New Urban Tips for House Hunting Season
On the web there are thousands of websites and documents promising insight on how to buy a new home, but not many resources on how to select a new urban home. So I thought I would put together some quick tips for the new urban house hunter on the move.
#1 Location
You’ve heard it before — location, location, location. Where your dream home is located is a very important factor especially when your priorities are not only to live in an eco-friendly community but to live a greener, healthier lifestyle.
You can lose sight of those important considerations pretty quickly if you’re not careful. You definitely don’t want to make a decision based only on the look of the home. If that home is 2 hrs. away from you or your partner’s place of employment, the transit cost, impact on the environment, and the cost to your family’s quality of life may not be worth the move.
Of course if you’re self-employed or choosing a new urban development where there’s viable opportunity to work close by, your choices may open right up.
#2 Exterior Considerations
For some people the exterior is very important. That’s often the feature that grabs you in the first place. But don’t get swept away by exteriors only. Keep in mind:
- Construction quality: Ask about the quality of the windows and doors and make sure you get information regarding energy efficiency ratings.
- Accessibility: Does the garage block most of the home or is tucked away nicely?
- Leisure – Are there sufficient places around the exterior of your home where you can enjoy the outdoors and neighbors (e.g. porches, patios, backyard etc.)?
#3 What to look for inside the home
- Quality of cabinetry, flooring, trim work and painted items – if you’re not comfortable assessing these features, take some with you that is.
- Interior space – is it adequate for your family’s needs? For example if the bedrooms are small, are there central area(s) where the kids can do their homework and/or where the adults can pursue their hobbies/interests/home businesses?
#4 What about the COMMUNITY?
- Are there sufficient green spaces for parks, gardens and community meeting places? If the community is still very new, make sure to ask about viewing blueprints for future plans.
- Are there recreational facilities or schools nearby that can be used by the community to encourage healthy living, continued learning, etc.
- Is it a mixed-use development (residential dwellings and commercial buildings in the same area)? True new urban communities are mixed used developments that offer residents real opportunities to shop, play and even work close to home.
- Eco-friendly, green communities should have reliable transit options. Look to see what’s available or what will be coming in the years ahead.
#5 Builder History
So you’ve made the decision to move your family to a “new urban” community that will offer you and your family the opportunity to “live, work, learn and play” all in the same community. There are quite a few developments springing up all over that fit the bill. But before you make a final decision always practice due diligence and research the company that will be building your family’s dream home and community.
- Are they reputable?
- Have there been many consumer complaints?
- How long have they been in business?
- How active are they in community philanthropy?
- What do the builder’s other community developments look like?
- What do the people who live there think of the homes they’ve purchased?
- Take the time to answer these questions – you’ll be thankful that you did.
To help spark some ideas for your summer house hunt I’ll be once again publishing the Top 10 New Urban Communities List. The list includes descriptions, pictures, prices and web links for some of the newest and most innovative new urban communities in the United States and Canada. As an added benefit this year, I’ll be including information about various home shows being held throughout the season and throughout the country (U.S. & Canada).
As always, the list is free and will be available to view on this website (and in PDF format) on Monday, July 11, 2011.
Widening the Conversation
A few weeks back as I was reading my regular blogs and articles, I came a across an article that was sort of like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
It was another whine about why new urbanism needs to be shelved. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the article was written by someone in the industry (an architect). While I greatly respect the expertise of individuals who are professionally trained in this area, I find some of the worst critics of new urbanism are the very people that know the most about it. In many industries this might be a good thing. In this case I’m not so sure, as one of the biggest problems about new urbanism is that the very people it is intended to assist (consumers), know very little about it.
They’ll know even less if the movement is constantly under attack.
As most of you know, I am not from the industry. I’m from the other side of the equation – I’m a consumer. I know what I like when I see it and when I feel it. Living in a city and region that has embraced new urbanism has been a good thing for me and my family, and I’m certainly not alone.
So my apologies to the planners and architects out there who may not agree with my “every woman’s” view point on new urbanism. I hope you’ll continue to share with me your thoughts as I appreciate the dialogue and I learn from it. In fact, the interactive discussion is great since that’s how we can truly raise the profile of this movement. It’s been a best kept secret for far too long.
I really appreciate Randy Bright’s response to my post commenting on his assessment of new urbanism (by the way my name is Sharon McMillan). I was particularly intrigued by what he said about new urbanism proponents “routinely villifying” the suburbs and only supporting new developments in the ‘burbs when they are absolutely necessary–and then only if they adhere to “strict” new urbanism principles.
Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I would expect that new urbanism proponents would be focused on land and energy conservation. Responsible citizens are, after all, sincerely concerned about the containment of sprawl and the protection of our environment.
As for his comments about threats to our freedoms, etc., I’m not sure how new urbanism encroaches on our freedoms any more than other development/planning agendas. We live in a world where there are zoning requirements and bylaws designed to address the interests of many people and political/social agendas. This isn’t the wild, wild west and thank God for that.
That’s why we elect people to advocate on our behalf at the city/township level and that’s why I’m so adamant about more “consumers” learning about the benefits of new urbanism so that they can advocate for communities that reflect their health and lifestyle priorities.
My whole point in launching this blog was to herald the benefits of new urbanism in terms more people can understand so that more consumers will share in this eco-friendly lifestyle. Happy consumers will become avid advocates.
If there are better alternatives than the new urbanism model, then bring them on. Until then I see this model for living (and working!!) as very effective and key for developing healthier and more vibrant cities and suburbs. By vibrant I mean places where we can safely raise our families, work closer to home, start businesses, enjoy the local economy and live more satisfying lives. For the concept to succeed and to evolve, as any good concept for community living will, consumers need to buy into the vision.
Whether it’s a small town environment or New York City, the positive social energy, creativity and practical “convenience” of being in an “urban” environment where people can socialize, be entertained, learn and relax–all without jumping in a car, remains BIG draw for informed consumers.
Healthy “new urban” living attracts a great majority people and has for some time…and will continue to do so for some time to come. I’m glad, because we can’t afford to continue our rapid development.
Future generations are depending on us to come to our senses and conserve and protect our environment. New urbanism gives us a framework from which to work…and since a good majority of us are not planners or architects, that easy to understand framework is much appreciated.
A Residential Choice Your Body will Love
The Toronto Star reported that the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently did a survey examining the activity level of residents in new urbanist communities and found that the new urbanist resident bikes and/or walks 2.5 times more than residents in conventional developments.
Well that’s really no surprise . If you provide residents with walking and bike paths that lead to desirable destinations within close proximity e.g., parks, neighbours’ residences and stores, guess what? They’ll walk and bike more!
I spent some time reading a few comments in a local urban planners forum and noted much negativity directed at one of my local new urbanist communities (which was designed in part by one of the fathers of new urbanism, Andres Duany ) . Basically these city planners/urbanites felt that while the homes were aesthetically pleasing and the site made good use of green space, residents were still using their cars to get to work, and the community as a whole still lacked a decent variety of places for local residents to go for recreation or business.
Ultimately in their eyes this new urbanist community had failed.
I was disappointed to read this as I thought there should have been more recognition for the success achieved so far in this relatively new community (built in 1999). Residents were making better use of local recreational opportunities (biking, walking) and that’s a huge step, but it takes TIME for everything to come together.
The issue of having local reliable transit and employers are still key components of the new urbanism package. When those components are missing the community doesn’t seem to “work” as envisioned.
What’s more, these key developmental components won’t necessarily come into being during the first several years. It takes time to attract enough employers and a sufficient concentration of residents to enable a town to put in place frequent commuter transit that might coax residents into leaving their cars at home. But that’s not a failure because we are still addressing an important part of the new urbanism package and that is education.
While waiting for businesses and “key destination” components to develop in new urbanist neighborhoods, something else very exciting is happening. We’re teaching our children and our neighbors to appreciate the health benefits of walking to a neighbor’s home or the social benefits of participating in community initiatives at the local square or town center.
The time it takes to attract employers and install good transit depends on the will of residents, the luck of the local economy and the overall determination of town officials to stick with the plan and the marketing efforts needed to attract these final pieces of the new urbanist community puzzle.
In these situations, dogged determination and patience are virtues that if we allow to flourish will benefit generations to come. That’s a message that shouldn’t be lost, for if it is we risk killing this movement with impatience and short sightedness.
New Urbanism and the Inflexibility Myth
Urban market photo - courtesy of foodmuseumblog.com
Randy Bright argues in the Tulsa Beacon that new urbanism is basically too inflexible and too surburban for its own good.
The criticism around inflexibility is rooted in the notion that there are all these cumbersome rules regarding the look, feel and requirements for communities that want to be included in the new urbanism fold. This inflexibility, he further argues, makes new urbanism “invalid” since the restriction prevents future generations from creating cities that can be responsive and competitive in a way that supports sustainability.
This article highlights for me one of the biggest challenges to entrenching new urbanism thought in our society and that is a pervasive misunderstanding of the concept.
