New Urbanism Communities: Redoing Suburbs in a Sustainable Way

I am from Montgomery County Maryland which is the epitome of an urban sprawl community. Traditionally urban sprawl is responsible for increased dependence on automobiles and harming human health and the environment. However, there have recently been two new innovative communities introduced to my county that are challenging the status-quo of sprawl. The Kentlands in Gaithersburg Maryland and the King Farm Development in Rockville Maryland serve as examples of how suburban lifestyles can not only be convenient and enjoyable but also combat global warming, peak oil, and climate change.

By using smart growth practices new urbanism communities are based on several sustainability principles. First there is walkability meaning that most things lie within a ten minute walk from your home. This is made possible by a pedestrian friendly street designs where buildings are close to the street and cars are only able to travel at low speeds. Another principle is mixed use and diversity of the land. Shops, offices, apartments, and homes are all at the same site diversifying not only the landscape but also people with different age groups, income levels, and cultures all in one location. Increasing the density allows for ease of walking and enables a more efficient use of services and resources. Green transportation like trains makes it easy for residents of the community to travel to a city nearby in a clean way. Also, pedestrian friendly designs allow for bicycles, scooters, and rollerblades as daily transportation. The community is designed to be energy efficient with less use of fossil fuels and with more local production of energy. All of these principles work in unison to provide a high quality of life for residents.

Benefits to residents of new urbanism communities include less traffic congestion and driving, healthier lifestyles with more walking, getting to know neighbors, and more efficient use of tax money with less spent on utilities and roads. For businesses there are increased sales due to foot traffic, lower rents due to smaller spaces and parking lots, and more profits due to spending less on advertisements. Developers are able to fit more businesses per square foot which raise property value and income and local governments are able to enjoy an increased tax base due to more buildings being used.

New urbanism not only benefits the residents, businesses, developers, and governments of a community but also provides solutions to peak oil, global warming, and climate change.