Stop Sprawl: How to Design a Walkable Neighborhood

By Jackie Craven, About.com Guide

Since the mid-1980s, a new breed of designers, the New Urbanists, have been proposing ways to make America's towns and cities more humane. Following a set of principles outlined in the Charter of the New Urbanism, New Urbanists work to design neighborhoods that encourage diversity and socialization.

New Urbanist neighborhoods have many of these features:

• Buildings are set close together.
• Shops and other activities are within walking distance.
• Walkways and plazas accommodate pedestrians, not cars.
• Homes accommodate a variety of lifestyles and income levels.
• Building design preserves historical styles and reflects cultural traditions.
• Building design offers variety while conforming to a uniform theme.

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Big parks? Lots of shops? What makes a neighborhood really great? Describe it!