The principles of New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) have reshaped how builders approach residential construction. Rather than repeating sprawling subdivisions built around car-dependent infrastructure, a growing number of developers are returning to approaches that prioritize walkability, mixed-use planning, and human-scale design. This shift toward smart development and community-centered construction offers valuable lessons for builders seeking long-term success.
The New Town at St. Charles, Missouri, stands as one of the most ambitious examples of this approach. Developed by Whittaker Homes on 746 acres of former farmland, this 1.5 billion dollar project shows how traditional neighborhood design can outperform conventional subdivisions. Designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, the same firm behind Seaside, Florida, the project has attracted global attention from planners seeking to replicate its success.
This article examines the core strategies behind New Urbanism projects and how builders can apply these principles to their own developments.
The Philosophy Behind Traditional Neighborhood Development
Traditional Neighborhood Development is not a new concept. It draws inspiration from the way American towns were built before the dominance of the automobile. Walkable streets, mixed-use town centers, housing of varying types and price points, and public spaces designed for social interaction are the hallmarks of this approach.
Greg Whittaker, president of Whittaker Homes, describes the philosophy simply: “We have gone back in time to the way people used to live.” His observation reflects a fundamental truth about modern home buyers. In an era of long commutes, many people crave a tangible sense of community and connection.
Key Principles of New Urbanism
The Congress for the New Urbanism defines several core principles that guide TND projects. These principles translate directly into design and construction decisions:
- Walkability: Most daily needs should be within a 5 to 10 minute walk of any residence. Streets are designed for pedestrians first, with narrow lanes, street trees, and front porches that create an inviting streetscape.
- Mixed-Use Development: Residential, commercial, retail, and civic uses are integrated within the same neighborhood rather than segregated into zones. This reduces car trips and creates vibrant street life.
- Housing Diversity: A range of housing types allows people of different ages, incomes, and family sizes to live in the same community. This includes single-family homes, cottages, townhomes, apartments, and live-work units.
- Human-Scale Design: Building heights, setbacks, and street widths are calibrated to feel comfortable to people on foot rather than to moving cars. Architectural details such as porches, dormers, and varied rooflines add visual interest.
- Connected Street Networks: Grid or modified-grid street patterns distribute traffic evenly and provide multiple routes between destinations, unlike the cul-de-sac hierarchies typical of conventional suburbs.
At New Town at St. Charles, these principles are evident in every aspect of the master plan. Homes are designed with front porches that face the street. Garages are accessed from rear alleys, keeping the street frontage focused on people rather than cars. An interconnected system of lakes and canals meanders through the neighborhoods, serving both stormwater management and aesthetic purposes.
Why Home Buyers Respond to Traditional Design
The market response to New Town has been remarkable. Whittaker reported 10 times the traffic compared to the company’s other subdivisions. Before the broader market slowed, the builder was closing 30 to 40 homes per month. Even at roughly 20 homes per month, the project continues to outperform typical suburban developments.
What drives this demand? Research in design leadership and market entry strategies suggests that home buyers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for neighborhoods that offer character, convenience, and community. The traditional architectural styles used at New Town, including Georgian, Colonial, and Craftsman influences, evoke a sense of permanence and quality that many new suburban homes lack.
Planning and Designing a Mixed-Use Community
Developing a TND project requires a fundamentally different approach from conventional subdivision development. The process demands more upfront planning, a larger investment in professional services, and navigating mixed-use zoning approvals. However, as the New Town example shows, the returns justify the effort.
Land Assembly and Site Selection
The site for New Town at St. Charles was assembled over 12 months through negotiations with six different farms involving 20 family members. The location, 25 miles south of St. Louis and 3.5 miles from the historic town of St. Charles, offered several advantages:
- Proximity to established employment centers and amenities
- Flat, developable terrain that reduced site preparation costs
- Familiarity for the builder, which had been operating in the region since 1977
- Sufficient scale (746 acres) to support the mixed-use vision
Whittaker notes that the project took “five times the amount of energy and time compared to anything we have ever done.” This candid assessment is an important caution for builders considering TND projects. The complexity of land assembly, zoning approvals, and infrastructure planning is significantly higher than for conventional subdivisions.
Master Planning and Housing Mix
When completed over an estimated 10 to 15 year buildout period, New Town at St. Charles will include approximately 5,700 residential units and 500,000 square feet of commercial, office, and retail space. The project budget stands at roughly 1.5 billion dollars.
