Locating New Urbanism Developments in the U.S.: Which Cities Have New Urbanism and Why?

This article aims to examine the characteristics of cities where New Urbanism (NU) developments are located as of 2019. We first develop a set of hypotheses to explore why some cities are welcoming NU developments more than other cities and how the cities differ in terms of general real estate development determinants, fiscal capacity and regulatory authority, advocacy group support, and cultural diversity. We then employ a Negative Binomial Regression to test the relationship between concentrations of NU developments and a variety of city characteristics by using a data set of 6923 urban cities. The results suggest that NU developments are advocated by cities with a higher level of environmental awareness, better fiscal and regulatory status, and better cultural diversity. The research results highlight the importance of continuously gaining support from environmental groups and the general public for effective expansion of New Urbanist developments within the U.S. These findings also indicate that for noteworthy changes in growth patterns to arise at a large scale across the U.S., there must be changes in values and preferences, and institutional capacity in updating land-use regulations that allow for sustainable growth.

Urban Trauma: The contemporary square and the New Urbanist city - Reintegrating Christchurch Cathedral Square

<p>This topic was chosen in response to the devastation caused to Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand following earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Working amongst the demolition bought to attention questions about how to re-conceive the square within the rebuilt city. In particular, it raised questions as to how a central square could be better integrated and experienced as a contemporary addition to Christchurch city. This thesis seeks to investigate the ways in which central squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city and how New Urbanist design principles can contribute toward this union. The research principally focuses on the physical and spatial integration of the square with the contemporary city. A drawing-based analysis of select precedent case studies helped to determine early on that overall integration of the contemporary square could be attributed to several interdependent criteria. The detailed studies are supplemented further with literature-based research that narrowed the criteria to five integrative properties. These are: identity, scale and proportion, use, connectivity and natural landscape. These were synthesised, in part, from the integrative New Urbanist movement and the emerging integrative side of the more contemporary Post Urbanist movement. The literature-based research revealed that a more inclusive approach toward New Urbanist and Post Urbanist design methodologies may also produce a more integrated and contemporary square. Three design case studies, using the redesign of Cathedral Square, were undertaken to test this hypothesis. The case studies found that overall, integration was reliant on a harmonious balance between the five integrative properties, concluding that squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city. Further testing of the third concept, which embraced an allied New Urbanist / Post Urbanist approach to design, found that New Urbanism was limited in its contribution toward the integration of the square.</p>

Urban Trauma: The contemporary square and the New Urbanist city - Reintegrating Christchurch Cathedral Square

<p>This topic was chosen in response to the devastation caused to Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand following earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Working amongst the demolition bought to attention questions about how to re-conceive the square within the rebuilt city. In particular, it raised questions as to how a central square could be better integrated and experienced as a contemporary addition to Christchurch city. This thesis seeks to investigate the ways in which central squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city and how New Urbanist design principles can contribute toward this union. The research principally focuses on the physical and spatial integration of the square with the contemporary city. A drawing-based analysis of select precedent case studies helped to determine early on that overall integration of the contemporary square could be attributed to several interdependent criteria. The detailed studies are supplemented further with literature-based research that narrowed the criteria to five integrative properties. These are: identity, scale and proportion, use, connectivity and natural landscape. These were synthesised, in part, from the integrative New Urbanist movement and the emerging integrative side of the more contemporary Post Urbanist movement. The literature-based research revealed that a more inclusive approach toward New Urbanist and Post Urbanist design methodologies may also produce a more integrated and contemporary square. Three design case studies, using the redesign of Cathedral Square, were undertaken to test this hypothesis. The case studies found that overall, integration was reliant on a harmonious balance between the five integrative properties, concluding that squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city. Further testing of the third concept, which embraced an allied New Urbanist / Post Urbanist approach to design, found that New Urbanism was limited in its contribution toward the integration of the square.</p>

Does Neighbourhood Design Impact Social Interactions Amongst Neighbours? Studying The Influence Of Neighbourhood Built-form & Type On Socialization Among Neighbours In Canadian Cities

Urban planning has devoted significant effort to exploring the linkages between neighbourhood design and social interactions. With the increasing popularity of New Urbanism, the role New Urbanist design features play in promoting neighbourly socialization and strengthening communal bonds have become widely debated. This thesis contributes to the existing literature by researching how socialization differs between New Urbanist and traditional suburban neighbourhoods and whether the socialization difference, if any, results from differences in neighbourhood structure and design. This thesis uses a data set comprised of eight neighbourhoods - four of which are New Urbanist neighbourhoods and the other four are traditional suburban neighbourhoods. Using ordered probit regression modelling, the extent of socialization that stems from households’ demographic characteristics and the housing-level and neighbourhood-level physical design features is determined. The results indicate that socialization is more likely to be influenced by the amalgamated effect of neighbourhood type, rather than design features alone.

Does Neighbourhood Design Impact Social Interactions Amongst Neighbours? Studying The Influence Of Neighbourhood Built-form & Type On Socialization Among Neighbours In Canadian Cities

Urban planning has devoted significant effort to exploring the linkages between neighbourhood design and social interactions. With the increasing popularity of New Urbanism, the role New Urbanist design features play in promoting neighbourly socialization and strengthening communal bonds have become widely debated. This thesis contributes to the existing literature by researching how socialization differs between New Urbanist and traditional suburban neighbourhoods and whether the socialization difference, if any, results from differences in neighbourhood structure and design. This thesis uses a data set comprised of eight neighbourhoods - four of which are New Urbanist neighbourhoods and the other four are traditional suburban neighbourhoods. Using ordered probit regression modelling, the extent of socialization that stems from households’ demographic characteristics and the housing-level and neighbourhood-level physical design features is determined. The results indicate that socialization is more likely to be influenced by the amalgamated effect of neighbourhood type, rather than design features alone.

