'New Urbanism' a New Wave on Texas Coast

By Maria Scinto and DeeinAustin™

New Urbanism - just what is this? It's a way of planning cities and new developments so they have more of that traditional neighborhood feel.

Walking and biking is big in New Urban development. Instead of the old suburban car culture, where we all drive everywhere, even down the block, a "new urban" neighborhood is one where you're tempted to leave the car in the driveway since you can easily walk to shops, restaurants, and schools.

This sounds better and better, the higher the gas prices set in!

But anyway, what's this got to do with the Texas Coast? Quite a bit, it turns out. Developer Tofigh Sherazi is currently underway with plans for Beachtown Galveston, a 260 acre community meant to reflect Galveston's past.

Sherazi calls it a "real town" with homes, shops, and hotels all within easy walking distance of each other. Another "new urban" development, the 93-acre Evia, is also being planned for Galveston, and Corpus Christi and South Padre are also considering their own pedestrian-friendly new developments.

Although similar communities in California and Florida have been criticized as being "playgrounds for the rich", we think this won't be such a problem in Texas where prices are likely to be only 1/5 as much as ones in more overpriced areas.

OTHER TEXAS CITIES EMBRACE NEW URBANISM

Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Leader and other Texas cities have embraced New urbanism as a development philosophy. The most recent examples include Mueller Austin and other Transit Oriented Developments.

An Austin Business Journal article from 2004 describes the concept: new urbanism is about dense neighborhood developments that wrap up a town center, apartments, condominiums, street-level retail and businesses -- all into one neat package. The goal is to create environments in which people can live, work, eat and shop within a walkable distance. And these communities are built near train or bus stations.

There's a Wiki article on New Urbanism if you'd like to read more about it. Also view the National Geographic Virtual Urban World.