Over half of the world’s population lives in cities.
By 2030, 60% of the world’s population is predicted to live in urban areas, creating more health risks to the inhabitants. The pandemic taught everyone that Megacities created the most health risk. Planners and Architects should strive to create a mixed-use community network that works together. People can live closer to their work and entertainment opportunities, reduce automobile trips, and create vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities.
New Urban Principles were established in the 1980s, thanks to forward-thinking leaders such as Andres Duany and Peter Calthorpe. In the last 20 years, there have been many Charlotte-area mixed-use communities, such as Phillips Place, Vermillion, Ayrsley, Baxter, and Birkdale. Other mixed-use communities and Town Centers have stalled and been less successful. What creates a successful mixed-use community?
A New Urban Community is a small town. A thoughtfully planned small town is a healthy and exciting place to live. The small town is walkable and promotes bicycling with sidewalks and tree-lined streets. A small town has a variety of housing types to accommodate everyone’s needs. The small town offers job opportunities for everyone’s educational and social levels and provides all necessary governmental needs, entertainment opportunities, and religious priorities. Small towns have significant parks and green spaces, a Main Street or Town Center where commercial amenities transition to residential. In A Pattern Language (1977) Christopher Alexander established that an ideal size Community is 7,000 people.
Mixed Use communities should be authentic, incorporating local history, culture, and social values. Architects should strive to create a “Place” that is meaningful, memorable, and vibrant. I recently visited Suwanee, Georgia, for a Planning Board Meeting and was pleasantly surprised. The Suwanee Town Center implemented all the principles for a New Urban Community. Suwanee has a population of approximately 7,000 people. For a Tuesday afternoon, the Town Center was flooded with activity; kids were playing in interactive fountains, teenagers were engaged in soccer games on the Village Green, and couples were walking dogs, pushing baby carriages or riding bikes. Businesses were booming, and the streets were engaged in activity. Best of all, no NIMBYs showed up at the Planning Board Meeting! The town leaders and the inhabitants have trust and understanding in their community.
To create successful New Urban Communities or Small Towns, it is important for the Government, the Public, Planners, and Architects to have a strong vision and understand the inherent needs of the community. The vision should promote flexibility, encouraging the community to evolve for many generations while providing a healthy environment.