Randy bases most of his argument on observations shared in a 1998 paper written by planner Ruth Durack. Durack considers new urbanism’s “obsession” with the English village design a stodgy approach rooted more in the movement’s abhorrence of cities and preference for satisfying some notion of consumer preference for far flung suburban living in surroundings that resemble a by-gone era.
The new urbanism that I understand is not so much obsessed with the traditional village design, but rather celebrates home and community designs that bring people together. Frankly I couldn’t care less which century we borrow from but I do care about comfort, accessibility, affordability, efficiency and beauty and most importantly so do many buyers/renters.
Further, new urbanism is definitely not a movement interested only in suburban development. New urbanism principles and designs are doing wonders for our cities–a fact that is reflected in the new plans and developments being considered and adopted by cities across the country .
This movement, in fact, relies heavily on the strengths of some of our cities’ older infrastructures and city plans (e.g., mixed housing developments interspersed with cultural institutions, markets, parks, etc.).
I’m sure as time goes by and more new ideas are injected into the new urbanism genre, concepts will naturally evolve and change to respond to the preferences of the current generation while (hopefully) staying true to the principles and goals we wish to achieve for the health of our environment and the sustainability of our regions.
Cleveland offers a great example of a challenge ridden but grand old city, pulling the best from its cultural past to create something new and engaging for existing and prospective residents. Watch the video below to learn about Cleveland’s exciting Market Square Park initiative:
Telecommuting, New Urbanism and What’s in it for Me?
You know that question-phrase “what’s in it for me”? While it’s a selfish sounding question it’s usually asked when trying to ensure that an initiative intended for some audience will really grab their attention.
If that intended audience can’t figure out how your great product, service, initiative, etc. will benefit them, they’re not likely to buy/attend/support whatever it is you’re offering.
That’s why when it comes to marketing new urbanism and finding ways to make our communities more liveable, the “what’s in it for me” has to be a guiding question especially when the intended audiences are those living there.
If the big environmental message today is that we have to reduce our carbon dioxide emission, and one of the biggest contributors to CO2 is the use of our automobiles, then we have to offer “liveable” communities that help us in that regard. Of course the “livability” message is in most ads and articles promoting new urbanism but what are the actual options communities are offering or can offer to cut our commutes?
While it’s easier said than done, a community that utilizes technology and relationships to offer residents local employment options AND facilitates our ability to work for ourselves is off to a good start. Those kinds of options will be very appealing to the thousands and thousands of people who want to work close to where they live.
I remember having to rush from my office in the city core to pick up my child in a 1st ring suburb and then driving another hour to get to our home in a far flung rural area. While we thought the home was EXTREMELY affordable, the gas, the late fees I paid the daycare (because I could never get out of the city in time) and the stress of keeping my children pent up in the car for 3-hour commutes each day was a cost that far exceeded any perceived savings.
From working parents, to busy professionals, to smart individuals who simply don’t see the logic of long commutes, if they can be avoided – we need to use our corporate partnerships and innovation to keep us working close to home.
The Employer problem
Searching out potential employers for new urbanism communities has been an ongoing issue/problem as community interests and employer needs aren’t always compatible. Personally I think attracting employers is a nice to have perk, but as our economy shifts and changes I don’t know how realistic that goal is as a global goal for new urbanism communities.
Rather, I think we have to be innovative (e.g. make telecommuting more viable in the business sector) and look at how to create local economies based on the natural resources inherent in the land and in the minds of our residents (think: entrepreneurial ingenuity).
Some ideas I’m sure you can add to:
- Ensure communities have reliable high speed internet connectivity in neighborhoods and at local public establishments (libraries, small biz incubators, cafes, etc.) to help more employees to work as telecommuters from their home or at satellite offices in their communities.
- Encourage local politicians and community leaders to work in concert to leverage relationships, contacts and shared talents to attract suitable employers to the community whenever feasible.
- Offer more than small business reference centers and networking groups. Towns/cities should aggressively research ideal business opportunities for the region and share information with residents. The country’s next greatest entrepreneur (and employer) might be right in your community
- Encourage builders to come up with innovative and affordable home designs that make working from home more efficient and effective for more people.
- Encourage the region to conduct LOCAL market surveys to ensure that there is current, reliable data on what services, products, produce, clothing, etc., residents want access to and share that information with potential local businesses and entrepreneurs.
What ideas can you add to this list?
How New Urbanism Benefits You
The term “new urbanism” isn’t a term widely used in our daily conversations and that’s probably because it’s not widely understood…but it should be.
