master-planned community | Canin Associates

Lake Flores Brings New Urbanism to Southwest Florida

October 20, 2015/by Canin Associates

“A positive example of change,” “the right development at the right time,” and “a life-preserver” were just a few of the positive comments heard during August’s Manatee County Commission meeting to review the Lake Flores project. At the meeting, Commissioners unanimously approved the initial development plan for Lake Flores.

As a result, over 1,300 acres of farmland surrounded by existing suburban development in west Manatee County will come back to life as the mixed-use residential infill community of Lake Flores. “This is the best thing since Lakewood Ranch,” said one of the participants at the meeting, unknowingly citing another project in Manatee County designed by Canin Associates. Begun in 1995, Lakewood Ranch is a successful 17,500-acre master-planned community.

The heart of Lake Flores will be the 19-acre namesake lake and its surrounding urban park. Interlaced with these greenspaces are community areas, events spaces, and a new Main Street that will be home to restaurants, shops, and entertainment. During its 20-year buildout, Lake Flores is set to grow into bustling, walkable neighborhoods with 6,500 residential units, 3 million square feet of commercial and retail space, and 500 hotel rooms.

As a true mixed-use community, Lake Flores will offer a variety of housing options and a transportation system that supports a diversity of users. Apartments overlooking Lake Flores will create a peaceful yet urban residential option for young professionals while master-planned neighborhoods will focus on innovative single-family housing types. Meanwhile, the streets and multi-use trail system will move more than cars: people on foot, on bike, and in small electric vehicles will be able to explore Lake Flores conveniently and safely.

“From an economic standpoint, this is very positive for Manatee County and the area,” Lake Flores property owner and lifelong area resident Whiting Preston told the Bradenton Herald. Not only will the development attract newcomers to the area, but current residents—especially young adults looking to buy their first homes—will be able to stay in Bradenton due to the array of housing choices. This notion is underscored by two distinct business centers which will promote job growth in the commercial, research, and development sectors.

Lake Flores is poised to reignite Bradenton and west Manatee County as a very special place to live. As an infill community, Lake Flores will provide housing and retail/office space in a location where it is needed. As a mixed-use, traditional neighborhood, Lake Flores will grow into a walkable, New Urban addition to the region that will be attractive to Millennials, families, and retirees.

Alleys in Urban Design: History and Application

July 8, 2015/by Canin Associates

A Short History of Alleys

While alleys have existed in old world cities since the middle ages, they have had a limited level of utility in the recent American urban landscape. In the 19th century, American cities used alleys to hide the more utilitarian, less attractive functions of urban life including service and servant access, barns for horses and carriages, and even small shops and areas for children to play. However, the 20th century saw alleys nearly eliminated from the American urban landscape.

A number of events took place in the past century that contributed to the demise of the alley. Zoning segregated land use in such a way that many of the alley’s uses were redirected to distinct, separate districts. The automobile grew not only as America’s primary mode of transportation, but also as a status symbol. As such, home designs began to feature front loaded garages, allowing the automobile to be proudly displayed for all to see. Simultaneously, government spending focused on building high-speed roads and emphasizing home ownership, creating suburbs in lieu of cities. This “suburban” way of thinking about what communities should look like and how they should function was a shift away from compact, mixed-use development, causing alleys to be dismissed as costly wastes of space.

The Role of Alleys Today

In the 21st century, Americans are once again embracing the benefits of urban life, including walkability and compact mixed use development. Along with this “new urbanism,” we find ourselves once again embracing the alley as playing a critical role in the function of our cities and community development. Alleys are now a common feature in the design and redesign of our communities.

An alley leads to shops and restaurants in Winter Park, Florida.

The primary role of alleys has traditionally been to hide the more unsightly functions of our communities; the garages, garbage cans, transformers, electric meters, and telephone equipment. However, today their other positive impacts are celebrated as well: making possible narrower lots as garages are now accessed from the rear as opposed to being a prominent feature in front of a residence, enhancing safety as sidewalks and pedestrians become separated from the access requirements of vehicles, providing additional building access for firefighters, and creating a more casual neighborhood space adjacent to back yard activity centers, which leave the front of the house as a more formal community space.

