Community thrives despite compromises

New urbanist towns and neighborhoods are almost always compromised in some way when they are built. Can flawed projects still foster community and pedestrian activity to a much greater degree than conventional suburbia? Jeff Townsend, a professional land planner and resident of Laguna West, thinks so. Laguna West is an interesting case study because its developer, River West Investments, has made significant changes during implementation of the master plan, designed in 1990 by Calthorpe Associates. Among them: the town center’s east and west squares have been isolated at the end of cul-de-sacs, turning them into dead open spaces, according to Townsend; the entrances of the retail stores face parking lots instead of streets; overall, Townsend has been “disappointed with the developer’s lack of willingness to employ design standards.” Nevertheless, Townsend believes “the strength of the master plan, to a large degree, comes through.” Not only does the community function, on a social level, better than conventional suburban counterparts, but he says “there is a much stronger sense of community in Laguna West than even what I experienced in an established urban setting.” Part of the explanation may be the “type of person” who chooses to live in a neotraditional development, Townsend says. “They tend to be extroverted and like to walk.” Also, Laguna West is creating lots of reasons to walk and enjoy the public realm, which includes many parks, a community center and the mixed-use town center. “Now the destination amenities are being built,” Townsend says. “There is a reason to walk and many people are doing so.”