New Urbanism is a planning and development approach centered on creating human-scaled urban
environments. It draws inspiration from traditional city and town designs, emphasizing walkable streets,
mixed-use developments, and accessible public spaces. Developed as an alternative to the sprawling,
car-centric patterns common since the mid-20th century, New Urbanism aims to mitigate economic,
health, and environmental issues.
New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating
walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types.
The approach can be applied to new developments, urban revitalization projects, and preservation
efforts, ranging from rural areas to dense city centers. New Urbanists advocate for neighborhoods
designed around a five-minute walk from center to edge, promoting diversity and multimodal
transportation options like walking, cycling, and public transit. A key focus is placemaking—creating
public spaces that encourage daily social interactions. New Urbanism emphasizes practical design
solutions, collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure that developments are not only well-
designed but also buildable. It takes a holistic view, considering the interconnectedness of buildings,
neighborhoods, and regions.
In reclaiming underused areas, New Urbanism transforms deteriorating spaces into vibrant, mixed-
income neighborhoods. Ultimately, it seeks to create sustainable, vibrant places where people can lead
healthy and fulfilling lives, benefiting businesses, local governments, and residents alike.
BENEFITS OF NEW URBANISM
Decreased Reliance on Transportation: New Urbanism emphasizes alternative transportation, especialy
walking, by promoting mixed-use design.
Increased Economic Viability: Lower costs per capita, increase of tax base, and greater accessibility to
patrons alow people to spend less on transportation, as wel as numerous other benefits which add to a
healthier economy.
Improved Community Health: An emphasis on mixed-use design and similar concepts provides a
healthier and more engaging city life. It also helps promote safer city planning.
Advanced Sustainability: New Urbanism encourages green transportation and utilizes various sustainable
building methods. This helps cities achieve a greater level of sustainability.
It is Healthier
Provides greater access to affordable, healthy foods. Provides access to health services, especially for
families with children and seniors.
Promotes more active lifestyles/greater overall physical fitness, to reduce.
Childhood and adult obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, medical costs.
Better air quality - increased cardiovascular and respiratory health.
Increases "social capital" through greater social integration and social support.
Shortens emergency response times and improves community life safety.
It Energizes Communities
Restores urban neighborhoods and revives urban economies.
Establishes a greater sense of place.
Guides sustainable development.
Supports culture and community.
Reduces household costs.
Reconnects neighborhoods and connects people.
Improves access to key resources.
Puts underperforming land to use.
Raises and stabilizes property values.
Attracts new homebuyers.
Promotes Community Driven Development through public engagement and public planning.
Stimulates commercial activity and strengthens local economy.
Supports existing community functions and builds on community assists.
Improves early education through community supported school programs and facilities. Creates more
child friendly communities.
Creates diversity of people, ages, income levels, ethnicities, and cultures. Enhances quality of life.
Increases social connection and awareness.
Promotes Economic Development through entrepreneurship and job creation.
It is More Efficient with Tax Dollars
Creates live/work/walk communities.
Promotes economic growth through walkable, convenient, and easily accessible shopping districts.
Mixed-use districts spread investment risk, meaning a greater return on investment.
Urbanism and its Types
Provides a greater variety of housing options.
Boosts municipal tax revenues.
Provides greater access to goods, services, jobs, housing, ete.
Shortens emergency response times and improves community life safety.
Decreases per capita infrastructure, utility, and facility costs.
Encourages more efficient land use.
Lowers infrastructure costs.
It Makes Streets More Inviting and Safer for Everyone
Provides greater access to public transportation through multi-modal street design.
Creates transportation diversity (pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and cars).
Increases street efficiency.
Increases street safety and pedestrian safety.
Lessens crime and violence.
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions/pollution.
Maximizes transportation choice.
It uses Less Energy (is Sustainable)
Reduces pollution, creates a cleaner environment.
Promotes environmental and site integration, and land preservation.
Utilizes renewable energy Promotes proper waste management.
Utilizes proper landscaping to increase public health and add community value.
Increases overall community happiness. Creates a more beautiful city and community.
Encourages better water management practices to lower expenses and preserve water sources.
New Suburbanism aims to improve suburbs by focusing on real needs rather than just adding more
buildings. It looks at all aspects of a community, like schools and parks, and uses ideas from successful
projects to create mixed-use spaces, diverse neighborhoods, and designs that are friendly for walking.
TACTICAL URBANISM
Tactical urbanism includes low-cost, temporary changes to build environment, usually in cities, intended
to improve local neighborhoods and city gathering place.
It is characterize by experimental, incremental and human centric approach directly responding the
needs of the community.
Bicycle lanes and other bicycle accommodations are among the most common projects undertaken
under the tactical urbanism banner. By using hay bales, chalk lines, old tires or rope, tactical urbanists
can quickly divide off part of a street and allow it to serve as a bike lane.
Sometimes tactical urbanists also construct a makeshift tiny park, community garden, or "side-walk cafe"
that actually expands beyond the sidewalk. In those applications, potted plants may substitute for
permanent landscaping to allow people to imagine the softening effect of plants
BENEFITS OF TACTICAL URBANISM
Community Benefits:
- improves public spaces, promotes community empowerment, and increases safety and comfort in the
environment. It encourages social interaction, osters innovation, and raises awareness about urban
issues, leading to stronger community bonds and support for long-term improvements.
Government Benefits:
- providing a cost-effective and flexible approach to urban improvement, enabling rapid
implementation and real-world testing of new ideas. This method fosters enhanced public engagement,
allows for quick adjustments based on feedback, and helps collect valuable data for future policies.
TYPES OF INTERVENTION
Better Block Initiatives
- Temporarily transforming retail streets using cheap or donated materials and volunteers.
Spaces are transformed by introducing food carts, sidewalk tables, temporary bike lanes and narrowing
of streets.
Chair Bombing
- The act of removing salvageable materials and using it to build public seating. The chairs are
placed in areas that either are quiet or lack comfortable places to sit.
De-fencing
- The act of removing unnecessary fences to break down barriers between neighbors, beautify
communities, and encourage community building.
Food Carts/trucks
- Food carts and trucks are used to attract people to underused public spaces and offer small
business opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Guerilla
- Gardening Guerrilla gardening is the act of gardening on land that the gardeners do not have
the legal rights to utilize, such as abandoned sites, areas not being cared for, or private property.
Open Streets
- To temporarily provide safe spaces for walking, bicycling, skating, and social activities.