Seriously, how cute is this post office! I want to run in and mail postcards to everyone I know.

THE PRINCIPLES OF NEW URBANISM

The principles of New Urbanism can be applied increasingly to projects at the full range of scales from a single building to an entire community.

1. Walkability

-Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work
-Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows & doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane; narrow, slow speed streets)
-Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

2. Connectivity

-Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking
-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys
-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable3. Mixed-Use & Diversity

3. Mixed-Use & Diversity

-A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighborhoods, within blocks, and within buildings
-Diversity of people – of ages, income levels, cultures, and races

4. Mixed Housing

A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design

Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit

6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure

-Discernable center and edge
-Public space at center
-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art
-Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk
-Transect planning: Highest densities at town center; progressively less dense towards the edge. The transect is an analytical system that conceptualizes mutually reinforcing elements, creating a series of specific natural habitats and/or urban lifestyle settings. The Transect integrates environmental methodology for habitat assessment with zoning methodology for community design. The professional boundary between the natural and man-made disappears, enabling environmentalists to assess the design of the human habitat and the urbanists to support the viability of nature. This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate building and street types for each area along the continuum.

7. Increased Density

-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live.
-New Urbanism design principles are applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities

8. Smart Transportation

-A network of high-quality trains connecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods together
-Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation

9. Sustainability-Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations

-Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems
-Energy efficiency
-Less use of finite fuels
-More local production
-More walking, less driving

10. Quality of Life

Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

There was more and more amazing architecture with each corner I turned. There could be an entire blog about the community centers, tennis courts, centralized pools, paved roads, walking trails, top-notch landscaping, and the list goes on.

There is definitely lots of color and I don’t want to be misleading, but I guess I got carried away with the white stucco and architecture, and sunset was nearing. Below is a great example of the creativity of the architects, designers & homeowners.  I believe the homes are in Seacrest Beach, Seaside and/or Watercolor.

Notice the yellow planters next to the door trim and also the architectural detail in the handrails!

Is this architecture and New Urbanism lifting your spirit?

Scenic Highway 30A is a 20 mile beach road between Destin, Florida and Panama City.  You don’t see the expected high rise buildings along the beach, but a series of planned architectural communities, each with it’s own unique set of characteristics. We will first be exploring “Seaside”, where The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey was filmed. There are so many things to do in this quaint little town. You can watch an outdoor movie in the amphitheater, enjoy a live concert, rent a bike to stroll from town to town, and so much more. Click here for a map of Seaside.

There are many cottages to rent or buy, and they have the cutest, creative names. Perhaps you would want to stay at Teachers Lounge, Goodnight Moon, License to Chill, Cork the Whine, Sea Ya, or Four the Girls (a 4 BR delight).

Any time I go to a new city I’m always on the lookout for great design shops, and Pizitz Home & Cottage was on my list. I couldn’t pass up the recently published 30A Style Book, which I’ll be sharing pictures from later in the week.

Can you hear the waves? I definitely don’t want to go home after visiting this wonderful space.

Along with the new coffee table book purchase, I was able to find a mother’s day goodie – a candle from Votivo – Seablue Sky. It’s a wonderful “beach scent”, not too floral, but fresh and perfect for spring!

Join me tomorrow for architectural beauties (homes) found in Rosemary Beach. You won’t be sorry!