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New
Urbanism Index
Congress
for New Urbanism
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A recent study of Kentlands, Md., by Mark J. Eppli and Charles C. Tu
of George Washington University, compared this 352-acre New Urbanist development
with traditional housing developments. After analyzing more than 2,000
sets of home sales and tax data from 1994-96, the authors concluded that
"consumers are willing to pay approximately $25,000 premium for
properties in Kentlands." They found this premium was independent
of the quality and type of housing.
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| Another study
by architecture professor Joongsub Kim, of Lawrence Technological University,
in Southfield, Mich., suggests that New Urbanism is beginning to achieve
some of its social goals. The study compared Kentlands with a nearby conventional
suburban development and included surveys of about 750 residents, 130 in-depth
interviews, and 70 activity logs recorded by residents. About 44 percent
of Kentlands residents and 37 percent of the conventional suburban development
residents responded to the survey. "Residents in Kentlands were
more likely to agree that both living in Kentlands and its physical characteristics
gave them a sense of community," Kim wrote. Kentlands residents
reported they walked more often and were more likely to interact with other
residents. They cited "sense of commmunity" as the reason they
moved to Kentlands. Residents of the conventional suburban development cited
better housing as the reason for their choice. |