New urbanism is a movement that can get urban designers all excited, but few others and that’s unfortunate. New urbanism has a direct impact on the quality of our lives and that needs to be more widely understood by individuals and families.
The whole objective of new urbanism is to influence public policy and development practices so that the communities we live in become more eco-friendly and sustainable.
In other words, for the towns, cities and suburbs where our families live to become more liveable and workable for the majority of us, it would be wise for us all to grasp the principles of new urbanism – you can learn more here.
I’ve followed this movement for over 15 years both as an employee working for a green development advocacy group and as a mom living in a new urbanism community and hoping to spread the word near and far with this blog.
New urbanism will appeal to those of you who want to
- Cut your car commute and work close to where you live
- Increase opportunities for suitable businesses to locate in your community
- See more green spaces in your community where people can gather
- Access clean, safe public transit close to home
- Enjoy more recreational activities close to home
The bullets above are really some of the attributes of new urbanism and one of the best ways to illustrate these attributes is with examples. It’s been a few years since I’ve released a Top Ten New Urban Communities list and I may do one this summer. For now, see below links to a few communities that will give you an idea of what a new urban lifestyle is all about:
The Older I get…
My mother's 69th Birthday party - with grandson William and Chet (background)
…the more I appreciate just how much we need our family, friends and community to make us feel whole and aware that we’re where we need to be.
As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up always wanting to live somewhere else.
Home was the suburbs and I was a teen without car (or a license for that matter). As soon as I turned 16 I came to the conclusion that I had one immediate goal: to live in the city.
During my last year of University I finally did it. I got a place smack dab in the middle of the city right near all the glorious neighborhoods and places I longed to live in.
Many years later, after I had gotten married and lived for several years in urban and then rural Ohio, I came back home. But I didn’t return to the city.
I returned to my childhood community(that boring suburb) and can you believe this: I love it!
I love it for some very practical reasons – it’s a new urbanism community trying very hard to be a place where people can live, work and play without having to burn a tank of gas to do so!
I also love it for many more personal reasons.
My children grew up under the loving influence of their grandparents. They saw them almost every day of the week.
Now that my kids are at college, my attention has shifted to my parents a little more. I’m glad that I live close enough to them to provide the assistance they need at this time of their lives.
The Financial Part
I also think that where I live supports my long term financial plans. I’ve always been entrepreneurial because I enjoy the challenge and I look at a business as a security blanket–especially given our uncertain job economy.
My community, and the services and resources that are nearby make it easier for me to run a business from home. We have great small business networks, supply stores and events that encourage local buying and entrepreneurship. That will come in handy as both my husband and myself pursue the next phase of our “careers.”
As our population ages and our jobs change I think more of us will want to think about entrepreneurism. When you learn how to do it right (earn an income!) the flexibility of working for yourself makes it easier to respond to changing financial circumstances, personal priorities and family responsibilities that become a normal part of this phase of life.
The Personal Part
Coming home has also meant being closer to some of the people who know me best in this world. I’ve always enjoyed my friends but as a young woman I took those relationships for granted–at least in retrospect that’s how it seems.
Now those connections are part of what I embrace in my life. Familiarity and a shared personal history can be comforting in the best of times, but especially during the worst of times.
Right now my dear mom is dealing with an illness I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about in this blog yet, but I can tell you that I’m ever so thankful for the ability I have to be there for her when she needs me.
And as much as she loves seeing my Dad, the kids and I, she lights up just as much when her dear old friends come by. I’d have to say that her friends and family do as much good for her (if not more) than the medicine and treatments she is receiving.
Life is always full of precious lessons. I am learning that the older I get the more I realize that the place I was running from is the place I’ve run back to for reasons I couldn’t comprehend 10 years ago, but are as clear as day to me now.
Home, family and friends are about the most powerful elements in our lives – that is a precious lesson I’m happy to have learned sooner rather than later…pass it on.
New Urbanism – Balancing Individualism with Function
One of the father’s of new urbanism, Miami architect Andre Duany, recently defined an important attribute of new urbanism that’s worth noting. New urbanism, he explains, balances the need for individuals with the necessity of building communities that are in harmony with the environment.
As I’ve mentioned on this blog before , new urbanism is built on a philosophy of anti-sprawl. The result is the creation of new urbanism communities that are built like small towns–small communities with higher-density housing.
The outcome for the most part has been very successful. There is, however, a trade off for this community preference. Having a community of high density homes and well thought-out and built community spaces means that there may be less large lots, and less “individual” space like separate driveways, etc.
