From Fermentium:
Standard suburban design, with housing separated from retail and office uses, forces people to drive for their every need, no matter how small. One glass of wine in a nice establishment involves a minimum 10 minute car ride in most of suburbia, and any more to drink requires the presence of a designated driver. But things are changing, a neighborhood planning movement called new urbanism is creating communities all across the U.S. with design features that reduce the risk of drunk driving, so you can live in the suburbs and drink your beer too!
The true test in the Charlottesville market – will Old Trail, Belvedere, Biscuit Run successfully incorporate these concepts? How about a wine/coffee store/bar as one of the central points of the development? As I have written and said many times before, one of the growing criteria many of my clients request is – how “walkable” is a neighborhood? Walkscore is a good place to start, but actually walking around a possible neighborhood is unbeatable.
Technorati Tags: old trail, new urbanism, real estate