Connectivity Key In Successful Community Planning

With every fresh news item about this nation’s homelessness epidemic, the need for considerably more housing becomes ever clearer. But like any other vexing problem society faces, the issue is considerably more complex than many might assume.

It’s not enough to simply build more residential communities. The new homes must not come at the expense of community interaction, conservation, responsible land use and essential densification, all of them objectives that can be addressed through community planning.

These are issues given serious thought by planners such as Doug Smith, principal with Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based EDSA, a landscape architecture and master planning firm. One of the emerging trends in master planning is creation of healthy spaces, where folks can be linked both to nature and also to other people through connectivity and social interaction. “We always like to consider ways in which we can orchestrate community plans and define circulation patterns to promote and inspire spontaneous interactions between people and place within the community,” Smith says.

Key differentiators

Surveys conducted by RCLCO Real Estate Consulting regarding master-planned communities (MPCs) have revealed successful MPCs set themselves apart from suburban subdivisions by offering ways for neighbors to interact in a genuine spirit of community. Increasing emphasis is placed upon creating town or village centers and an array of soft programming bringing together current and future residents.

“The most successful MPCs foster an environment where multiple generations can live better in terms of housing and the community environment,” says Gregg Logan, managing director of the Bethesda, Md.-based firm. Besides homes, they include green spaces, places for neighborhood retail and service businesses, and in many communities, multi-generational educational opportunities and even employment centers. In difficult times, the most enduring MPCs offer flexible master plans nimble enough to respond to evolving consumer demands and capable of nurturing residents’ lives via the inclusion of lifestyle programming and amenities.

Smith and colleagues are also noting a greater focus on the repurposing and repositioning of existing development, with one of the intentions being the additional density proven to create a greater sense of community among residents.

To cite an example, he points to the ongoing redevelopment of 1970s and ‘80s-era regional malls in which parking lots and other “grey field” areas are transitioned into a blend of retail stores, food and beverage offerings and housing to optimize functional use of the land. “The same goes for ‘brownfield’ industrial sites,” Smith says.

“[These] have always been ripe for redevelopment with mixed-use additions including residential. Both present great opportunities for new communities.”

Housing variety

To make greatest use of the available resources, communities must differ from the cookie-cutter suburban subdivisions of the past, instead offering an array of housing styles. “It is really important to think about product diversification when starting on a land plan, including having housing types for everyone,” says Tom Panaseny, vice president of development for Neal Land & Neighborhoods, a full-service land acquisition, entitlement and development firm based in Manatee, Fla.

“When prospective residents visit one of our communities, it takes them 30 seconds to decide whether or not they want to live there depending on how it is presented and maintained. “It’s our job to provide a variety of housing types that gets them to move in, from multifamily rental apartments all the way up to large stand-alone single-family homes.”

Because the best way for communities to begin life is not always with great density, they shouldn’t always provide variety from day one, he adds. However, as a community evolves into a mature community, density can be added to the growing enclave.

In the end, even though housing is the common denominator in communities, the best planned communities are designed to entice people to leave their dwellings. “It’s about getting people out of their houses through good programming and land planning,” says Panaseny. “We want people out, about and engaged.”

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.