, including an opinion column in the WashingtonPostin September of the same year,[29]and in Marshall's first book,How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken[30]Critics have asserted that the effectiveness claimed for the New Urbanist solution of mixed income developments lacks statistical evidence.[31]Independent studies have supported the idea of addressing poverty through mixed-income developments,[32][33]but the argument that New Urbanism produces such diversity has been challenged from findings from one community in Canada.[34]The New Urbanist preference for "permeable" street grids has been criticised on the grounds that it gives private motor vehicles an advantage over walking, cycling and public transport. It is also argued to be less resistant to property crime than traditional suburban neighborhood conventions like cul de sacs and horseshoe loops.[35]The transport performance of some New Urbanist developments, such asPoundbury, has been disappointing, with surveys revealing high levels of car use.[17]The alternative view, termed "filtered permeability" (seePermeability (spatial and transport planning)) is that, to give pedestrians and cyclists a time and convenience advantage, they need to be separated from motor vehicles in places.A forthcoming[when?]rating system for neighborhood environmental design,LEED-ND, being developed by theU.S. Green Building Council,Natural Resources Defense Council, and theCongress for the New Urbanism, should help to quantify the sustainability of New Urbanist neighborhood design. New Urbanist and board member of CNU,Doug Farrhas taken a step further and coined Sustainable Urbanism, which combines New Urbanism and LEED-ND to create walkable, transit-served urbanism with high performance buildings and infrastructure.[citation needed]New Urbanism has been criticized for being a form of centrally planned, large-scale development, "instead of allowing the initiative for construction to be taken by the final users themselves".[36]It has been criticized for asserting universal principles of design instead of attending to local conditions.[37]See also[edit]Urban planners, architects and New Urbanists[edit] Michael E. Arth Larry Beasley Christopher Charles Benninger Peter Calthorpe Andrs Duany Leon Krier James Howard Kunstler Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Sim Van der RynLocations[edit] Atlantic Station, Atlanta Birkdale Village, North Carolina Carlton Landing, Oklahoma Daybreak, South Jordan, Utah Greenbelt, Maryland Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah, Washington Kentlands, Gaithersburg, Maryland National Harbor New Town, Missouri Orenco Station, Oregon (New Urbanist transit-oriented development) Portland, Oregon(New Urbanist transit-oriented development) Beacon Cove Coed Darcy Poundbury Prospect New Town, Colorado Verrado,Buckeye, Arizona Old York Village,Chesterfield Township, New JerseyTopics[edit] Car-free movement Carsharing Community building Crime prevention through environmental design European Urban Renaissance EcoMobility Gentrification International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism MIU (Movement for Israeli Urbanism) Mixed-use development Naked streets Principles of Intelligent Urbanism Pedestrian-oriented development Pedestrian Village Preservation development Urban decay Urban Renaissance Urbanism World Urbanism Day

