Building incrementally over time allows cities and towns to develop more interesting landscapes while incurring less debt. The slow evolution of Seaside, Florida is a prime example of the benefits of 'patient urbanism.'
Building neighborhoods patiently used to be commonplace, says Steve Mouzon, "but it is now illegal all over. Why? Because cities insist on 'seeing the end from the beginning,' meaning that they want the developer to begin by building the final condition of the neighborhood."
Mouzon uses Seaside, the birthplace of the New Urbanism, as an example of a contemporary development built incrementally. "Building this way allowed Town Founders Robert and Daryl Davis to build this world-famous town with essentially no debt after the infrastructure of the first street was paid off. Put another way, had they been expected to build Seaside's climax condition in 1980, it's highly unlikely that Seaside would have ever been built because it would not have been financed."
"This is even more important today, with real estate development money as tight as it has ever been," he argues. "The great places we love the most were usually built without real estate mortgages. Most places weren't more wealthy then than [sic] we are today; they simply built what they could afford at the time and then improved it in small increments over time. Cities and towns really need to learn this lesson again today… it just might make the difference between building and not building, and it will certainly create a better place."
FULL STORY: Patient Urbanism - Build Neighborhoods Without High Debt

Rethinking Redlining
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Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.
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