TND's and New Urbanism

After having toured I'on in Charleston, SC recently (for the second time, mind you) as well as adjacent Daniel Island, I have some thoughts on this particular type of community. Although I think the basic premise of New Urbanism is a good one, I have a few problems with the reality of these neighborhoods. The most blatant problem to me is that these places feel very contrived. Now, before you jump all over me in defense, I do think that both I'on and Daniel Island are good examples of NU and are very well designed. But the thing that seems to make particularly I'on feel so contrived is that all the homes are still designed in a very similar traditional style. If you drive through any small town in America, you will almost always see a blend of architectural styles that spans the last two or more centuries. Even the most quaint of traditional communities have a few token midcentury modernist ranch homes thrown into the mix, often accompanied by some much less appealing eighties modern split levels and other quirky styles. The thing is, these structures add a sense of reality to their communities. They signify the ever changing trends, as well as individual taste. Whether or not you like the design of such homes, they nevertheless make a place seem much more REAL.

My other major argument against NU is that these neighborhoods quickly appreciate out of the range of any low or moderate income buyers. I know that it is very difficult to control this, and frankly I see a valid argument in both directions on this issue. Some municipalities are placing limits on the amount of appreciation a buyer can gain on their property if they are within a certain income group. This is in effect saying that they don't deserve to make a bundle of money on their investment because they are poor. On the other hand, if such measures are not placed on purchases the homes quickly sail out of reach of low income buyers anyway. It's definitely not an easy issue to solve! I guess the good part is that if low-income buyers are helped initially with purchasing homes in NU neighborhoods, at least that is one less poor person after they sell their property!

Above is a picture of the house one of my family members just purchased in a TND neighborhood. This house has appreciated from the 350k range just 3 years ago to the 675k range today. I am understandably jealous!