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 Two preliminary studies suggest that New Urbanism might be working. |
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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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| A Sense of Community | |||
| 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. | |||
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