Leytham, A New Traditional Neighborhood

[StreetsOfOmaha]

If Aksarben Village comprised the entire expanse of Aksarben, included live/work, incorporated public charettes (I don't recall prospective residents ever being publicly solicited for ideas/feedback... this is Noddle's 'vision' exclusively), etc... the types of elements which would make it the building of a true 'community'... I would have considered it true New Urbanism. In my opinion it isn't. Aksarben Village is an exciting development to be sure... but in my opinion, it is only 'urban' to the extent that it appears to be promoting density by eliminating surface parking and placing business/store fronts close to the street. Just because they're tossing in a residential portion on the east edge of the project, in my mind doesn't make it truly mixed use either. I hope I'm wrong, but I think this is ultimately going to end up an 'urban' First National Business Park.

I truly believe that Herb is trying to build a -community- first. Again in my opinion, I believe Aksarben Village is a -commercial development- first and foremost (from their website: "featuring office, retail, entertainment... and (oh yeah, we almost forgot) residential spaces".

And please don't take this that I'm not excited about Aksarben Village. I am ecstatic about it... but I just don't consider it true New Urbanism.

... in my opinion... chief moderator.

Jeff? Is that you?

Aksarben Village is the DEFINITION of new urbanism, and it's the vision of DOUG BISSON (a new urbanist of new urbanists) not Jay Noddle (he's just the developer). And didn't you read the two articles in the saturday paper? Yes, the eastern portion of the project is dense residential (blending with the adjacent neighborhoods in true new urbanist fashion), but you'll notice that almost any of the buildings that are denoted "mixed-use" feature offices AND residential above store fronts and businesses.

Herb's vision is more a reflection of the TND (traditional neighborhood development) movement as opposed to New Urbanism. It's really just a residential subdivision arranged in an aesthetically pleasing order (architecturally and spacially).

Don't get me wrong. I'm really excited about it.


P.S. Thanks for changing the thread title, MODs.

[midtown charlie]

Okay I was looking at the names on the website. Most of them well they ahh could be better. Let's leave it at that. I took all of the ones that had more than 1 word in them and automatically removed them from the list. Why because who is going to want to say multiple words. I know I know The Old Market....yeah yeah yeah. But Dundee, Benson, Ralston, Florence, etc.....have a nice ring in my opinion. I came up with this:


Ambrosia Longview
Ansonia Maggieville
Beanfield Newtowne
Chesterwood Northaven
Colonialtown Pleasantville
Crestwood Prairieview
DREAMacres Provenance
Europa Rambletown
Freeman Renaissance
Freemantown Slopeland
Freemanville Statesview
Greenhaven Summermill
Greenland Sunnyslope
Greenliving Tradition
Harmonyville Urbandale
Homestead Willoughby
Hometown


Then I removed any that contain town, towne, ville, haven, view, wood, land or dale. I am down to this:

Ambrosia Homestead
Ansonia Provenance
Beanfield Renaissance
DREAMacres Summermill
Europa Sunnyslope
Freeman Tradition
Greenliving Willoughby

Then I removed 4 because they did not seem to denote any particular place. I also removed sunnyslope because I beleive that is already a name used in Omaha. I am now down to this:


Ambrosia
Ansonia
Beanfield
Europa
Freeman
Homestead
Provenance
Summermill
Willoughby


I tried to be somewhat objective but since I choose the parameters for removal I obviously was not. Are there any that people like out of this group? Were there any From Herb's list that I removed that should be considered? I obviously have my own opinion but I am curious what others think.

[DTO Luv]

I like the two I submitted.

Hillstead and Ember Creek

[midtown charlie]

I didn't see them on his list. You may want to check with Herb.

[Herb]

If You Work from Home, You're Not Alone

"Nearly half of all U.S. businesses are run from home and most of these home-based businesses are run by women, says a new U.S. census report.

Of the nation's 16.6 million businesses, about 49 percent are home-based, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. About 56 percent of women-owned ventures are home based versus 47 percent for men. Three-quarters of U.S. businesses are self-employed individuals with no paid employees, the study says.

Of all black-owned ventures, 53 percent are home-based versus 52 percent for whites, 45 percent for Hispanics, and 28 percent for Asians, the study reports.

Professional, scientific, and technical services accounted for 19 percent of all home-based businesses. That was followed by construction at 16 percent, and retail trade at 11 percent. Real estate, health care, and social assistance also are popular with home-based businesses.

The report was based on information collected from more than 2.3 million business owners. The data is part of the bureau's 2002 Economic Census, conducted by mail among a random sample of U.S. businesses."

Source: The Miami Herald. September 27, 2006

This is EXACTLY why live work units are so popular in new traditional neighborhoods all around the country. In fact, when I asked PlaceMakers what mistakes TND town founders make, I got two answers. One was, "The town founders do not believe us when we tell them how many live/work units to include in the neighborhood." NOW I get it. I had no idea that nearly half of all U.S. businesses are home-based. Astounding really. In the new traditional neighborhood, you truly CAN walk to work . . . just by going down stairs!