Additionally, alleys are regaining their historic function as access for accessory housing units, providing a greater diversity of housing choices within our neighborhoods. We are also finding new uses for alleys, such as the Green Alley Movement, started in Chicago, which transforms alleys into greener community spaces which perform their traditional functions in addition to beautifying neighborhoods and reducing rainwater runoff. In older cities, alleys are being rediscovered as people places.

Applying Alleys

As with most urban design elements, a one-size-fits-all approach to alleys does not work. Alley specifications need to work within the framework of their surroundings. Alley design will vary depending on the uses within the alley: the character of residentially bounded alleys will differ from those that are found in commercial and industrial settings. Designers can implement a variety of alley sections, with variations occurring in pavement widths, garage setbacks, one-way or two-way access, parking locations, and service accessibility.

Alley-loaded homes in Baldwin Park, Florida.

To ensure our new alleys work as they are intended, there is a need to coordinate the design, function, and development of alleys with many stakeholders. It’s not only designers that need to be involved in the process of determining what is the best alley design for a community or project, but also communities and their leaders, city planners, utility companies, solid waste removal providers, fire departments, public works departments, and developers all need to be brought to the table when alleys are being considered.

Event Recap: ULI Central Florida’s Volusia County Update

May 8, 2015/by Greg Witherspoon

Leading the nation in job growth last year isn’t the only topic of discussion in Volusia County these days. With a major renovation of an iconic race track underway, cutting-edge research in aviation, and important infrastructure improvements in the works, ULI members and other attendees flocked to Daytona last week to hear the latest county news directly from the experts. The ULI Signature Event: Volusia County Update was held on April 30th at the Daytona International Speedway, drawing nearly 100 guests from around Central Florida and kicking off with a tour of the Daytona International Speedway. Attendees then met for the main event, moderated by Sans Lassiter, President of Lassiter Transportation Group, and featured presentations by Joie Chitwood III, Chris Kokai, and Martha Moore.

Joie Chitwood III, President of the Daytona International Speedway, shared not only the Speedway’s origins, but future plans to turn the track into a year-round attraction. For the first time in over 50 years, the Daytona International Speedway is getting a facelift. From seating improvements to upgraded amenities, the $400 million Daytona Rising project is underway to transform the race track into the world’s first motorsports stadium. But that’s not the only project slated for the area. Chitwood also gave visitors insight into One Daytona, a 190-acre, $800 million mixed-use development across from the Speedway. As expected, developments of this size don’t come without their fair share of challenges. For Chitwood and his team, a major challenge is meeting a construction schedule while still being able to operate the race track. Nonetheless, Daytona Rising and the first phase of One Daytona are expected to finish on-time in 2016.

Just next door to the Daytona International Speedway, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is researching aviation innovation. Florida Test Bed Director of Operations Chris Kokai gave a detailed overview of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. Part of the Florida Test Bed rapid prototyping initiative, NextGen aims to improve the airspace through technology “in ways that the general public may not notice.” Kokai and other researchers are modernizing air traffic control systems through homogenized data and better communication. Benefits for commercial airlines that bring tourists to Volusia County include more direct routes, increased fuel efficiency, and more frequent take-offs, all of which affect the way arrive at and depart airports like Daytona Beach International.

Just like aviation improvements, both local and regional infrastructure improvements will be needed to move residents and visitors around the county. That’s where Martha Moore, Vice President at Ghyabi & Associates, and her team come in as planning consultants for the International Speedway Boulevard Corridor Master Management Plan. Moore walked attendees through a variety of projects, including an additional pedestrian bridge and wider sidewalks connecting One Daytona with the Speedway, interchange improvements, an aesthetics master plan, and potential areas for multi-modal hubs.

Canin Associates is a proud sponsor of ULI Central Florida. For upcoming events, please click here.

CNU Florida Summit 2015: Our Takeaways

February 26, 2015/by Canin Associates

Last week, members of the Congress for the New Urbanism convened in Orlando for the 2015 CNU Florida Summit. The event’s theme was Transit and Transects: Sparking Florida’s Urban Revival. Speakers and tours covered topics including the rebirth of Downtown Orlando, the return of rail transit to Central Florida, and the development of urban neighborhood centers. Below, six Canin Associates team members share their takeaways from the two-day conference:

“We were pleased to hear Billy Hattaway [District 1 Secretary, Florida Department of Transportation] talk about taking the connection between land and transportation seriously. The new standards will help urban state roads support community building.”

