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.