The housing mix is designed to accommodate a diverse resident profile, from recent college graduates to families with children to empty-nesters and retirees:
| Housing Type | Price Range | Target Buyer | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottages | $120,000 – $200,000 | Young singles, first-time buyers | 1,200 – 1,800 sq ft on 3,000 sq ft lots; best-selling type |
| Single-family homes | $250,000 – $500,000 | Families with children | 4 bedrooms on second floor; traditional styling |
| Townhomes and row houses | $200,000 – $400,000 | Couples, empty-nesters | Attached configuration; reduced maintenance |
| Custom homes | $500,000 – $1 million+ | Move-up buyers | Located on premium waterfront lots |
| Live-work units | $300,000 – $600,000 | Entrepreneurs, professionals | Retail or office on ground floor, residence above |
| Senior courtyards | $180,000 – $350,000 | Retirees | Single-level living; accessible design |
The diversity of this housing mix is one of the project’s greatest strengths. Unlike conventional subdivisions that target a single buyer demographic, New Town creates a true neighborhood where residents can move between housing types as their needs change without leaving the community. This approach to mixed-income housing development has proven effective at building stable, long-term communities.
The Cottage Home Success Story
Whittaker initially expected the larger single-family models to be the top sellers. To his surprise, the cottage homes ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 square feet on small 3,000-square-foot lots became the best-selling product type, representing approximately 20 percent of all sales. This counterintuitive result highlights an important lesson for builders: demand for smaller, more affordable homes in well-designed communities often exceeds projections.
Infrastructure and Site Design Strategies
TND projects require infrastructure solutions that differ significantly from conventional suburban development. Street networks, stormwater management, and utility planning must support higher densities and mixed uses while maintaining aesthetic quality.
Street Design and Connectivity
New Town employs a modified grid street pattern rather than the hierarchical cul-de-sac system typical of conventional subdivisions. This approach offers several benefits:
- Traffic is distributed evenly across the network, reducing congestion on any single route.
- Multiple walking and driving routes create a more connected, navigable neighborhood.
- Emergency services have multiple access points, improving response times.
- Street frontage is maximized, creating more valuable lots and a stronger sense of enclosure.
Streets are designed with narrower widths than conventional suburban standards, which naturally slows traffic and makes walking more comfortable. Street trees, sidewalks on both sides, and front porches oriented toward the street complete the pedestrian-friendly environment.
Water Features as Infrastructure and Amenity
One of the most innovative aspects of New Town is its system of interconnected lakes and canals. What began as a requirement for stormwater retention was transformed into a defining community amenity. The master plan calls for all homes to be within two blocks of water, creating waterfront properties that command premium prices.
In the Island District, housing units are placed directly on the water with European architectural styles inspired by Venice and Amsterdam. This integration of infrastructure with character is a hallmark of good TND design. Builders should evaluate how functional requirements like stormwater management can be designed as community assets.
Community Engagement and Marketing Success
The path from concept to completion for a TND project often depends as much on community and political support as on design quality. Whittaker Homes and Duany Plater-Zyberk invested heavily in community engagement from the earliest stages, and this investment paid substantial dividends.
The Charrette Process
In February 2003, the development team held design workshops known as charrettes to introduce the New Urbanism concept and solicit feedback. More than 400 citizens and municipal officials participated. The planners incorporated local input into the final master plan.
The results of this approach were striking:
- When the project went before the St. Charles city council for official approvals, there were no objections from the community.
- The approval process moved through the council smoothly and quickly.
- More than 1,000 potential buyers joined a waiting list after the initial meetings, before any model homes were built.
- Word of mouth from the engaged community became the project’s most effective marketing channel.
This experience demonstrates that early community engagement is not merely a regulatory hurdle but can be a powerful marketing strategy. The waiting list of 1,000 interested buyers generated momentum that carried the project through its early sales phases and established a sense of demand that attracted further attention.
Packaging the Process for Replication
The success of New Town generated so much interest from developers and planners worldwide that Whittaker Homes created a toolkit called “New Town in a Box.” This resource contains marketing materials, product testing data, floor plans, legal documents, and other material needed to replicate the TND model. The firm spent over 1 million dollars on professional fees and model plans, and the toolkit shares what they learned.
Delegations from Germany, China, India, and Hong Kong have visited New Town to study its design. This attention highlights a valuable truth: when you create something genuinely different and successful, marketing takes care of itself.
For builders who want to improve their own projects through better smart product selection and construction quality, the lessons from New Urbanism projects like New Town offer a proven path. The combination of thoughtful design, diverse housing options, community engagement, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure creates value that conventional subdivisions struggle to match.
Conclusion
The New Town at St. Charles shows that returning to traditional neighborhood design is a practical strategy for building successful communities. By prioritizing walkability, housing diversity, mixed-use planning, and community engagement, builders can create developments that attract strong demand and lasting value.
The lessons apply at any scale. Whether planning a large master-planned community or a small infill development, the core principles of New Urbanism human-scale streets, diverse housing types, integrated mixed uses, and community engagement can guide sound decisions. The blueprint for success was never really lost. It was waiting to be rediscovered for a new generation.