What is New Urbanism and Why Does it Matter?

What is New Urbanism?

It’s not an interior design trend, but we’re going to talk about it anyway! New Urbanism arose in the 1980s in the US and is an urban development trend that promotes neighborhoods that are diverse and contain plenty of open space. In addition to that, New Urbanism also addresses issues with traffic congestion and walkability, claiming that by following the strategies of the style, public transit, bikes, pedestrians, and cars can all function together.

The Charter of New Urbanism

I can sit here all day trying to sum up what New Urbanism is, but this excerpt from the New Urbanist’s charter perfectly sums up what they are all about!

We advocate the restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the following principles: neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions; urban places should be framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology, and building practice.

This movement is obviously focused on making neighborhoods as friendly as possible for everything, and diverse in population and in style. Essentially, New Urbanists want everyone to have a great experience living where they do!

What Does It Mean for GHID?

So how does New Urbanism affect Garrison Hullinger Interior Design? GHID does more than just residential interiors. We also do commercial design. New Urbanism allows GHID to tackle both in the same vicinity. Neighborhoods that feature a variety of single-family housing, apartment complexes, and small businesses including restaurants are treasure-troves of diverse opportunities for design. Can you imagine an entire city block of housing and businesses designed by GHID?? We can!

If you’re interested in some of the work we’ve done in the commercial field, be sure to browse our commercial design portfolio.