Eliza Harris, Director of Urbanism

“The conversation about the successful conversion of College Park was really interesting, especially how the design of our main streets plays a fundamental role in how we think and feel about our community. The public realm is such an essential part of every community, and fully utilizing the economic, environmental, and social benefits is key.”

JT Cinquemani, Architectural Designer

“As a newcomer to both CNU and Orlando, I was surprised by how much more I learned about the city, and how much New Urbanism is shaping it. Behind the scenes, Orlando is implementing many more New Urbanist principles than I realized.”

Elena Haas, Intern Architectural & Interior Designer

“Seeing several projects at different stages and in unique contexts helped me rethink the approach to design and its impact on end users. Since the challenges of urbanization are universally similar, it’s great to see how teams react to each project’s specific context with innovative solutions.”

Monica Pinjani, Urban Designer

“I found it interesting that important design elements that used to be optional are now required in many jurisdictions. It was inspiring to see policy and design begin to take steps in the same direction.”

Alex Lenhoff, Urban Planner

“It was refreshing to be reminded of the strong directional opinions at play in building and design-related industries. Despite overall progress, leaders continue to find creative ways to deal with the current social and built environments on a more detailed scale.”

Michael Richardson, Architectural Designer

More information on individual sessions and speakers can be found in the 2015 CNU Florida Summit Agenda.

5 Tips to Get Your Clubhouse Right

February 18, 2015/by Canin Associates

A clubhouse can be a neighborhood focal point and help attract new residents. However, not all amenity centers are created equal. From functionality to aesthetic appeal, here are five tips to make your clubhouse shine:

1. Function, then form.

The program of your clubhouse is everything. Decide on what functions your clubhouse should have, and that will inform how much space it will require; don’t try to squeeze in amenities where they don’t fit, or they won’t add value to your space or community. Certain rooms require specific minimum sizes. For example, fitness rooms should be around 40 feet wide to allow for cardio equipment on outside walls with space for weight machines in the center. Give some thought to how the entrances and exits of spaces are aligned, so furniture space isn’t wasted, allowing for crisscrossing circulation paths across the multi-purpose room or other large, open spaces.

2. One building, or several?

So you’ve decided on a hefty program, and now you’ve got to figure out where it’s going to fit into your community. Phasing, access, and amenity sites can be used to determine if your needs can be met by one large building, or several single or double-purpose buildings. What you decide could create a community focal point or an amenity complex with meeting and multi-purpose space, fitness cabana, refreshment building, pool bathhouse, and more. Breaking up the building also reduces the overall square footage requirement, if the size is what’s holding you back.

3. The clubhouse is an important amenity to potential homebuyers.

One of the biggest selling points of a community is the clubhouse. If a neighborhood requires HOA fees, offering large-scale community resources is a great way to persuade potential homebuyers. Providing a clubhouse can also address a homebuyer’s typical hesitations, such as not having enough yard for a backyard pool, lacking space for large gatherings, being too far from the gym, or needing a way to get acquainted with neighbors. A clubhouse can be an excellent option as a “third place”—a gathering space other than home or work for community members to meet and mingle.

4. Elevation: scale and proportion.

This is your chance to “wow” guests and to create a community focal point. Use the clubhouse exterior to define the architectural style and feel of the neighborhood. With a great entrance and landscape package, it can create that memorable image that defines the community. Each part of the building has its own function, so use that to your benefit and pop the main entrance or fitness space forward or up, creating a defined piece and humanizing the scale of the structure.

5. Quality over quantity.

Building costs almost always affect design choices, so think practically. For example, over-articulating corners and walls can create dead spaces in a plan and add extra construction costs. If you have porches or patios, make sure they are of an adequate size to perform their function, like allowing space for furniture. A beautiful, functional clubhouse does not have to break the bank, and when done right, can help to sell every lot and home in the neighborhood.