Yours for living, working, playing, learning all in one neighborhood,

Herb

[Coyote]

I would have never guessed that high of a proportion of home-based businesses Herb.
I can see how developers would never think that this would make sense.
Thanks for that article.

After talking with her about this my friend sent me this article:

Tiny Houses Find a Friend on the Gulf Coast

The cathedral ceiling in his house is high enough to allow for a sleeping loft.

[Herb]

U.S. Population Growth Drives Sprawl

"As the U.S. population tops 300 million, the country is losing 6,000 acres of open space to development a day, nearly four acres a minute.

"The sprawl is going to happen," says demographic trend-watcher Joel Kotkin. "You've got 100 million new people [since the U.S. topped 200 million in 1967]. They've got to go somewhere, and most don't want to live in the city. End of story."

Public opinion bears this out. Just 13 percent want to live in a city, 51 percent in a suburb, 35 percent in a rural community, according to a 2004 survey by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

"If you look at the survey data, even the nice cities are losing population," says Kotkin. "It's San Francisco, Boston, and Minneapolis, not just Cleveland and Philadelphia. The population growth of even the most robust cities is much less than the surrounding areas."

The key question, says Kotkin, is, "Do we manage this growth in an intelligent way and figure out how to make it environmentally benign?"

What many see as the best alternative is to create something they call edge cities or micropolitan areas, galactic cities, or technoburbs – largely self-contained communities with jobs for local residents, who wouldn’t have to commute long distances."

Source: Christian Science Monitor, Brad Knickerbocker and Daniel B. Wood (10/03/2006)

Comment:

One of the attractive things about greenfield new urban development is that the increased density and mixed uses utilizes the land much more effectively than single purpose, low density development.

The country is "is losing 6,000 acres of open space to development a day, nearly four acres a minute" Much of this can be attributed to low density, conventional subdivision development. As I pointed out in a September 15, 2006 post here, Stratford Park , a 160 acre conventional subdivision to the west of the new traditional neighborhood on State Street, has 393 lots or 2.456 lots per acre. By comparison, the 160 acre State Street traditional neighborhood is designed to have 939 dwelling units. At the density of Stratford Park, it would take over 382 acres to provide 939 dwelling units. Thus it would take 222 MORE acres than the new traditional neighborhood on State Street will have for the same number of dwelling units.

Another way to look at it is that the increased density of new traditional neighborhood saves 222 acres from having to be developed. With land in the U.S. being developed at the rate of 4 acres per minute, the new traditional neighborhood on State Street stops the national development clock for about 56 minutes. Not a lot in the grand scheme of things, perhaps, but it does reveal what could happen if more communities were created according to the traditional neighborhood development model.

Yours for the increased density of the TND,

Herb

[DTO Luv]

I saw this on another site earlier today. Interetsing.

[MTO]

Thats certainly a good argument. You should built dozens of these. Keep the metro dense.

[DTO Luv]

I wonder what the criteria of living in "the city" would mean. Omaha has suburban areas in the city but it's not a suburb like Lavista. Would more people rather live in a suburb than a suburban part of the city?

[Harpoon]

Yeah, too bad that NP Dodge was involved in many of these sprawling subdivisions before you decided to test the waters with a TND. Better late than never I guess.

[Herb]

Herb on the radio . . .

KKAR 1290 AM this Saturday morning . . .

This Saturday morning, November 18th, Herb will be a guest on The Real Estate Reality Hour radio call-in talk show with Steve Smithberg. Steve is a licensed real estate broker and home builder with Design One. Each week The Real Estate Reality Hour explores topics of current interest and answers your questions about real estate.

The Real Estate Reality Hour airs live each Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on News Talk Radio 1290 KKAR. Tune in to KKAR at 1290 on the AM dial this coming Saturday at 9:00 a.m. to learn about What's New on State Street, the Omaha area's first new traditional neighborhood at 168th and State Streets.

The KKAR call in number is 342-1290.


KFAB 1110 AM Saturday, December 9th . . .

Herb's next guest shot on the radio will be on the Grow Omaha show which airs at 8:00 a.m. every Saturday morning on radio 1110 KFAB. Grow Omaha is hosted by Trenton Magid and Jeff Beals with Coldwell Banker Commercial World Group. Herb will be on the show Saturday, December 9th.

The KFAB call-in numbers are 558-1110 or 1-800-543-1110.


Call in and support traditional neighborhood development in the Omaha area.

Thanks,

Herb

[DTO Luv]

So how is it going making this project a go?

[Coyote]

Glad to see they have booked you for those shows Herb.
Looking forward to hearing some good news about your project!
(as well as educating the public on TNDs)

[Herb]

Thanks, Coyote.

