More developers, better results: a lesson in orchestration

New Urban News Article with images, 1/1/2007

The Holiday neighborhood in Boulder and Beerline B in Milwaukee achieve an intriguing mix, with public guidance.

The most acclaimed early examples of New Urbanism were brought into existence by individual developers — Robert Davis, who worked his magic on 80 acres of Florida sand; Henry Turley, who gave Memphis the congenial Harbor Town; and Joseph Alfandre, who founded Kentlands amid the single-purpose subdivisions of suburban Maryland.

Today, however, some of the most interesting new urbanist work is being carried out by groups of developers. By involving multiple developers, a sizable project can often be built more speedily, and it can incorporate great variety — in the kinds of buildings it includes, in the uses it accommodates, and in its range of styles.

Two prime examples are the Holiday neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, and the Beerline B project in Milwaukee. Both projects consist of parcels developed by a variety of companies or organizations, under the coordination of a public agency.