NEW TOWNS & CITIES

Although UDA was based on reinvigorating and revitalizing existing urban neighborhoods, we quickly realized that many of the qualities of urban life in the city may, and should, be available in the development of new towns.

In a combination of the traditions of the Garden City Movement and our design-by-ear process, UDA also designs new neighborhoods in rural areas or at the edge of metropolitan cities. These towns were laboratories for new techniques for building new communities, including the development of the pattern book as a tool for builders and developers.

Our process and our tools are very much the same. We provide choices to the way peo- ple live and work, how they get around, and high-quality public spaces — all characteris- tics of great cities. New projects are developed through analysis of the planning and architec- ture of local precedents, and conceived within today’s builder traditions.

The most renown example of this is our UDA Pattern Book® for Celebration, Florida, a new town by the Disney Company. Following the success of the Town of Seaside, in Florida’s panhandle, there was interest in testing the development of a new town in the market- place. Florida was a state that had a housing market centered around views of water or golf, so it was a new market waiting to happen. Celebration was a resounding success and influenced town-making across the United States.

Celebration is not UDA’s only influential project. Each of the projects on the following pages has made substantial impacts on the development patterns of the local region:

Daybreak: An entirely new city of itself, located on a light-rail transit line. Scottish Towns: An effort, spearheaded by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built envi- ronment, designed entirely new towns in the local traditions. Baxter Village: One of a series of new neighborhoods that are connected to a sub- stantial preservation component.

DAYBREAK

SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH

Creating an entirely new city on post-industrial land

Only a few decades ago, Salt Lake Valley was a largely single-family community with very few housing choices. After seeing the prospect for change, Daybreak Communities seized the opportunity to develop post-industrial land on the west bench of the Salt Lake Valley. The goal was to develop something new, including diverse housing types and a mixed-use town center oriented to light rail connections to the Valley. In 2005, UDA began working with the Daybreak team as an urban design consultant in developing a pattern book for new construction, and working directly with local builders to provide architectural design for a broad spectrum of housing products.

Since then, Daybreak is recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the Valley, and it has made an enormous impact on the local housing market. Receiving national acclaim for its sustainable environmental design strategies, Daybreak is recognized as one of the best-selling communities in the county.

Client

Daybreak Communities

Awards

NAHB Community of the Year, Utah Smart Growth, 2011

SCOTTISH TOWNS

ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND

Patterning Scottish towns for future growth

UDA, in collaboration with The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, conducted an Enquiry by Design process to study the expansion of Ellon, a remarkable historic town in Scotland. This public participatory process produced the first of several master plans in the region that calls for building new neighborhoods as extensions of the neighboring towns. During the public process, the communities shared the characteristics of their towns that were valuable to them, which were directly considered in both the master plans, the Ellon Pattern Book, and new UDA architecture.

Client

Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, Scotia Homes

BAXTER VILLAGE

FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA

Landscape preservation in conjunction with a new town

Within the Charlotte region, Fort Mill was poised for growth, but at the expense of beautiful natural land. Baxter Village is the first of several mixed-use villages as part of a comprehensive strategy that included the dedication of 2,300 acres of nature preserve. UDA prepared the Baxter Pattern Book and collaborated with the development team to produce a master plan for the town center. UDA was also commissioned to design early architecture, including the initial main street commercial buildings, the Baxter Community Center, and townhouses fronting Baxter Square.

The village character is based on UDA’s research of regional historic towns such as Chester and York. The streets, blocks, and civic spaces are designed to create interesting pedestrian connections to the surrounding neighborhoods and the village center.

Client

Celebration Associates

Team

Land Design, Inc.