References[edit]1. Jump up^Kelbaugh, Douglas S. 2002. Repairing the American Metropolis: Common Place Revisited. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 161.2. ^Jump up to:abArth, Michael E. (2010).Democracy and the Common Wealth: Breaking the Stranglehold of the Special InterestsGolden Apples Media,ISBN 978-0-912467-12-2. pp. 120-139, 363-3863. Jump up^Charter of the New Urbanism4. Jump up^Kunstler, James Howard. 1998. Home from nowhere: remaking our everyday world for the twenty-first Century. A Touchstone book. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p.28.5. Jump up^David Gordon and Shayne Vipond: "Gross Density and New Urbanism: Comparing Conventional and New Urbanist Suburbs in Markham, Ontario". Journal of the American Planning Association, 1939-0130, Volume 71, Issue 1, 2005, pages 41546. Jump up^Cozens, Paul Michael. 2008. New Urbanism, Crime and the Suburbs: A Review of the Evidence. Urban Policy and Research. 26(4):429-444.7. Jump up^Miami Reforms8. Jump up^Architecture Inc. Celebrates LEED-ND Certification of University Place in Memphis, Multi Housing News, May 18, 2011.9. Jump up^[1]The Town Paper, Vol. 4, No. 1 December 2001/ January 200210. Jump up^DSST Web site11. Jump up^http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-26-100-million_x.htmUSA Today12. Jump up^Greenburg, Ellen, 2004. Codifying New Urbanism: How to Reform Municipal Land Development Regulations. American Planning Association PAS Report Number 52613. Jump up^Celebration Business Alliance, Sept 201014. Jump up^"Old York Village, Chesterfield Wins an American Planning Association Award for an Outstanding Project/ Program/ Tool"15. Jump up^"Old York Village Implementing Smart Growth"16. Jump up^"Master Plan Amendment: Township of Chesterfield"17. ^Jump up to:abWATSON, G., BENTLEY, I., ROAF, S. and SMITH, P., 2004. Learning from Poundbury, Research for the West Dorset District Council and the Duchy of Cornwall. Oxford Brookes University.18. Jump up^http://www.planetizen.com/node/5760019. Jump up^http://www.jeunesarchi.com20. Jump up^"Is new urbanism the answer to suburbias dying communities?". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 2011-01-31.21. Jump up^"EAST LONDON GETS OWN MELROSE ARCH",eProp.co.za, 12 December 200722. Jump up^http://www.endofsuburbia.comlink to official website23. Jump up^Website aboutDemocracy and the Common Wealth24. Jump up^Teri Pruden, "The New Urban Cowboy: Michael E. Arth transforms Cracktown into Historic Garden District in DeLand DeLand Magazine, Jan-Feb, 2008. Pages 8, 9.25. Jump up^New Urban Cowboy review in Carbusters Magazine, issue #32, Winter 2007/2008, page 26.26. Jump up^"Plan Obsolescence",Reason, June 199827. Jump up^See,e.g., Alex Marshall, "Building New Urbanism: Less Filling, But Not So Tasty",Builder Magazine, 30 November 1999, p. ___. Print; archived on Marshall's web site,http://www.alexmarshall.org/2006/08/02/building-new-urbanism-less-filling-but-not-so-tasty/. Retrieved 1 November 2013.28. Jump up^Alex Marshall, "Suburbs in Disguise",Metropolis Magazine, July 1996, p. 70, republished as "New Urbanism" in Busch, Akiko, ed.,Design is ... Words, Things, People, Buildings and Places(New York:Metropolis Books/Princeton Architectural Press, 2002), p. 272; and as "Suburbs in Disguise" on Marshall's web site,http://www.alexmarshall.org/2007/08/31/suburbs-in-disguise/, retrieved 2 October 2013.29. Jump up^Alex Marshall, "Putting Some 'City' Back In the Suburbs", Washington (D.C.)Post, 1 September 1996, p. C1, print,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/growth/solutions/nokent.htm; retrieved 2 October 2013.30. Jump up^U. of Texas Press 2000.31. Jump up^Popkin, S. et al. (2004) A Decade of HOPE VI. The Urban Institute32. Jump up^Goetz, Edward G. (2003) Clearing the Way: Deconcentrating the Poor in Urban America, The