By Lucas Knowles

Staff Writer

    A pattern of development called “new urbanism,”
which emphasizes increased density, mixed uses of housing and
pedestrian friendliness, has been moving across the nation and up the
east coast over the past several years. Those in southern Maine are
beginning to see elements of that type of development in their
communities and may see more to come.

    New urbanism has been on the land use and
development radar since the early 1980s. According to the Charter of
the New Urbanism, which was assembled by the Congress for the New
Urbanism, “the Congress for the New Urbanism views disinvestment in
central cities, the spread of placeless sprawl, increasing separation
by race and income, environmental deterioration, loss of agricultural
lands and wilderness and the erosion of society’s built heritage as one
interrelated community-building challenge.”

    Principles of new urbanism include walkable
neighborhoods, connectivity between homes and buildings, mixed uses
(including retail and commercial in addition to commercial) and housing
diversity, increased density and increased reliance on public
transportation.

    Those in favor of new urbanist development believe
it promotes a higher quality of life; higher, more stable property
values; less traffic congestion and less sprawl.

    Jon Ford, president of the New England Chapter of
the Congress for the New Urbanism, said members of his organization in
New England can be described as “new urbanists,” but they are really
supporting what he calls “old urbanism.”

    “Regarding new urbanism, to me it is important to
understand what New Urbanism means in the New England context, because
it is often mischaracterized,” Ford said. “New Urbanists in New England
really advocate ‘old urbanism’ – an effort to return to the
traditional, organic towns, the walkable main streets and the lively
towns and villages that we find all around us.”

    According to Ford, development in New England is now straying from its roots.

    “‘New’ new urbanist developments across the nation
are copying some of the best characteristics of our well-loved New
England places, while at the same time the character of new development
in New England often seems to have devolved into placeless sprawl,”
Ford said. “New urbanism offers design solutions to develop coherent
neighborhoods that encourage walkability and a lively public realm,
lessen strain on local infrastructure, reduce impact on our natural
resources, provide lasting economic value and preserve our built
heritage.”

    Developments that follow the recommendations
contained in the Charter of the New Urbanism are able to have the title
“new urbanist.” attached to them.

    Scarborough Assistant Town Planner Dan Bacon said
that while there are no true new urbanist developments in town, some do
have elements of new urbanism included in their plans. He cited Dunstan
Crossing, which is currently being constructed, and the Eastern Village
and Bessey Square developments, which are being proposed, as having new
urbanist qualities. He said while development in Scarborough has some
new urbanist parts, if more development like it is going to occur, the
town will have to shed its image as a suburb of Portland.

    “Scarborough still identifies itself as suburban, not urban,” Bacon said.

    Bacon said the latest comprehensive plan update has
“new urbanist parts,” including support of mixed uses and higher
density.

    Evan Richert, former director of the Maine State
Planning Office and now a professor with the Muskie School of Public
Service and a consultant, said the biggest hurdle for new urbanism to
catch on in southern Maine will be whether zoning laws and codes will
be changed to accommodate it.

    “The idea of new urbanism is spreading in southern
Maine as an idea and some projects have those characteristics,” Richert
said. “But what is not here is one thing – the regulatory framework for
it.”

    According to Richert, new urbanist developments are
being built in “much of northern New England, very slowly and very
incrementally.” He said new urbanist development has had the most
success in places where large tracts of land, with possibly hundreds or
thousands of acres, could be developed. He said the market is different
in Maine, because those large tracts of land are not available, and
“without any overarching ordinance or code, it would be hard for all
those small pieces of land to add up.”

    In his classes on land use and community planning,
Richert said his students asked him about new urbanism, prompting him
to change some lesson plans to focus specifically on the subject.

    John DelVecchio, a legislative liaison for the Maine
State Planning Office, said there is demand for new urbanist
development in Maine and believes that when that demand is filled, the
pattern will catch on in other parts of the state.

    I think we are seeing (new urbanism in Maine) now,
but we are not seeing enough to take care of demand,” DelVecchio said.
“Once people recognize it's here now and demand is there, it will
happen more.”

    DelVecchio pointed out that in a recent survey
conducted by the Maine State Planning Office, four out of ten
homebuyers would prefer a home that is “within walking distance of
something.” He said new urbanism strives to focus development in
certain urban centers, instead of spreading out to rural areas.

    “There is a lot of development happening in the countryside that could happen in town,” Delvecchio said.