New urbanism is a planning philosophy that focuses on creating compact, mixed-use, and pedestrian-friendly communities to combat problems like traffic, environmental damage, and ugly urban areas. Florida is the birthplace of new urbanism and has the most new urban projects. This approach looks to older towns and cities for inspiration and aims to bring back the design principles from before World War II. It faces some challenges with regulations, but many Florida counties are making changes to support new urbanist development. New urbanism affects how communities are planned and operated, and it’s changing the way zoning codes and restrictions are created. New urbanism began in Florida in 1982 with the construction of Seaside, a small town with homes, shops, and schools. It followed principles like mixing different types of buildings and having parks and sidewalks to make it pedestrian-friendly. This type of development was initially called traditional neighborhood development (TND) or neotraditional development, but these terms were later absorbed into the broader term of new urbanism. New urbanist principles, like creating pedestrian-friendly communities, are being used in all types of development, not just small villages. The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is working with organizations like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Institute for Traffic Engineers to advance their agenda. They are also partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and the American Public Health Association to address issues like urban sprawl and obesity. The CNU and the Smart Growth Network have similar goals and are working together to make cities and towns better places to live. The American Planning Association has a new urbanist division that supports making communities more walkable and environmentally friendly. They want to get rid of old zoning rules that encourage urban sprawl and replace them with new ones that focus on the shape and placement of buildings. The Urban Land Institute promotes smart growth, which means building in a way that is good for the environment and the community.
In the past, cities were built based on what the community wanted, but then zoning rules changed to focus on what buildings were used for, how many there were, and where to park. Now, form-based codes are becoming popular again. These codes focus on how buildings look and where they are placed, rather than just their use. This allows for neighborhoods to change over time while maintaining their historic look. A form-based code is a way of regulating how buildings and streets look in a community. It focuses on the design and layout of buildings and streets, rather than just what they are used for. This type of code is created based on a clear vision for how the community should look, and it’s often developed with input from professionals and residents in a design session called a charrette. The SmartCode, developed by the DPZ architecture firm, is a well-known example of a form-based code. It used to cost money to use, but now it’s free and can be changed by local communities to fit their needs. The transect is a way to plan and organize different types of environments, from open countryside to downtown areas. New urbanism uses the transect to determine appropriate buildings and land use for each zone. In Florida, new urbanism is being used to prevent urban sprawl and create better city planning. Some early attempts at new urbanist zoning were too strict and not used very much. Cities have used new urbanist principles to redesign and revive parts of downtown areas, making the streets more lively and bringing people back to the city. Some examples include Clematis Street in West Palm Beach and the plan to turn the area around Dadeland Mall in Miami-Dade County into a mixed-use downtown. Counties have also used new urban ideals to plan large areas of underdeveloped land in a way that preserves open space and clusters development into higher-density neighborhoods. Private developers are also involved in creating new urbanist communities, which aim to make neighborhoods feel like a town while still being privately owned. New urbanist communities are designed to be open and interconnected with the surrounding area. They have public streets, parks, and amenities that are open to everyone. Instead of private clubs, they often have town centers, schools, libraries, and parks that are shared by the community. These communities are meant to be welcoming and inclusive, with a focus on public spaces and activities for everyone to enjoy. Maintenance and ownership of the properties are carefully planned out to ensure the community stays vibrant and well-kept. The attorney representing the developer of a mixed-use urban project faces a big challenge. In this kind of development, residential and commercial properties are mixed together, which makes it hard to figure out who should be in charge and how to handle different issues. Homeowners and commercial property owners often want different things, and there are also differences in how the properties are taken care of. One way to deal with this is to have two separate groups – one for residential properties and one for commercial properties. This isn’t perfect because it means there isn’t a single place to talk about issues that affect the whole community. It can also be tricky to decide who belongs to which group, especially when the type of property can change. Usually, residential units in the town center are part of the residential group, especially if the group has things like a pool or playground that the residents can use. Mixed-use development involves combining residential and commercial properties within a single association. This can be complex because there are different rules and regulations for residential and commercial properties. There may also be tax and legal issues to consider. However, mixed-use development is becoming more popular as cities look for ways to create attractive and sustainable communities. The future of development may involve more new urbanist principles, which focus on creating walkable, attractive, and environmentally friendly communities. New Urban News focuses on new urban projects, with 76 projects listed in Florida in 2003. Some people, like Duany, have had a big impact on new urbanism. There are also concerns about current zoning laws, and how they impact new urban development. New urbanism aims to create healthier and more sustainable communities, and there are organizations and guidelines to help with this. Additionally, there are legal and tax considerations for developers of new urban communities, including homeowners’ associations and federal laws protecting buyers and ensuring accessibility. Doris Sussman Goldstein is a lawyer in Jacksonville who specializes in New Urbanism. She has been working with developers of new urbanist communities since 1986.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/new-urbanism-recreating-florida-by-rewriting-the-rules/
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