Urban Institute Press: Washington, DC33. Jump up^Chaskin, R.J., Joseph, M.L., Webber, H.S. (2007) The Theoretical Basis for Addressing Poverty Through Mixed-Income Development. Urban Affairs Review 42 (3): 369-409.34. Jump up^Grant, J. and K. Perrott (2009) Producing diversity in a new urbanism community. Town Planning Review 80 (3): 267-289.35. Jump up^"Neighbourhoods Should be Made Permeable for Walking and Cycling but not for Cars", Steve Melia, Local Transport Today, January 23, 200836. Jump up^"A brief history of Peer-to-peer Urbanism", Nikos Salingaros and Federico Mena-Quintero, October 201037. Jump up^Grant, J. (2006) Planning the Good Community: New Urbanism in Theory and Practice. London: RoutledgeFurther reading[edit] Arth, Michael E.,The Labors of Hercules: Modern Solutions to 12 Herculean Problems.2007 Online edition. Labor IX: UrbanismLink to book Arth, Michael E. (2010).Democracy and the Common Wealth: Breaking the Stranglehold of the Special InterestsGolden Apples Media,ISBN 978-0-912467-12-2. pp.120139, 363-386Website about, and excerpts fromDemocracy and the Common Wealth Bohl, Charles C. "New Urbanism in the City: Potential Applications and Implications for Distressed Inner-City Neighborhoods."Housing Policy Debate11.4 (2000): 761-801. (http://www.botsfor.no/publikasjoner/litteratur/new%20urbanism/new%20urbanism%20and%20the%20city%20by%20charles%20bohl.pdf) Brooke, Steven (1995).Seaside. Gretna, La.: Pelican Publishing Company.ISBN 0-88289-997-X Calthorpe, Peter (1993).The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.ISBN 1-878271-68-7 Calthorpe, Peter and William Fulton (2001).The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl. Washington, DC: Island Press.ISBN 1-55963-784-6 Congress for the New Urbanism (1999). Leccese, Michael; and McCormick, Kathleen (Eds.), ed.Charter of the New Urbanism. McGraw-Hill Professional.ISBN0-07-135553-7. Duany, Andres; Plater-Zyberk, Elizabeth; & Alminana, Robert (2003).The New Civic Art: Elements of Town Planning. New York: Rizzoli Publications.ISBN0-8478-2186-2. Duany, Andres; Plater-Zyberk, Elizabeth; & Speck, Jeff (2000).Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream. North Point Press.ISBN0-86547-557-1. Dutton, John A. (2001).New American Urbanism: Re-forming the Suburban Metropolis. Milano: Skira editore.ISBN 88-8118-741-8 El Nasser, Haya (November 14, 2005)."Miss. Wal-Marts may apply 'new urbanism' in rebuilding". USA Today. Gallini, Jared. 2010. "Demographics and Their Relationship to the Characteristics of New Urbanism: A Preliminary Study" . Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 340.http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/340 Jacobs, Jane(1992).The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage Books.ISBN 0-679-74195-X. Originally published: New York: Random House, (1961). Katz, Peter (1994).The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community. New York: McGraw-Hill.ISBN 0-07-033889-2 Kunstler, James Howard(1994).Geography Of Nowhere: The Rise And Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape. New York: Simon & Schuster.ISBN 0-671-88825-0 Talen, Emily (2005).New Urbanism & American Planning: The Conflict of Cultures. New York: Routledge.ISBN0-415-70133-3. Tagliaventi, Gabriele (2002).New Urbanism. Florence: Alinea.ISBN88-8125-602-9. Waugh, David. 2004 Buying New Urbanism: A Study of New Urban Characteristics that Residents Value. Applied Research Project. Texas State University.http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/22/External links[edit]Wikimedia Commons has media related toNew Urbanism.

