Have you heard of new urbanism? Or Smart Growth? Do you have a clue as to what these are or how they impact us? Are these some cute new buzzwords in the real estate world? Not at all!
Chances are you may have heard of one of these already. But if not, you likely will. And you will be hearing more and more, as single buildings as well as municipalities around the country embrace the new urbanism emphasis on design for communities which are livable, with greater appreciation for environmental impact, ecology and energy efficiency.
And Smart Growth initiatives, such as in Carlsbad, will become more widespread in order to cope with population growth, traffic, and resources in our communities by focusing on improved planning and development.
New urbanism is a school of thought based on urban and residential design of the 1900s which emphasized pedestrians but without ignoring those who commuted. And we are seeing it in more and more communities throughout the US.
San Elijo Hills, a master planned community adjacent to Carlsbad (to the east), exemplifies the principles of New Urbanism. These principles include:
- walkability (many residents can walk to the town center and amenities like shopping, a media center, library, park and more)
- a mix of housing (single family detached homes, condominiums, affordable housing, varied pricing)
- diversity of use (residential, retails, office, educational) and residents (ages, races, economic groups)
- interconnectivityof streets (flow of traffic eased through a hierarchical grid of smaller one-way streets, improving walkability; a pedestrian network)
- urban design and quality architecture (many homes are built with porches and hidden garages, in enduring styles like Craftsman, and an overall emphasis on beauty, comfort and use of space)
- a traditional neighborhood structure (with an obvious center and edge - there IS a town square with fountain, surrounded by a park - and a mix of uses and densities within a fairly limited area
- smart transportation (no train)s here, but roads link the community to other communities, and the pedestrian-friendly design allows for increased used of non-vehicular transportation)
- and more
New urbanism benefits cities, developers, residents and local businesses. But to be effective it must be incorporated into the early planning and development. And these principles must be considered in the zoning codes.
Unlike so many subdivisions in Southern California, San Elijo Hills, in San Marcos, was planned from the very beginning to incorporate residential, landscape and urban design that would create a more livable, walkable, and neighborly community.
It is more than a master planned community because of the design features incorporated into the landscape, preservation of the environment, the layout and placement of buildings, architectural styles, grid structure of streets, location of resident amenities, schools and civic services, the emphasis on walking, and much more.
More and more communities appear to be taking issues such as these into the planning for their growth and development, and to more effectively cope with burgeoning populations, increased traffic, need for more adequate and affordable housing, and environmental issues.
Unfortunately, as the New Urbanism website points out, many communities have zoning codes already in place that restrict, or perhaps prohibit new urbanism from being built, so there are obstacles to overcome. However, coalitions like Smart Growth America, elected officials, city planners, developers, urban planners and many others continue to work toward improving our communities, and in turn to deal with the serious negative impact on the environment, such as global warming and pollution.
******************************************
Start YOUR CARLSBAD HOMES SEARCH HERE (and other area communities like San Elijo Hills in San Marcos)
Visit CARLSBAD COMMUNITY REPORTS for profiles on communities, subdivisions and neighborhoods
Request FREE BUYER AND SELLER REPORTS HERE
MORE REAL ESTATE INFORMATION:
Fans of Coastal San Diego - a fun blog about living in the San Diego area, including Carlsbad. I would love to have you stop by and add your own thoughts and recommendations.
Relocation A to Z - everything buyers and sellers need to know about relocation to Carlsbad, or anywhere else.
First Time Buyer Central - for new AND experienced buyers
JEFF DOWLER, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, SRES, Ph.D., REALTOR
RE/MAX Associates - Encinitas (760) 840-1360 direct or text
Email: Jdowler@remax.net
Website: www.jeffdowler.com
Comments(34)