The New Urbanism trend is taking hold in

The New Urbanism trend is taking hold in northwest Indiana, according to an article in the Northwest Indiana Times. The article cites recent downtown redevelopment activity in towns like like Dyer and Highland, as well as new communities like Coffee Creek Center. “Public officials and developers in Northwest Indiana shy away from the term New Urbanism,” says reporter Keith Benman. “Instead they prefer “Chicago-style” or the more conservative sounding ‘neo-traditional.’ But they freely admit the tenets of New Urbanism, such as the five-minute walk and mixed-use, play a big role in what they are attempting.” Developers are still skeptical of mixed-use, urban projects, and some point to the slow pace of Coffee Creek Center, which has been hindered by problems surrounding a union pension fund’s stake in the venture. Construction is underway on multifamily and town center elements of Coffee Creek.