Saturday, February 12, 2011

New Urbanism: A Salve or Bane to Urban Wounds?

by vicbrown

New Urbanism, an urban design concept that began in the United States over 20 years ago, has created ripples and division of opinions there and in many developed worlds over the years, including Australia. It has also found favour in certain parts of UK, Australia and United States, with New Urbanism principles found in urban areas such as Park DuValle in Louisville, Summerset in Pittsburgh, Sherford in South Devon, Upton in Northampton, Claisebrook Village in East Perth, and Beacon Cove in Port Melbourne (Victoria).
New Urbanism has been defined as “a movement that promotes neo-traditional neighbourhood-based urban design” (Kelbaugh, D, p.1), with an emphasis on a pedestrian based town centre and on sustainability. It was initially a reaction to sprawl and is now a basis for addressing physical health and social well-being and for sustainable urban growth and smart growth (Morris, 2006).
The basic element is of a walkable neighbourhood which, besides a variety of housing choices, can consist of a corner store, child care centre, post box, bus stop and several small businesses which provide a walkable focus for the local community (Morris, 2006). Generally, the neighbourhood has a 400 metres walkable radius (Morris, 2006) and its design provides for chance meetings and privacy (Carter, 2004).


Woodbury, Minnesota, by Mulad

 more about new urbanism:

Taking Accessibility a Few Steps Further

Survey: New Urbanist Community Results in More Walking, Interaction

Codifying New Urbanism

New Urbanism on the Emerald Coast

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