03 | Origins of the Philosophy
06 | Subdivision vs. Village
10 | The Future of Development
04 | NeoRetroism Defined
08 | 21st Century Villages
12 | For More Information
ORIGINS OF THE PHILOSOPHY
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Jeffory D. Blackard CEO / President Blackard Global
effory D. Blackard is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackard Global, Inc. With his distinguished real estate development career now entering its 4th decade, Mr. Blackard is responsible for the completion of over 20 Master Planned Communities, comprised in excess of 15,000 single family home sites. During this time, Mr. Blackard has also developed various commercial projects: office parks, manufacturing facilities, retail/restaurant centers, schools, hotels and resorts, marinas, and golf courses. In conjunction with these developments, he also planned and executed the major corresponding infrastructure projects, including water and sewer treatment plants, rail systems, and bridges. The culminating efforts of the previous 30+ years of development and construction led to the creation of Adriatica, a $250 million plus development in McKinney, Texas. Adriatica is the re-creation of the Croatian fishing village, Supetar. This project serves as a prototype of the most revolutionary concept in real estate development, “NeoRetroism.�
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NEORETROISM DEFINED
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eoRetroism is a word coined by Texas visionary, developer and philanthropist, Jeffory D. Blackard. It is an advancement of a philosophy which advocates the recreation of old world characteristics in a modern day development environment. NeoRetroism focuses on strengthening villages as the key component to building strong communities. Neo comes from the Greek neos meaning "new." Retro comes from the Latin prefix retro, meaning "backwards" or "in past times." Ism, like Neo, also comes from the Greek. Simply put, it is a suffix tagged onto an end of a noun oftentimes signaling that a particular word embraces a doctrine or an ideology. Mr. Blackard advocates this philosophy of village-building and community-strengthening that has succeeded in the past, in America, in Europe, and in other parts of the world. He suggests “In order to build a community, we must build a village. They are inseparably connected as a synchronized organism.� The hallmark of any village is most often a central landmark, such as a boat dock where
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NEORETROISM DEFINED community resources are pooled and traded. A centrally located bell tower is another core indicator of the beginnings of a village. The bell serves as communication between the inhabitants of the village. Furthermore, a village is defined by a reasonable walking-distance boundary or generally recognized perimeter. Villages have historically originated from the interdependence of people for day to day survival. Growth patterns, due to the trading of goods, also influence the development of a village. Villagers gather their goods and bring them back to the community. In a village, a limited supply of specialized goods and materials allows for prices and profits to be raised. This is unlike the “Wal-Mart� or large corporations of the world which offer the lowest price for mass produced products. In a village, there exists interdependence among each other because there is a need to mutually produce a common product.
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SUBDIVISION vs. VILLAGE
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odern culture has become so far removed from village living that it is difficult for most of us to even imagine it. Perhaps we have a vague idea from a television show or a trip abroad to another country. As a result, we have become masters of segregation instead of integration and, to that end, we fail to see the successes of evolving village communities.
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Most of today’s development patterns favor standardized approaches to our built environment. Cities and developers fall victim to doing the “same old thing� because it is easy and familiar to the financial institutions involved. Erroneously, they might also think that is what the public wants. This has resulted in homogeneous development devoid of context and character.
In contrast to homogenous development, the intrinsic nature of village design celebrates integration. A village provides opportunity for vibrant living, education, social exchange, growth, and development through a natural integration of people with varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Mixeduse spaces allow for a crosspollination of people, income levels, and ideas.
SUBDIVISION vs. VILLAGE
10 Advantages of a Village 1) Scalability | Villages are the ideal size for a walkable community. 2) Multi-modal access | Villages are based on a park-andwalk model. 3) Strong sense of ownership | When people have ownership – a condominium, an office, a store – they become invested. 4) Vibrancy | Villages promote active and vibrant
environments. 5) Safety | Noted urban designer Oscar Newman observed that the more invested people are in their community, the safer it is. 6) Culture | Village design is the exact opposite of the “cookiecutter” subdivision. 7) Conservation | Denser residential patterns and vertically-mixed-use buildings are environmentally reliable.
8) Social equality | People of all ages and income levels are attracted to a village. 9) Profitability | Village design is uniquely poised in the marketplace – there simply is nothing else like it. 10) Flexibility | The village architecture may be altered to fit local contextual design and enhance any condition or locale.
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21ST CENTURY VILLAGES
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ne house design (the highest risk level) leads to a subdivision and then a master plan community. When one house in the community suffers, the community as a whole becomes affected in terms of value and worth. Subdivisions, for the most part, specialize in residential housing zones. The success of the evolved village lies in its diverse owner and investor pool, not only in different housing types, but also in different business types which all serve the interest of this true community. Today, New Urbanism developments are successful experiments in terms of
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commercial value yet they fail to grab residential investors. NeoRetroism borrows inspiration and applies principles from the ideal village model, which makes it more successful in risk reduction than previous development types. NeoRetroism can also be defined as true urbanism or even protourbanism. The village model builds a contemporary version of an ageold and proven development form. It is the direction toward which we are and should be turning. As the world continues in its inevitable increase in urban living, NeoRetroism is appropriate for every corner of the U.S., as well as internationally.
