Two previous posts, in this series were adapted from an article I wrote for the Partners in Forestry newsletter. That focused on how density can assist in protecting our resources, and the values and character of the Wisconsin Northwoods. Can density assist, I think it can, and I have gone far south in the nation to provide what is one of the first examples of New Urbanist development in the United States--Seaside, FL.
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| Seaside, FL |
To those who watch movies, Seaside may best be known as the setting for the 1998 movie The Truman Show. One could say that, the movie provides a manufactured or contrived element to this Florida community. Seaside is now about forty years old, and two generations of age has assisted in creating a more mature community. One would not replicate Seaside in all its architecture, or even form, but this is to show how an 80 acre development was re-imagined from a typical high rise Florida condo development to an actual community—one that is walkable, and provides a more human scale. Besides recognizing the natural environment, development also needs to work better for humans, too.
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| Dwelling Unit |
Seaside is an unincorporated community in the Florida panhandle, with significant frontage on the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 60 miles east of Pensacola, FL. While it has permanent year-around residents, it also has a significant part-time residential component, which makes it a resort type community. In this sense the mix of permanent and "seasonal" or part-time residences makes it similar to Vilas County, WI and other northern Wisconsin communities. Seaside has the Gulf of Mexico; Northern Wisconsin's has its lakes and forests.
Seaside is built on an 80 acre parcel and one can walk from one end to the other in ten minutes. A walk from its "city" center is five minutes to each end. The property is longer along the gulf than it is wide, and the Gulf of Mexico is the reason why the community exists. Instead of building construction high-rise condominium towers, the developers decided on a new urbanist approach which values walking over driving, and integrates rather than separates uses--primarily residential with retail think coffee shops, and restaurants. In a sense it is a recent Florida version of Mackinac Island, without the horses. Not having been to Seaside, I am not sure if they have fudge shops, or like the pretentious use, shoppes.Although cars are allowed in Seaside, the community is designed more around the ability to walk, than to use a car. This makes it rare among new and suburban developments.
Walkability is enhanced by certain characteristics in design. To get walkability you have to have some level of density. A walkable community is of little use if shops, housing, and recreation are distant and far apart. Street design in new urbanism use a block perimeter (the distance around the block), rather than a block length. Using well established parameters, the block perimeter enhances walking by allowing more choice and ease of access via sidewalk. Accompanying this is the friendly architecture of houses close to the sidewalk, and garages accessed off a rear alley, and if not, setback from the house front a good distance (about 20') to allow a more interesting and pleasant walk in the community. If you have ever walked a street with snout houses you know how unappealing the walk is. There are no snout houses in New Urbanism. Studies show that a person will experience a more pleasant walk with houses closer to the sidewalk, and not all driveway crossings. The street and sidewalk are referred to as public realm. Buildings closer to the street, make a pedestrian in an suburban or urban environment feel more safe because of the sense of enclosure that is provided. When a pedestrian feels safer the whole walk experience is enhanced. In addition, the streets are narrower than commonly found in suburbia, making the driver pay attention, and slow down. The street width, limited building setbacks, street trees all work to create a natural traffic calming limiting the need for speed bumps or other devices. Overall, this design is markedly different from most post World War II housing developments, (say beginning in mid-1950's) with the wide streets, large lots and massive setbacks. It has more in common with pre-WWII housing developments, hence the name New Urbanism.
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| Public Green by town center |
New Urbanism does not like to use the common element of dwelling units per acre, since uses are mixed, ending in an inaccurate measurement. However, from what I can figure there are just under 500 dwelling units, and being on 80 acres that would mean it is at a density of just over 6 dwelling units per gross acre. In planning we often used net du's per acres as a better indicator of density, but I lack information to calculate net density. Dwelling units at Seaside range from single family, to apartments or owner occupied units on second and/or third floor space above commercial. There is also the in between such as row houses, or single family attached (think duplex). The key to a properly functioning community, with a variety of uses, is to have sufficient density to promote walking, and the density to support the retail, restaurants and other services. Seaside has sufficient permanent residents so it can support its own school, although it is possible that students come from adjoining developments that have built off Seaside.
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| Dwellings |
Seaside, like some New Urbanist developments, tends to be too upscale, and in that sense is analogous to Mackinac Island (although not nearly as upscale as Mackinac Island). However, its mix of apartments was to help increase diversity and affordability. High property values, however, are also a sign of persons desire to live in a place, so on that front the values indicate a human desire for what is accomplished at this place. Its first home was a simple one story, perhaps a size of a typical Northwoods cottage. As the place became more desirous, the square feet of single family housing increased. Not unlike what we see with some second homes up north, if not their outbuildings. For a discussion of Seaside by Placemakers representative please see this link. In full disclosure, I worked with Placemakers on the Fitchburg, WI SmartCode, the first, and a dozen years in, the only adaptation of the SmartCode for a Wisconsin community.
To be most successful in Wisconsin the density has to be desired, reflect the values of the community, and help to conserve natural resources. Many innovative techniques for storm water management have been developed since Seaside, FL was created. Those new techniques could be incorporated into a community developed in northern Wisconsin. After all, the goal is to protect the streams, lakes and forests of the Northwoods, and proper storm water management, and sanitary sewer management is important. A Wisconsin development would look different from Seaside, there are characteristics which could be borrowed. Proper planning and design can help the Northwoods, and the Florida development example, can assist in showing some crucial transferable components. A new development paradigm is required to protect the Northwoods and yet allow for proper population growth. To that end, the last in this series will be about a re-imagined Northwoods lake development.
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