Single-Family Can Be Urban, Too

February 10, 2015/by Canin Associates

American housing design is in need of a paradigm shift. Recognizing generational preferences, increasing affordability constraints, and sustainable solutions are needed to start a new chapter in the planning of our cities, especially when it comes to housing. But that doesn’t mean the single-family home is dead. In fact, if we begin to build houses around the principles of density, efficiency, and flexibility, a modern version of the single-family home could bridge the gap between what incentivizes builders and developers, and the new reality faced by many potential homebuyers.

Seattle, 1947. Photo © Seattle Municipal Archives

The nation’s changing demographics are a driving force behind a new focus on the often overlooked needs of two explosive market segments: singles in both Gen Y and Baby Boomer cohorts. With over half of all American adults single¹, it’s no surprise that 28% of new-home buyers (18% women and 10% men) are single². Additionally, Generation Y (now between 20 and 34 years old) and Baby Boomers (currently between 50 and 68 years old) make up nearly two-thirds of homebuyers³. While the housing industry has begun looking at the opportunity to serve Baby Boomers, it often fails to completely understand the needs of Gen Y and single buyers.

While three-quarters of Americans across all cohorts still prefer to live in single-family detached homes⁴, it has become difficult for Gen Y and single buyers to find affordable, tailored homes in the current stock of home designs and builder offerings. Financial pressures are increasingly affecting young homebuyers’ decisions. Adjusted median household income has remained virtually unchanged since 1989⁵ and is one of the factors behind increased credit card debt and high student loans. Combined, stagnant earnings and growing personal debt are reducing the buying power of many young Americans, which is reflected in a 12% drop in first-time homebuyer market participation in the past decade⁶. Because the conventional building model does not take these restrictions into account, it misses out on a large portion of potential homebuyers.

Changing demographics, increasing financial constraints, and modern preferences create the perfect springboard for a new era of very different single-family offerings. For example, without losing the quality and appeal of a traditional single-family community, micro homes (under 1000 sq. ft.) can create neighborhoods of truly detached single-family homes at densities of over 20 units per acre. For builders, higher densities can mean lower land costs per unit; for developers, micro neighborhoods can yield significant margins in per-acre sales; and for buyers, the ability to afford a detached home can once again become an aspirational reality.

In our site planning tests, we found that micro neighborhood designs can fit between four and six specially-designed homes (ranging from 500 to 900 square feet) onto a quarter-acre lot, allowing for densities of 16, 20, or even 24 units per acre. This model gives developers the ability to create complete, intimate neighborhoods. By limiting the size of the offerings to no more than 20 to 30 homes per neighborhood, it becomes possible to drive rapid absorption by matching demand and opportunity on a finely calibrated scale. Developers can create a sense of buyer urgency with flexible pricing that they can adapt to demand, available inventory, and market pricing.

With diversifying preferences and changing economic conditions, increasing residential density is the next logical step in American home design for builders, developers, municipalities, and, most importantly, buyers. By adapting the single-family home to a more urban context, we can take these considerations into account and create walkable, authentic communities.

Sources:

[1] Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014
[2] National Associates of Realtors, Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 2011
[3] National Association of Realtors, Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends, 2014
[4] National Association of Realtors, National Community Preference Survey, 2013
[5] US Census Bureau, 2012
[6] National Association of Home Builders, Wall Street Journal, 2014

The New Neighborhood: Mixed-Use and Multi-Modal

October 21, 2014/by Canin Associates

Conventional suburbs are making way for carefully master-planned neighborhoods with character. Outparcels remain a commodity along major thoroughfares, but are seamlessly integrated into the overall urban fabric of a budding community. In Southwest Florida’s Lake Flores, this concept is strengthened through two ideas: complete streets and multi-modal trails.

Lake Flores bridges conventional commercial development and urban neighborhoods with thoughtful, multi-modal streets and trails.

Located near Sarasota, Lake Flores is an infill site of over 1,300 acres overlooking Sarasota Bay and just a few miles from the beach. This is the kind of special site that only comes available once in the life of a community. With the county’s How Will We Grow vision setting the stage for more mixed-use, urban development, the time is ripe for a game-changing new project that will set the tone for the next era of growth in this coastal community. After decades of ownership by the Manatee Fruit Company, this long-term venture has the potential to grow and evolve over a 20 year period.

A landscaped multi-modal trail accommodates pedestrians, runners, cyclists, and small electric vehicles.

