Anytime you hear someone say “The American Dream,” you probably paint a picture in your head of a cute house with a white picket fence and a yard. You’re a working professional, and you probably see kids, maybe pets, and at least two cars for the long journey to work every day. So, is this truly a dream…or is it an inefficient nightmare? Is this really as good as it gets?
Environmental awareness and “thinking green” are hot topics these days, but how does this thinking extend itself to our daily lives, and is this something we all need? Thinking green often causes people to see red, and although there is much debate over specifics, all would agree that being less wasteful is a positive ideal.
When sustainability or climate change is mentioned, people’s initial reactions are often concern about the impact to their bottom lines. We like convenience; we want what we want, and we want it now. The thought of change or losing the inefficient conveniences we’ve all gotten used to is a large pill to swallow. On the other hand, sticking to our current practices will surely result in devastating consequences. So, what’s an example of a more sustainable way of living that also enhances our daily lives? New Urbanism.
The old American Dream encourages sprawl — the idea was to move away from the hustle and bustle of the loud city to a nice quiet house in the suburbs with front yards and backyards, all tucked away in suburbia with neighbors far enough away (or fences high enough) that you didn’t feel obligated to know them all that well. You made your 20-plus minute commute (if you were lucky) to work in the city or the office park and headed back home at the end of the day, usually stuck in traffic for most, if not all, of the journey. The days of the paper boy, mail man and milk man seem far in our past because let’s face it: There are at least three grocery stores within a 5-mile radius from anywhere you go throughout the day, each with shelves of milk in plastic jugs just waiting to be bought. The mail man now has a car and delivers all over town, most often lacking the familiarity he once did with the people he delivers to. And don’t forget that the “paper” is now something you read online.
This instance of sprawl had quite a few unintended negative consequences. An outrageous amount of water is required to maintain those beautiful pristine lawns, and we have become more dependent on automobiles, fuel and infrastructure to service amenities outside of the city center. We are now starting to see that the most sustainable way of living requires density, meaning that we live, work and play all within walking distance. Today, we’re seeing more and more examples of compromise between city and urban life.
There are instances of New Urbanism popping up around the world and in the US. There’s even foreshadowing of examples right here in Gainesville. Mixed-use towns and villages like Town of Tioga and Celebration Pointe serve as examples of progress in the right direction and possess many principles of the New Urbanism movement.
“New Urbanism involves fixing and infilling cities, as well as the creation of compact new towns and villages,” according to newurbanism.org. These new compact towns and villages create a sense of place where residents can live, work and play all within a 10-minute walk. There’s a focus on human scale, culture and connection to nature, with an underlying theme of low environmental impact. New Urbanism villages are comprised of people at different levels of income, skill and education, and they offer jobs and housing options for every budget. Some additional principles of New Urbanism include:
• Shaded, narrow streets catered to pedestrians rather than cars
• Mixed-use and diversity of both people and infrastructure
• An interconnected street grid to encourage interaction and engagement
• Greenspaces and a connection to nature
• Shared transportation through mass transit and/or a shared-car system
The benefits of New Urbanism are vast. A sense of connectivity, convenience and safety emerges. There’s less time spent traveling and less money spent on transportation, insurance, fuel, utilities and maintenance of a vast network of roadways. This way of living also requires a healthier, more active lifestyle. And with more disposable income available to sustain local businesses, more funds are invested directly back into the community.
It’s exciting to be on the forefront of this new movement, which is sure to enhance the overall quality of life in our communities. Imagine walking with your kids to brunch on the weekends and stopping at the park to play on your way home, or feeling safe when your teenager joins her friends at Starbucks just a few blocks away, knowing there’s a whole community that knows her and is looking out for her. This movement away from huge private yards to shared parks, from garages to porches, and from cars to bikes is New Urbanism, the New American Dream.
VIRGINIA MACKOUL is the director of marketing at Front Street Commercial Real Estate Group. Front Street offers brokerage, management and mortgage banking services to its commercial real estate clients throughout Florida. Virginia is a graduate of the University of Florida and is INVESTED in making a positive impact on the community. www.FrontStreet.net