They're no longer totally synonymous with sprawl, reports Lew Sichelman, and are beginning to be found in in unlikely places--indicative of a move to brownfield over greenfield development. Changing consumer preferences explain why.
Says industry consultant Jim Heid: "...the best ideas of the last decade's planned communities are being applied in unlikely locations - dead inner-ring shopping malls, defunct rail yards and closed military bases."
The experts also decided that the definition of 'planned community' must evolve, from amenity-laden, 'hardware driven' projects loaded with golf courses, clubhouses, sports complexes and tot lots to more 'software'-intensive properties that connect residents for a sense of fulfillment.
That's because the relationship between stuff and lifestyle has changed in the minds of consumers, according to noted trend-spotter and interpreter J. Walker Smith of the Futures Co. in Chapel Hill, N.C."
FULL STORY: Rethinking urban land use
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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