21ST CENTURY VILLAGES
“In order to build a community, we must build a village. They are inseparably connected as a synchronized organism.� - Jeffory Dean Blackard
While China opts to build brand new cities that will house up to one million people (or more), many regions of the world are vacant, prime for thoughtful development. NeoRetroism allows development to grow, merge, and adapt alongside population growth trends. Village design encourages multiple owners and investors, creating stability. The success of the evolved village lies in its diverse owner and investor pool, not only in different housing types, but also in different business types which all serve mutual interests. The village offers diverse residential options for a wide range of people with different backgrounds and income levels at a high and
uniform architectural standard of quality and excellence. The village includes retail, residential, and recreational elements. Its diversity, evolution, and lack of homogeneity make it a success like no other.
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FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT
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he design philosophy of NeoRetroism is not simply just about architecture. Both the concept and the built environment recognize that design can influence, draw upon, and encourage interaction and interdependence. Village design draws upon the benefits and incentives of integration and commonality. It emphasizes the collective strengths of the group rather than individual weaknesses. This is in sharp contrast to the more prevalent occurrence of competing with each other and oneself. The unique identity of the village is manifested and reflected by embracing the geographic location, topography, and local environment. Investing in oneself is investing in the village community and vice versa. As stated before, emphasizing integration over segregation is a driving concept in the life of a village. Whether the physical structures be an Amazonian hut or a European stone villa, the people of a community define the priority and purpose.
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FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT The unique character and mystery of a design serve to enhance the needs of the community. Honoring individuality and specificity is essential to longevity, ownership, and survival. NeoRetroism is a timeless model of development whose time has come again. People who live, work, or relax in a village environment are seeking a new kind of American dream. They are seeking new rules to decide what makes a person successful. Their values are different, their status symbols are different, and they want to find experiences to match. People are no longer looking for the biggest house on the block, but the most popular one for barbecues. They aren’t interested in living in just a gated community, a retirement community, a vacation resort, or a hip urban space. They want a place where people talk to each other and children can play in the streets; a place where you can walk to a cafÊ on a Saturday, and stay there all day if you want.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
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or your continued education and research, we have compiled a series of resources. The first two books of a three-part series are in digital format and can be viewed by clicking the “Read More Here” link following the excerpt. The first book is entitled NeoRetroism: Journey to the Hidden Village. The second book is entitled NeoRetroism: The Lost Village. ---------------------------------------Excerpt from “Journey to the Hidden Village” This book is written for the benefit of those that serve in a position of authority over or who govern the affairs of municipal growth and development. Prime ministers, cabinet and council members, mayors, city planners, Wall Street, and even the general public will find it to be an essential tool in shaping the futures of their village, town, city or country. Most importantly, the purpose of this book is to enlighten and encourage developers. If, in reading this book, the questions “Why?” or “What is the benefit?” are pondered, then it has succeeded. NeoRetroism, as a development model, challenges us to consider
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. .
how we see things. As an example, the (duck/rabbit) image by American psychologist Joseph Jastrow demonstrates the ability and flexibility of the mind to switch between seeing the duck or the rabbit. [Read More Here] ----------------------------------------
---------------------------------------Excerpt from “The Lost Village” It was one of those gorgeous early spring days in North Texas - a deep blue cloudless sky, no humidity, and a near-perfect 72 degrees. It was late March. The breeze was my companion and I drove with my windows down, enjoying this most pleasant of Texas spring days. I was on my way to see Jeff Blackard, an old friend, colleague, client, and developer whom I hadn’t heard from in a while. My emails and voicemail messages to him went unanswered, and messages left with his assistant were not returned. “Were the rumors true?” I wondered. [Read More Here] ----------------------------------------
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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novel documentary filmed on location, NeoRetroism: The Movie goes inside the life of real estate developer Jeff Blackard, who has been responsible for the completion of over 20 Master Planned Communities, in excess of 15,000 single family home.
The story begins with Jeff's early life, then takes you on a journey to the small fishing harbor of Supetar in Croatia. It is here that Jeff has an epiphany which would irreversibly change the course of his life and career. What happens when he returns to America will leave you amazed.
The Story / Part 1 of 1 [Watch Here]
The Journey / Part 1 of 2 [Watch Here]
The Journey / Part 2 of 2 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 1 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 2 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 3 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 4 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 5 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Philosophy / Part 6 of 6 [Watch Here]
The Trailer / [Watch Here]
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Jeffory D. Blackard CEO / President Blackard Global
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Phone: 972.540.0304
Web: www.NeoRetroism.com
Fax:
Email: info@NeoRetroism.com
972.540.0309
Mail: 401 Adriatic Parkway Level Seven McKinney, Texas 75070