Congress for the New Urbanism Australian Council for New Urbanism Council for European Urbanism NewUrbanism.org A Vision of Europe Sustainable Urban Development Resource Guide Polis: Building Really CompactCategories: New Urbanism Sustainable development Sustainable environmental design Urban design Environmentalism Sustainable transport Sustainable urban planning Theories of aesthetics Urban studies and planning Urban studies and planning terminology Human ecologyNavigation menu Create account Log in Article Talk Read Edit View historyTop of Form

Bottom of Form Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia Wikimedia ShopInteraction Help About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact pageToolsPrint/exportLanguages Dansk Deutsch Eesti Espaol Franais Italiano Nederlands Norsk bokml Polski Portugus Slovenina / srpski Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last modified on 11 January 2014 at 00:16. Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to theTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.Wikipedia is a registered trademark of theWikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Developers Mobile view Udinialready have an account?Log InSign UpJOIN UDINI -manage your research in the cloud for free and buy articles in the Udini store.Learn moreAcademic research, news, and trade news from authoritative publications -See what's in stockFree tools keep your work in one place, with beautiful reading and notes -Learn moreNo subscription required - pay per article, project or month -Get started for freeTop of Form Full Versionunlimited access with print and download$3700 Trial Accessread full document, noprint or download, expires after 72 hours$499More infoBuyBottom of FormShareShare with TwitterShare with FacebookShare with LinkedInSearch 150 million articles from 12,000 publicationsTop of Form

Bottom of FormScience>Environmental scienceSocial Sciences>Urban planningThe sustainability of New Urbanism: Case studies in MarylandDissertationAuthor: Erin K. FerriterAbstract:The objective of this dissertation is to determine if New Urbanism is a sustainable alternative to conventional neighborhood development patterns with the hypothesis that New Urbanism is a sustainable alternative. For this research, sustainability was defined as reducing the consumption of nonrenewable resources and encouraging the consumption of renewable resources through the physical design of an area. To test the thesis of this dissertation, New Urbanist neighborhoods in Maryland were evaluated by the author using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) standards and the sustainable neighborhood principles, as developed by the author, to establish their sustainable attributes. In theory the principles of compact, mixed-use, mixed-income, walkability, as well as accessibility by various means of mass transportation, such as those supported by New Urbanism, suggest an alternative to conventional, low-density, single-use, automobile-dependent development patterns. However, the lack of empirical evidence to support this claim fails to expose New Urbanism as a sustainable alternative to low-density, automobile-dependent developments. By assessing the sustainability of New Urbanism through the LEED-ND standards and then the twelve sustainable neighborhood principles, the author was able to contribute to the literature gap by empirically establishing a relationship between the ideas of New Urbanism and sustainability. Previous research demonstrated that conventional neighborhood development patterns are not sustainable while this research exposed that mixed-use, automobile-dependent development can be just as unsustainable. In particular, compact mixed-use, environmentally-responsive development is not enough when the neighborhood design remains automobile-dependent. External connectivity is mandatory in a sustainable neighborhood and should be an essential aspect of every New Urbanist neighborhood. Therefore if New Urbanism continues to strive to be a sustainable alternative to sprawl then the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) design must become the foundation of all New Urbanism designs at the neighborhood scale. In addition, to this conclusion, several unanticipated findings related to improving the implementation of New Urbanism at the neighborhood scale, refining the LEED-ND design criteria and the necessity of continuing research into the problem of sustainability at the neighborhood scale are discussed.TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... ixLIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... xiiiChapter 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1Fundamentals of New Urbanism ............................................................................................... 5Sustainability of New Urbanism ................................................................................................ 8The Sustainable Neighborhood Principles ................................................................................ 9The Sustainable Neighborhood Principles and LEED-ND ............................................................... 15Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 16Structure of the Dissertation .................................................................................................... 17Chapter 2 PRINCIPLES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NEW URBANISM AND SUSTAINABILITY ......................................................................................................... 19Sprawl........................................................................................................................................ 28What is Sprawl ..................................................................................................................................... 28Consequences of Sprawl ...................................................................................................................... 29Sustainability ............................................................................................................................ 32Definition of Sustainability .................................................................................................................. 32Elements of Sustainability .................................................................................................................... 34Approaches and Perspectives of Sustainability ................................................................................... 36Sustainability Today ............................................................................................................................ 38New Urbanism .......................................................................................................................... 39History of New Urbanism .................................................................................................................... 39Fundamentals New Urbanist Neighborhoods ...................................................................................... 45Traditional vs Transit .......................................................................................................................... 47New Urbanism and The Transect ........................................................................................................ 52Critiques of New Urbanism ................................................................................................................. 55Sustainable Neighborhood Design ........................................................................................... 58New Urbanism and the Sustainable Neighborhood Design ................................................................. 63Achieving a Sustainable Neighborhood ............................................................................................... 65The Next Step ............................................................................................................................ 66viChapter 3 SELECTING CASE STUDIES AND EVALUATING SUSTAINABILITY ......................................................................................................... 67Development of Methodology ................................................................................................... 68Case Study Selection ................................................................................................................. 70New Urbanist Neighborhoods in Maryland ......................................................................................... 71Selection of Case Studies .....................................................