For the most part, those of us who care about the impact our development is making on the world around us are happy with that kind of a trade off. Since pictures speak louder than words here are a couple pictures from some of my favorite new urban communities.
Cornell, Markham (Ontario)
Haile Village - Gainesville (Florida)
That Early Morning Phone Call
See that little girl in the picture? That’s the 3-year old me. I’m sitting between my parents and while I’m decades away from that picture the anxiety in my facial expression is something I feel today. (By the way I had to go to the bathroom in this picture and if you knew me then you’d know that I HATED public bathrooms…that’s info for another post).
Here’s the reason for my anxiety today. The telephone.
Now that all of our children are living away at college, phone calls have more significance to me.
If the call comes in during the day or early evening, I’m fine. But late, late calls or early morning calls cause me some anxiety. My imagination goes into overdrive and I worry about the worst scenarios.
Are they hurt, are they stuck somewhere, or do they need me to come get them?
But there’s more. It’s not just the kids that have me worried, it’s my parents (who live 10 minutes away from me). In addition to wondering what crisis my kids might be in, my overactive imagination begins to wonder what ailment may have befallen my aging parents.
Keep in mind these scary scenarios all take place in my mind within the 10-20 seconds it takes me to dash to my nearest phone.
Welcome to life as a “sandwhich generation” adult (raising kids / taking care of aging parents). Being a tail-end baby boomer I have parents that are active “barely” boomers themselves. They’ve just entered their 70′s but you’d think they were in their 50′s the way they keep active and involved in so many things including our busy lives and that’s no easy feat.
As the months turn into years, I’ve begun thinking more and more about how I can be the best supportive daughter to my parents and the best non-neurotic parent to my kids. Let me tell you that’s a tall order!
Here are the few tips I’ve landed on through experience that I’ll share with you. Hopefully you’ll be able to adjust for your own benefit:
- Just because kids have their Blackberries or iPhone’s glued to some part of their body, don’t call or text them every day. You’ll lose your mind if they don’t respond within the day. Again, depending on your over-active imagination this may or may not be an issue.
- Even though I’ve noticed that I’m getting a little forgetful in my forties, I don’t often give my parents enough slack when they forget things. My dear mother will tell me a story about some relative or friend and then repeat the story to me a day later. After about a year of this I told her she simply had to stop it as I refused to believe that she was getting that old and forgetful. Really I meant I won’t let her get that old. Unfortunately I can’t control that. Be patient and kind.
- Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Sometimes I get so caught up in my to do list I forget how important it is to take the time to visit my parents (remember they live only 10 minutes away). Even though I know an intended 30-minute visit will inevitably turn into 3-hours, I love my parents world-without-end and know the day will come when I will wish for the times when I could just “drop” by for a visit with them.
Okay that’s enough tips for now, I’m getting teary as I write this.
Just remember that if you fear those early morning calls it can only mean you are loved enough to be at the top of someone’s contact list when they need assistance or a sympathetic ear.
Enjoy your families and friends!
New Urbanism and Working at Home
I remember back when my two kids were toddlers. I wanted to work from home…so I did.
But I was an “early adapter” for my “working mom” group back then. I nabbed onto the idea that I could keep my professional ambitions alive and be home with my kids.
I used our computer to connect with other like-minded women online at sites like WAHM.com and in discussion forums hosted by CompuServe (if you remember CompuServe then you now know how “old school” I am!).
Anyhow the quick point I want to make is that I did my research and found out about concepts like telecommuting that supported me in my efforts to successfully pitch to my employer an idea he had never heard of (telecommuting).
I got to keep a job I loved and work from home. That was my goal and I went after it with everything I had.
Today it is so much easier to start a business at home – especially if it is Internet based and especially if you land upon a resource created for businesses like yours (more on that later).
Even if your business isn’t internet based (you sell your products or services from a store front or commercial office) you still need to have a strategy in place to find the place where most of your clients/customers can be found and that “place” is “online.”
For that very important reason I started a business based from my home called “Small Business Study.” I wanted to create a comfortable place on the web for busy entrepreneurs and start-ups to pop-in and find just the right kind of tactical guides and reference information they need to market and operate their businesses online.
I could go on and on here but you really need to visit the website at www.smallbusinessstudy.com. This is a “membership website” and membership is free!
All you need to do is sign up for one of our free memberships and you’ll get instant access to the information there. From information about electronic shopping carts to YouTube marketing, each month ebooks, newsletters and audio materials are are uploaded for the benefit of our small business members.
I hope you’ll visit and let me know what you think of this service.
See you in the “study!”
Sharon
I’m Also Here…
