Village On The Twelve » New Urbanism http://villageonthetwelve.com Building A Better Neighbourhood Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:18:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Renewed inspiration at CNU XV http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/06/12/renewed-inspiration-at-cnu-xv/ http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/06/12/renewed-inspiration-at-cnu-xv/#comments Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:35:10 +0000 Daniel Romanko http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/06/12/renewed-inspiration-at-cnu-xv/ The underpinnings of any great neighbourhood is the Vision that not only first created it; but is massaged and defended through to the building stage. For us, much of the vision for Village on the Twelve is demonstrated in the principles of the New Urbanism. Having just returned from Philadelphia for CNU XV – the Congress of New Urbanism – we feel a renewed sense of confidence in our neighbourhood’s vision.

The Congress, established only 15 years ago, serves to offer an alternative land development model to one that has been in place for over fifty years – the origins of suburban sprawl. By its very nature, land development has a significant impact on our daily lives, whether we are consciously aware or not. Everyday actions like: where we work or shop, how we get to those places, to the use of our finite natural resources like fossil fuels are affected by the arrangement of land uses.

At the Village, we (the designers) use these same principles to design neighbourhoods that are within walking distance to daily needs. Huntington Square Plaza is but a short walk from the Village along the Merritt Trail to Martindale and Erion Roads. There you will find everyday needs like a Medical Walk-in Clinic, a veterinarian, a bank, a drug store, 2 restaurants and a convenience store that offers fresh flowers, movie rentals and dry cleaning. All of these everyday conveniences are less than a 5 minute walk away.

The New Urbanism philosophy is considered to be a model of future sustainability practices in land development and, the design of the Village makes good use of valuable land resources, and municipal servicing, that is less expensive for municipalities and taxpayers alike.  I goes without saying that the natural environment wins as well.

]]> http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/06/12/renewed-inspiration-at-cnu-xv/feed/ 1 The Quality of the ‘Public Realm’ http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/04/07/the-quality-of-the-public-realm/ http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/04/07/the-quality-of-the-public-realm/#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2007 20:11:39 +0000 Scott McCrindle http://70.98.111.54/~village7/2006/12/07/the-quality-of-the-public-realm/ Conventional suburban neighbourhoods pay little attention to the quality of the street; the emphasis is on the design of the house only. Not at Village on the Twelve! We place just as much effort on the streetscape as we do house design. And here’s why…

The principles of good neighbourhood design dictate that the quality of the street is more important than the design of any one house. In the Village, every house is designed to enhance the streetscape. Not only does this add value to the neighbourhood, but it offers an environment that becomes much more appealing to pedestrians. By paying more attention to the street, we can enhance the pedestrian experience.

Good street design can also slow cars down. Streets in the Village are designed much like traditional neighbourhoods, where narrow lanes and on-street parking force cars to travel at speeds relevant to residential areas.

Come and see for yourself – but don’t just drive by, get out of the car and walk! That’s what neighbourhoods are for.

]]> http://villageonthetwelve.com/2007/04/07/the-quality-of-the-public-realm/feed/ 0