Will Sarasota Pass The Duany Test?

"In an attempt to make Sarasota a more walkable city connected to its bayfront, city commissioners turned to one of the leaders in the New Urbanism movement --- Andres Duany. Duany, an urban planner and co-founder of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., headquartered in Miami, creates urban redevelopment plans that promote mixed-use downtowns and discourages suburban sprawl.

Since his company was formed in 1980, Duany has developed plans for cities across the country, including Baton Rouge, La.; Naples; Peoria, Ill.; and Providence, R.I.

Six years after city commissioners approved his master plan for Sarasota, Duany is returning to rate the city's success in implementing the vision.

'I'm anxious to see what Mr. Duany thinks of our progress and what we still need to work on,' said John Burg, chief planner for Sarasota's Planning and Development Department. 'I think we've made significant progress, but it is a 20-year plan, so we are far from completed.'"