American Pie: Mixed Use Communities
...Vast areas of wetlands and wilderness have been gobbled up by shopping malls, gated communities, strip development and just plain exurban sprawl. Very little land has been set aside for recreational use, and a trip to a post office or a municipal or government facility may require driving anything up to fifteen miles on congested roads...
But there is a worthy alternative to mindless exurban development in the USA, says John Merchant. The mixed use development concept - the idea of combinging commercial and business premises with private dwellings and restaurants, and placing emphasis on "walkability'' - is gaining in popularity.
Read more of John's thoughtful words by clicking on American Pie in the menu on this page.
Florida’s South West counties of Lee, Collier, Hendry and Glades have witnessed unprecedented population growth in the past 25 years, with Lee and Collier leading by a large margin. Lee and Collier are home to the cities of Ft. Myers, Cape Coral and Naples, all popular destinations for retirees from the northern states, and often their adult children. In the period 1980 to 2006 the population of Lee grew from approximately 200,000 to 500,000. Over that same period, Collier County grew from around 150,000 to 300,000.
These statistics are deceptive however, because they include only registered Florida residents whose primary home is here. The real number may be between one and a half to two times those figures at certain times of the year. The discrepancy is made up of people who purchase a dwelling, but only live in it for part of the year. By the year 2030, the projected population of Lee County alone is expected to grow to 700,000.
Accommodating this rapid growth has meant unprecedented construction of communities and roads throughout the region. Vast areas of wetlands and wilderness have been gobbled up by shopping malls, gated communities, strip development and just plain exurban sprawl. Very little land has been set aside for recreational use, and a trip to a post office or a municipal or government facility may require driving anything up to fifteen miles on congested roads.
Aside from the logistics of living in such an expanding region, the “cities” are unrecognizable as such. There is no obvious center and no demarcation between one city and the next, other than a “Welcome To…..” sign at the side of the road. Often, the only way for a stranger to determine which city they are in is to read the signs on businesses along the highway that proclaim “The ABC Company of Estero” etc. Little provision is made for community interaction other than the shopping malls.
Although county and municipal authorities and citizen’s groups have strongly opposed or tried to modify many of the development projects, in the end, the muscle and money wielded by the big developers has usually won the day.
But there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. After a slow start, the so called, “mixed use development” concept is gaining in popularity since its proposal in the mid-1980’s. Planner, Andres Duany has been its main proponent in South West Florida, but his ideas were slow to take hold. Now, like many innovations, his creative planning is an idea whose time has come.
Mixed use development is relevant to either a newly settled area, or increasingly to a rehabilitated, older town center. As an example of the latter, the storied area around Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles is making a comeback through mixed use development after 40 years of decline.
The concept combines commercial and business premises with private dwellings and restaurants, and places great emphasis on “walkability.” The pedestrian-friendly streets are narrow, and connect with open precincts designed to foster human interaction. Though cars are not excluded, the layout of the streets prevents their use as a throughway.
The architecture of such developments in S.W. Florida is predominantly Spanish/Italian, with brightly painted stucco walls and russet pan tile roofs that impart a very Mediterranean feel to the towns. Palm trees, fountains and sub-tropical landscaping enhance the illusion. Open air cafes, often with live music, encourage you to linger, in sharp contrast to the traditional communities where you have little choice but to drive through, often without seeing a living soul.
Surprisingly, despite the obvious attractiveness of these new communities, people are not rushing to populate them. Doctors, dentists, restauranteurs and retail businesses are reluctant to relocate from their traditional locations until they see evidence of a population density that can support their endeavors. And for their part, prospective residents are unwilling to buy in until the support services are in place.
Notwithstanding, it seems clear that a return to the traditional “neighborhood” environment has strong attractions, especially when the development has been carefully planned. Aside from any other consideration, it is essential that a less land-hungry approach must be found to accommodate the population influx into this part of Florida. In the process, home buyers may well find themselves located in an environment more livable than they had ever dreamed about.
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