Markham's new urbanist paradigm : neoliberalism, gentrification and competitive governance

The rise of competitive governance through the ideology of neoliberalism has led to contemporary development projects that rely on capital accumulation to economically prosper. Given that a majority of current literature pertaining to competitive governance is fundamentally urban, this paper argues that this phenomenon is also occurring in suburban areas. Utilizing the Langstaff Gateway in the Town of Markham, Ontario as a case study, this paper outlines the ramifications of competitive governance as it relates to new urbanism and the recently coined term of new-build gentrification. An argument is made that the Langstaff Gateway represents the most contemporary new-urbanist development paradigm within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Two major components frame this paper: the first elaborates upon neoliberalism through a critical geographical perspective, while the second provides pragmatic planning evidence of this phenomenon "on the ground" through the Langstaff Gateway. Findings suggest that, although inherently entrenched within municipal and metropolitan neoliberal governance frameworks, the Langstaff Gateway represents a progressively-planned paradigm toward suburban intensification in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The ideal neighbourhood? : understanding the growth of new urbanist communities in Toronto: a Markham case study

Previous studies in planning have explored many aspects of New Urbanism. However, there is little research on why people would choose to live in a new urbanist community over a traditional neighbourhood development. Classical literature on this topic has focused on the size and scale of neighbourhoods as an influential factor to residents' housing choice (Brower, 1996). Recently, theorists have also considered neighbourhood land-use preferences as a determinant to housing choices (Ewing, 1997). The purpose of this project is to understand what informs the housing choices of residents in the new urbanist community of Cornell, Markham. This study evaluates neighbourhood choice by surveying residents of Cornell and a traditional neighbourhood called Boxgrove to determine why residents chose to live in the new urbanist community of Cornell rather than a traditional neighbourhood in the area.

Markham's new urbanist paradigm : neoliberalism, gentrification and competitive governance

The rise of competitive governance through the ideology of neoliberalism has led to contemporary development projects that rely on capital accumulation to economically prosper. Given that a majority of current literature pertaining to competitive governance is fundamentally urban, this paper argues that this phenomenon is also occurring in suburban areas. Utilizing the Langstaff Gateway in the Town of Markham, Ontario as a case study, this paper outlines the ramifications of competitive governance as it relates to new urbanism and the recently coined term of new-build gentrification. An argument is made that the Langstaff Gateway represents the most contemporary new-urbanist development paradigm within the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Two major components frame this paper: the first elaborates upon neoliberalism through a critical geographical perspective, while the second provides pragmatic planning evidence of this phenomenon "on the ground" through the Langstaff Gateway. Findings suggest that, although inherently entrenched within municipal and metropolitan neoliberal governance frameworks, the Langstaff Gateway represents a progressively-planned paradigm toward suburban intensification in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The ideal neighbourhood? : understanding the growth of new urbanist communities in Toronto: a Markham case study

Previous studies in planning have explored many aspects of New Urbanism. However, there is little research on why people would choose to live in a new urbanist community over a traditional neighbourhood development. Classical literature on this topic has focused on the size and scale of neighbourhoods as an influential factor to residents' housing choice (Brower, 1996). Recently, theorists have also considered neighbourhood land-use preferences as a determinant to housing choices (Ewing, 1997). The purpose of this project is to understand what informs the housing choices of residents in the new urbanist community of Cornell, Markham. This study evaluates neighbourhood choice by surveying residents of Cornell and a traditional neighbourhood called Boxgrove to determine why residents chose to live in the new urbanist community of Cornell rather than a traditional neighbourhood in the area.

EXAMINING THE IDEOLOGY AND POLITICS OF NEW URBANISM

New Urbanism (NU) is an urban planning movement that values certain design principles in cities, such as walkability, mixed-use development, and accessible transit. Since its emergence and formalization as a movement in the late twentieth century, numerous North American communities have been built or renovated to adhere to New Urbanist principles, and a significant body of research studies the outcomes in these places. This essay reflects on the existing scholarship to identify recurring issues in New Urbanist communities; namely, these neighbourhoods consistently turn out to be unaffordable and economically exclusive, as well as to create tension or awkwardness between different social groups. As such, I find that rather than merely falling short of theoretical ideals like economic and social diversity, the NU physical design principles can backfire and produce the opposite outcome of their vision for optimal communities; this occurs as a function of environmental limitations like the nature of capitalist real estate markets and the complexities of integration in diverse communities. The essay moves on to interrogate the movement’s failure to advocate for policy changes that would support its social goals and, at a deeper level, their choice to refrain from any political stances. Underneath NU’s attempt at ideological impartiality, I find that their implicit ideal of “community” leads to pernicious tendencies such as embracing homogeneity and disregarding public life. Overall, I argue the movement must reorient from implicit to explicit politics and openly advocate for progressive policy in order for their theory to actually produce diverse, healthy communities.