The heart of the plan is the community’s namesake, Lake Flores. This new nineteen-acre lake is surrounded by a green edge of park, which will provide a gathering place for the community and the region. Adjacent to the lake will be a new main street with restaurants and entertainment. Visitors can dine with a lake view or take an evening stroll after dinner. Apartments overlooking Lake Flores will create a peaceful, urban residential option convenient for a morning job and within easy walking distance of the main street. With two different business centers to accommodate commercial office as well as research and development, Lake Flores also provides the realistic opportunity to live and work in the same community.

Calm, carefully designed streets with opportunities for walking and biking both for recreation and practical transportation will be a priority at Lake Flores. A central multi-modal trail and linear park run the length of the site connecting all of the neighborhoods safely to the lakeside park and retail amenities. This trail is truly multi-modal, design to accommodate a soft path for runners as well as a hard surface wide enough for small electric shuttles. In addition, all streets are designed to be complete for all modes of transportation with buildings oriented to reinforce neighborhood character.

The Value of International Planning

June 12, 2014/by Greg Witherspoon

As an idea-driven firm, working abroad is especially thrilling for us. To offer our urban planning services to communities in other countries is a unique and rewarding experience. There are many benefits to this type of work, but also certain requirements you must be aware of before embarking on this endeavor. We have found that creativity, adaptability, and motivation are major factors in international planning.

Creativity in International Planning

International planning is a different beast, but one that can bring many benefits, including the ability to be even more creative. Often, it’s a challenge to implement placemaking strategies in the United States because the policies in place don’t always support new and “unproven” designs. In many Latin American countries, however, the lack of bureaucracy makes is easier for creative ideas to flow. The ability to innovate brings freshness to the planning profession.

Travel itself is a driving force behind creativity. Exploring different forms of urbanism by experiencing them first hand is a pleasure for any urban planner or architect. International planning adds inspiration and knowledge about the built environment that can be applied to both current and future projects.

Adapting to a Unique Context

International planning is professionally stimulating because in addition to being creative, you must be adaptive. Each location has its unique requirements. For example, security features are very important for Columbian projects, where guarded gates and CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) are common elements.

It’s also important to remember that you, as the planner or architect, are part of that context. Are you being hired for your American point of view to attract US clients, or did they pick you for your ability to understand the local vernacular? In European countries like Germany, a traditional design is difficult to market amidst the local historical buildings. Countries like Mexico, however, appreciate strong understanding of local architecture in both resorts and master-planned communities.

International Planning = Staff Motivation

Planning abroad is a highly concentrated, thought-packed initiative. With quick turnaround times and tight deadlines, a design team is motivated to craft a complete vision for the client during a single trip. Generally, our goal is to provide more ideas in rough form, rather than fewer ideas in finished form. Often, we want our ideas endorsed by the client, and then at home we package them properly. The amount of work a team accomplishes in a short amount of time is a rewarding and motivating experience.

A Checklist for International Planning

Finally, preparation is everything when planning abroad. Some must-haves include:

A good proposal: Get concurrent with the client on objectives; there should be no lack of clarity.
Advanced preparation: Know what will happen, who will do what, and when. Scheduling is essential to make the most of a client’s time.
The right team: International planning can be a burden on overhead, so every team member must count. However, planning abroad can be a great mentoring opportunity. Take a risk by giving a younger associate this experience.
The right communication approach: We have had great success with classic sketches, but many clients appreciate our ability to create a 3D SketchUp fly-through in a short amount of time. Also, plan what types of communication technologies are most appropriate for your client.

What in the World is a Woonerf?

June 5, 2014/by Canin Associates

If you’re a civically minded urban planner or citizen, then you’ve dreamed of streets that mix residential with commercial uses, where cars drive slowly, and the pedestrian is king. Most likely, what you’ve been longing for is a woonerf, a Dutch concept that translates to “living street.” In the United States, woonerf’s cousin—the “complete street”—is creating a lot of buzz. And rightly so: both streets feature human-centered design principles and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists. So, the question remains: What makes a street complete and what makes it a woonerf?

