Do Broadband And New Urbanism Go Hand In Hand?

2 May 2007 - 11:00am

Speaking at a technology related conference, Andres Duany talks about how the rise of high-speed internet connections and telecommuting has increased the importance of social activity created by traditional neighborhood design.

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"Andrés Duany spoke during the opening day of the Killer App Conference & Expo. Broadband Properties Magazine, which publishes Killer App Magazine, and the city of Fort Wayne are hosting the three-day conference on potential uses for broadband Internet technology."

"Telecommuting can be a lonely lifestyle, but a well-designed neighborhood should provide enough social interaction, Duany said. Telecommuters can take a break at a local coffee shop or work from there on a laptop."

"This neighborhood structure can combat the drawbacks of Internet usage, Duany said. Instead of sitting in a room alone with the computer, residents in new urbanist developments are more likely to walk to local shops and talk to their neighbors.

“As far as we can tell, most of the problems of technology can be solved by returning to our traditional communities,” Duany said."

Source: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, May 01, 2007