Gary Atkins chooses to live where he can walk to the corner store. "A community like Cornell takes people out of the car, because everything is nearby," says the Markham, Ontario-based computer consultant. "And walking instead of driving everywhere, it gives one a chance to meet people and chat."

Atkins is referring to the mammoth new residential project northeast of Toronto that, when completed, will encompass more than 10,000 homes, streams, parks and parkettes, and a retail hub -- a community founded on ideals called the New Urbanism.

The heart of New Urbanism is in the design of its tree-lined neighbourhoods, defined by elements that incorporate a discernible centre and a transit stop located at or near the centre. Most dwellings are within a five-minute walk of the community centre, and there are a variety of housing types -- usually houses, townhouses and apartments -- so that younger and older people, singles and families, the poor and wealthy can find places to live.

New Urbanism is not new. It emerged during the 1980s in the U.S., in a counter-reaction to urban sprawl and the ascension of the automobile after the Second World War. For 50 years, neighbourhoods have typically been planned with a rigorous separation of uses, termed conventional suburban development.

Seaside, Florida, one of the earliest New Urbanist towns, began development in 1981 on 80 acres of Panhandle coastline, and has since become internationally celebrated for its treatment of streets and public spaces. Seaside proved that developments that function like traditional towns could be built in the postmodern era. It's become a powerful symbol of New Urbanism success.

In Canada, New Urbanism is a more recent phenomenon with a smattering of developments across the country, including Bois Franc near Montreal (opened in 1993), offering residents a quality of lifestyle based on green spaces, the planting of about 20,000 trees, numerous nearby lakes, and central open squares.

Oak Park, a master planned New Urbanism community in Oakville west of Toronto, was unveiled in the mid-1990s to house 10,000 people in single, detached and semi-detached homes. It has main-street boutiques, bistros and sidewalk cafes, a central square, and 35 acres of parkland -- all in one interlaced neighbourhood.

McKenzie Towne, situated about 20 km southeast of Calgary, is a developing New Urban community with a projected population of 1,600. The development will contain a business core and a mix of housing styles ranging from Victorian, Craftsman, National and Georgian, highlighting garages and parking pads positioned in laneways behind each house. The project will comprise 12 surrounding villages when complete (during the next 15 to 20 years).

The increasing focus on New Urbanism (also referred to as neo-traditional, or transit and pedestrian oriented development) indicates a greater degree of diversity in suburban designs on the part of the home building industry.

"We've learned from focus groups that many of today's buyers want homes in communities with distinctive identities," says Mary Jane DeKort, president of the east GTA division of Mattamy Homes in Ontario, and a key player in fashioning the Cornell community.

DeKort says definitive Cornell features include rear alley garages; setbacks averaging 10 feet from the sidewalk to emphasize front porches and facilitate interaction among neighbours and the streetscape; a mixed design of detached and semis (all in close proximity to public transit and a thriving live/work community. "The plan demonstrates how the discipline of the neighbourhood, the district, (and) the transportation corridors can be taken from traditional urbanism and applied to the creation of a modern urban expansion that's responsive to market conditions," she says. "Good-looking public spaces and strong home sales tell us this is a good approach to urban design."

One of Cornell's key appeals is that some detached homes also include a separate double garage with a coach house loft-style apartment above. Markham planners have given their blessing to include these rental components on most lots where the coach house option is available. As of this writing, detached homes range from $308,990 to $412,990, and semis from $246,990 to $296,990. The coach house feature is priced between $50,000 and $70,000.

Scott Heaslip, the Town of Markham's Project Manager for Cornell, says more municipalities should embrace New Urbanism principles. "Markham may be unique in terms of the scope of the project," he says. "But New Urbanism can work if everyone -- urban planners, councilors, homebuyers and builders -- are committed to the vision and work in tandem."

Heaslip says there are many things about Cornell that are better than typical sprawl developments that are swallowing up valuable farmland around most major urban centres. "The scale of Cornell is walkable, the streets are better designed, and the commercial centre is easily accessible to most homes," he says.

Atkins notices a true spirit of camaraderie in Cornell. "We hold community picnics and golf tournaments, and they are always well attended," he says. "We're also integrally involved with town planners and builders to ensure that new developments conform to the New Urbanism principles. This is a great people-friendly place and we want it to remain that way."
-Photography courtesy of Mattamy Homes, July/August 2005