The Woonerf and its History

Over the past decade, the popularity of complete streets has steadily grown in the United States. Like the woonerf, the American complete street takes the focus off of the automobile and instead spotlights pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation. However, the woonerf takes it one step further: the distinction between pedestrian and vehicular space is blurred and virtually non-existent. Through the absence of sidewalk boundaries, curbs, and distinct lanes, those on foot and bike have equal access to the road as do cars. Speed is limited to “walking speed” (about 4 mph) and the design enforces this through curving roads and the use of public amenities such as playground equipment. Speed-bumps, which don’t add to the pedestrian experience, are not used.

Although its true implementation has been limited in the US, the woonerf concept has continued to appear in national publications in recent years, including the New York Times. While it may be brand-new to Americans, this smart design has been applied to over 6,000 Dutch streets. As a backlash to post-war, auto-centered street design, woonerfs (or woonerven) started in the 1970s and remain popular today.

Why should we use Woonerfs?

Woonerfs are commonly translated as “living streets,” but more exactly the name means “living yard.” In many places where private outdoor space is limited—as is the case in older European towns or any large city—the street acts as another outlet. For residents of a woonerf, the public space in front of their homes is a place to play, socialize, and engage in the community.

In addition to the community-building principles of woonerven, there are substantial safety improvements that have made them a success: In Dutch areas that have adopted the concept, traffic accidents dropped by 40% or more. Although cities often implement woonerfs in residential areas, they also support placemaking in denser mixed-use corridors. One local example of how a woonerf could be used to revamp a city’s core is the Maitland, Florida, case study.

Woonerf by the Numbers

The Netherlands feature over 6,000 woonerf zones.
Around 2 million people live in these Dutch woonerven.
Traffic accidents dropped by 40% or more in woonerf zones.
Over 70 of these zones exist in England and Wales, called “home zones.” The concept is also popular in other European countries, especially Germany.
Over 400 US cities have or are implementing woonerf-inspired complete streets.

Placemaking and Living Streets: A Maitland, FL Case Study

May 22, 2014/by Canin Associates

Maitland, Florida, is a small city of about 15,000 residents. Located just north of Orlando, it is home to a network of museums, a popular independent movie theater that plays host to the annual Florida Film Festival, and beautiful parks. Despite the city’s amenities, one albatross remains: the lack of a cohesive, walkable center of activity. Now, with three potential projects in the pipeline for downtown Maitland, the City Center officials have been planning for since the 1990s may finally come to fruition.

For almost two decades, placemaking has been one of the community’s top priorities. Between 1998 and 2003, community workshops and designs by planners have solidified a vision for the city’s Town Square, complete with an in-depth set of design standards. From these efforts has sprung the city’s first new anchor: an urban city hall with an adjacent fire station.

With three development proposals planned for Maitland, creating a new city center is now closer to a reality than ever before. To optimize these new developments, city officials and designers will need to create a cohesive community gathering place.

Placemaking through Living Streets

For over a decade, Canin Associates has selected a University of Miami student to research an urban design topic each summer. In 2012, Gabriel Williams worked with Canin Associates staff and faculty advisor Jaime Correa to design downtown Maitland’s Independence Lane as a “Living Street” envisioning a striking and lively new center for the community. A Woonerf, the Dutch term for Living Street, is a shared street that prioritizes pedestrians while still allowing cyclists and drivers. Shared space, traffic calming, and very low speeds make these living streets beneficial to both placemaking and pedestrian safety.

In Woonerfs (or, more correctly, woonerven), automobile pathways are integrated to create a calm and safe residential environment, focusing on plantings, benches, and bike racks. Rather than having separate sidewalks, the entire width of Independence Lane would be designed to allow free pedestrian movement. The plan also shows this shared street continuing extended to connect to points further north and south.

With the former city hall slated for demolition, the team saw a perfect opportunity to place a public park on the city-owned land. Mixed-use buildings in an urban configuration could contain continuous ground floor retail overlooking the new park.

Tying together the existing urban fabric in a retrofit can be a challenge. To achieve stylistic and spatial cohesion, placemakers must juggle an existing arrangement of asymmetrical volumes, setbacks, and construction techniques. An urban plaza and a new contemporary building are designed to reconcile the elegant and classical proportions of the city hall with the modern geometry of the neighboring bank.

Today, with a fresh opportunity to take another leap towards an active city center, the City of Maitland has the chance to refocus on the importance of placemaking and master planning. Only if people truly feel welcome will this new district become successful.

