New Urbanism on the Emerald Coast
New Urbanism started in the 1980s on Florida’s Emerald Coast basically as an attempt to counter the impersonal, wasteful environment that is suburban sprawl. The nostalgic environment that it attempts to replicate is one where the car is not king, people know their neighbours, and where the environment makes the resident feel at home.
New Urbanism combines a wide variety of inter-related elements into one intriguing concept of modern living. Designers try to make the town as walkable as possible, taking the focus away from car access and making the focus on pedestrian access to spaces, particularly the neighbourhood center. This means that street layout is very important so that the residents can walk to local shops and eco-friendly public transportation. The buildings in a New Urbanism community are a high density mix of residential and business, for a variety of different income levels all with quality design and construction.
Florida’s Emerald Coast is the cradle of New Urbanism in the United States. Communities built here include Seaside, Rosemary Beach, and Alys Beach. Seaside has a retro Florida hometown feel, with its building style based on a bygone age of craftsman construction and design. Alys Beach is a luxury resort town with stunning beach views built in styles borrowed from Bermudan, Californian, and Antiguan designs. And Rosemary Beach is a stunning community with buildings built in a style reminiscent of the West Indies and New Orleans.
Due to the fabulous location these communities have, it is easy for the planners to incorporate many outdoor elements to the town designs that would see frequent use by residents. As each community is also situated on a pristine white sand beach, they are ideal destinations for vacationers as well. However, each community has its own personality, just come and visit them to see for yourself.
It is no accident that the Emerald Coast is home to these three beautiful designed communities. The area boasts gorgeous white sand beaches and emerald green waters, making the entire area a fabulous destination for visiting or a new home purchase whether you’re looking for a residence in a New Urbanism community or any of the surrounding towns.
Originally published here.
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