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A true village.
I’On, near Charleston, has more than friendly neighborhoods and a club. Outdoor concerts, an art gallery and markets for farmers and artisans create a lively universe.
Photo Courtesy
of
I'On, Mount Pleasant, S.C. |
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Old Glory, Young Community:
On Daniel Island in Charleston, residents live, work and play in this
self-contained, 2,700-acre town within the “Holy” city.
Photo courtesy
of
Daniel Island Community,
Charleston, S.C.. |
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| New Urbanism Flourishes |
|
ome planners say that Atlanta is projecting another one million people moving in over the next decade. The city officials, like so many others, will have to make a choice: continue to move another hour up the interstate, or begin to redevelop infrastructure.
How to do it? How will developers begin to re-build community and change attitudes in areas that have taken urban sprawl for granted for so long that it seems like the only way to build?
One approach is the New Urbanism movement, sparked by the early work of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. (DPZ),
architects and town
planners who
reintroduced the concept
in Seaside, their
Florida community that
became a nationally
recognized model. Read
on to learn what
identifies the key
ingredients that define
a Traditional
Neighborhood
Development.
the
latest new urban info
CLICK HERE TO FIND A
LIST OF NEW URBAN COMMUNITIES
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PZ is internationally respected for combining the lifestyle people remember from childhood with a new understanding about town planning. In DPZ communities, the belief is that the physical layout of a community plays a crucial role in shaping human behavior.
In Brevard, North Carolina, a traditional mountain neighborhood called Straus Park is building on a long and glorious tradition of Blue Ridge Mountain recreation. Originally the site of one of the nation’s oldest summer camps, Straus Park enjoys miles of trails and walkways branching out from a six-acre lake and park, and following three pristine streams. Another three miles of sidewalks along tree-lined streets connect the trails and neighborhoods.
According to Leigh Trapp, director of communications for the community, the challenge was to follow the tenets of New Urbanism, while accommodating the mountain topography features. “We focused on the residential area first,” she explained. “Now, the retail component is coming into its own, with the Epicurean Gourmet Grocery featuring high quality foods, and a huge gardening center,” Ms. Trapp said, adding that there also will be a spa and fitness center, as well as unique boutiques. Because 45 percent of the county is reserved for parks, Straus Park is creating an outdoor center so that residents and visitors can make arrangements for guides in such activities as fishing, or mountain biking, or indulge in a variety of recreational activities. “We intend for this to serve not only as a “new urban” village for the residents, but also as a destination with a clear focus on health, wellness, and recreation,” she said.
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Long front porches, friendly sidewalks, fewer cars, stores close by, and
alleys in the back ~ they help transform living into LIVING!
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Another successful community is I’On. Selected as Best Neighborhood in Charleston for several years, I’On exemplifies the best of neighborhood building and planning practices with an eye toward a classical architectural style.
Vince Graham, the developer of I’On, believes the conventional subdivision, as we know it, has been something of a fad when viewed in the context of 5,000 years of human settlement patterns.
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If what you have to offer is neighborhood and community... each new home adds to what
was originally offered and the neighborhood gets better over time.
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“The principle difference between I’On and many others is that most developments try to promote privacy and exclusivity,” said Mr. Graham. “The problem with this is that as houses are built, privacy and exclusivity are diminished.” According to him, unfortunately, this often results in the early buyers resenting the newcomers.
“However, if what you have to offer is neighborhood and community,” he said, “each new home adds to what
was originally offered and the neighborhood gets better over time.”
That is certainly true for Scott and Jennifer Patterson, who moved from Washington, D.C., and chose I’On precisely because of the neighborhood approach to building. “We have a son with cerebral palsy, which makes him less mobile,” Scott Patterson explained. “We want him to be able to maneuver to neighboring homes, and be close enough to make friends.” They already knew the area, through family connections, but it was the New Urbanism layout and planning of I’On that met their special needs perfectly.
Architects and planners across the Carolinas are working together to create these wonderful communities. From mountains to midlands, piedmont to oceanfront, the results are attracting new residents who want to live here.
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WHERE TO FIND A “NEW-URBAN” LIFESTYLE
North Carolina
Ayrsley, Charlotte – 129 acres
Beaty Street, Davidson – 200 acres
Bedford@Falls River, Raleigh –- 600 acres
Brier Creek, Raleigh –- 670 acres
Carpenter Village, Cary – 400 acres
Center City, Hickory – 1000 acres
City of Belmont, Belmont – 10,000 acres
Cheshire, Black Mountain – 58 acres
Clines Village, Conover – 300 acres
Devaun Park, Calabash – 250 acres
First Ward, Charlotte – 134 acres
Highland Lake, Hendersonville – 100 acres
Southern Village, Chapel Hill – 312 acres
Vermillion, Huntersville – 400 acres
Viewmont, Hickory – 12 acres
Village of Woodsong, Shallotte – 37 acres
South Carolina
Baxter Village, Fort Mill – 990 acres
Bluffton Park, Bluffton – 400 acres
Celadon Village, Beaufort – 40+ acres
Daniel Island, Charleston – 2,700 acres
Downtown, Bennettsville – 20 acres
Greenhill Parish, Columbia – 320 acres
Habersham, Beaufort – 275 acres
Hammond's Ferry, North
Augusta – 200+ acres
Harmony, Georgetown – 600 acres
I’On, Mt. Pleasant – 243 acres
Lake Carolina, Columbia – 600 acres
Maxwell Springs, Greenwood – 322 acres
Newpoint, Beaufort – 54 acres
Shell Hall, Bluffton – 120 acres
Villaggio di Montbello, Greenville – 400 acres
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine
editor, printer and public
relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published more than 250 articles
in magazines and newspapers. Her writing explores a variety of subjects including
travel, lifestyles, business and management.
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