Tactical Urbanism and Site Previtalization in New Communities

April 15, 2014/by Canin Associates

Tactical urbanism is often seen as a strategy for existing communities. However, brand-new master-planned communities can benefit from tactical urbanism, too. Through previtalization, a new Main Street can spring to life in an authentic and economically feasible way.

What is tactical urbanism?

Tactical urbanism is an umbrella term for a set of strategies to create or improve urban places incrementally. A hallmark of tactical urbanism is the use of lower cost, lightweight interventions. Communities implement these strategies as short-term measures with an eye towards establishing a track record of success.

As defined in the leading go-to guide, Tactical Urbanism 2: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Change (2012), tactical urbanism is a deliberate approach to community building that includes:

A phased approach;
Local ideas for local planning challenges;
Short-term commitment and realistic expectations;
Low-risk, with the possibility of a high reward; and
The development of social capital between citizens, institutions, and non-profits.

What is site previtalization?

Tactical urbanists use site previtalization in the early stages of a community. The goal is to lay the groundwork for robust and authentic future developments by inhabiting the location of a future main street or civic space, incubating unique businesses, and/or bringing people together on the site. Different design tools and programming options provide a flexible approach to preliminary site activation.

The design tools for previtalization are varied. They range from prefabricated architecture (such as small cottages) to mobile vendors. Other indoor and outdoor spaces may be constructed on-site with recycled materials. For example, shipping pallets and containers can provide structural support. Tactical urbanists strategically organize these structures to create a semi-permanent business district.

Next, programming options attract residents to these new districts. Pop-up shops and open markets might happen daily, weekly, or monthly. Other efforts, including urban agriculture or temporary parks, occupy empty lots until they are ready for development. Often, previtalization efforts encourage retail micro-mixing (multiple businesses in the same space).

How is site previtalization applied?

Generally, a full build-out of a new community takes years or decades. Now, imagine if the energy and excitement of a new, master-planned community could be brought to life in a matter of weeks. Through site previtalization, communities can forge their identities and incubate businesses before permanent buildings arrive at the scene.

Previtalization has many benefits for emerging districts. First, phasing can roll out a development in an economically conscious way. Temporary stands or markets create a unique shopping district before permanent buildings are financially supportable. Second, this flexibility attracts business owners by giving them a chance to test their concepts and incubate businesses in a lower-risk environment. Lastly, and most importantly, previtalization in partnership with future tenants and potential residents seeds an authentic sense of community.

Master-Planned Communities in a New Economy

April 1, 2014/by Canin Associates

Inarguably, conventional growth patterns coupled with the recent economic rollercoaster have left urban planners scratching their heads. A major question remains: How can we create new, master-planned communities with a robust framework to prepare for an unpredictable housing market in the future? To find the answer, municipalities and developers are looking back at historical growth patterns for inspiration. But instead of only using a New Urbanist design approach, planners are focusing on economic factors more than ever before.

The City of Edgewater, Florida, has taken this new approach to heart. The approval of a form-based code will guide the 20-year build-out of Restoration, the city’s Sustainable Community Development District. As noted in Better Cities & Towns, Restoration is the largest post-recession traditional neighborhood development planned to date. To ensure its success, the 1,315 acre project must balance two factors: economic feasibility and smart design.

To guarantee economic viability, the Restoration code allows a frugal, incremental build-out. The master plan includes a variety of phasing options responsive to market conditions. It begins with single-story commercial buildings and modestly-sized homes, building up to an eight-story town center that will likely be developed in later stages. Furthermore, businesses will have a great deal of flexibility on where they can locate to meet the demand of new residents’ changing numbers and needs.

The hallmark of Restoration’s traditional design will be a transit-ready boulevard designed to accommodate a four-mile streetcar system. Other important factors for creating a livable environment include:

Providing a range of different environments, from residential districts to mixed-use blocks.
Building forms, regardless of their uses, must respond to a walkable scale.
Organizing buildings around an urban grid.
Placing green spaces in primary locations to create a healthy public realm.

The goal of Restoration’s code is to allow a new, walkable place to evolve authentically, while remaining resilient through changing market conditions. A traditional development will be built to create an active community with the resilience to weather future market fluctuations.

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