And for DTO Luv and others who maybe interested, here is a brief update:

The project is right on track. PlaceMakers, the TND master planning and design firm, is finising up the process of turning the hand drawn site plan and other drawings into CAD files. When that is completeled, those CAD files will go to the project engineers, Lamp Rynearson and Associates, who will prepare the first engineering plans and the preliminary application for submittal to the City Plannind Department staff for their reivew and comment. This will begin the formal application process. That process invovles four public hearings, and if all goes smoothly, I should have final approval by mid-summer of next year. Then we can begin the installation of the infrastructure (grading, sewers, streets, utilities). That could take at least another year (under good weather conditions), so at the very earliest, I could have buildable lots in mid 2008.

Thanks for your interest and continuing support. I hope you can listen to the radio show at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning on KKAR and then again at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, December 9th on KFAB. It would be great to have some interesting and interested call-in questions and comments.

Herb.

[Herb]

Let's Say Thanks . . .

This is not directly related to new urbanism or the new traditional neighborhood on State Street but it IS something cool that Xerox is doing: if you go to this web site, http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card, add a message and Xerox will print it and send it to a soldier who is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets your card, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How amazing it would be if every service memember got a card this Holiday season thanking him or her for serving our nation. Please send a card. It is FREE, annonymous and it only takes a second. Forward this link on to your family and friends after you send your card. It will make you feel wonderful.

Yours for more community and interconnectedness,

Herb

[Coyote]

Thanks for that post Herb. I received this the other day but failed to post it here.
I have already sent many. Please go to this site. Support those who support us!

[Coyote]

KFAB 1110 AM Saturday, December 9th . . .

Herb's next guest shot on the radio will be on the Grow Omaha show which airs at 8:00 a.m. every Saturday morning on radio 1110 KFAB. Grow Omaha is hosted by Trenton Magid and Jeff Beals with Coldwell Banker Commercial World Group. Herb will be on the show Saturday, December 9th.

A very good interview this morning. I hope to post the audio it once it is uploaded.
I had a couple questions but forget a few.
Herb - why is 4 floors the 'height limit' for TND's - does it have to do with the MU zoming?
Maybe when I listen to it again I will remember the other questions.

[Stargazer]

I'd much rather live in a project like this, alongside a 5+ story building... than something like what we see in the Bank of the West Business Park. There's absolutely no buffer between the commercial buildings (and their expansive parking lots)... and these $3/4-1 million homes... I'm at a loss to understand the thinking of someone who has this much money, and is willing to live across the street from a big suburban office building.

[Herb]

Coyote and Stargazer,

Thanks for your response to the Grow Omaha show on KFAB this weekend. It was a lot of fun and Jeff and Trenton make it all seem very effortless.

Coyote, there is no four floor height limit for buildings in TNDs, and if I said that, I misspoke. Many TNDs, especially TOD (Transit Oriented Development) around mass transit stations in large metro areas have very tall buildings. What I meant to say is that I believe the highest buildings in the new traditional neighborhood on State Street will be four stories, based on likely demand and the building prototypes developed by the PlaceMakers' design team.

Best regards to all for a wonderful Holiday Season!

Herb

[Admin]

Herb with Trenton and Jeff on KFAB - a must hear. Excellent Omaha Material!

[emff]http://eomahaforums.com/audio/GO120906.mov[/emff]

[redfield]

Herb,

Have you zeroed in on a name?

I just wanted to take this opportunity to give you permission to name it Redfield, or maybe Redfield Commons if you hadn't picked a name yet. You can use this name for free, I'd be happy to have a neighborhood like this with such a cool name.

[adam186]

How about Herbyville, named after the founder of the community?

[Herb]

U.S. Homebuyers will Pay Premium for "Green" Homes

Another Very Good Sign for Traditional Neighborhood Development...

A survey released this week by Green Builder Media and Imre Communications reveals that U.S. homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for more environmentally friendly, green-built homes. The study surveyed more than 250 residential builders across the United States. A wide range of builders was included, from the affordable, market rate, luxury/semi-custom, custom, multi-family and developer categories.

More than half of homebuilders surveyed report that buyers are willing to pay a premium of between 11-25 percent for green-built homes. The same builders report that the average green homebuyer is between the ages of 35-50 with a college degree and a fair understanding of green products.

Source: Real Trends Newsletter, February 2, 2007

This is VERY good news for Traditional Neighborhood Development, because the same people who understand and value green building will understand and value the principles and benefits of living in a new traditional neighborhood. Market research consistently reveals that about 30% of home buyers want to live in a new traditional neighborhood, and favoring green building practices is very compatible with the drivers that lead one to want to live in a new traditional neighborhood.

[Harpoon]

Herb, you never answered their questions. Did you pick a name yet? And do you ever post on any other threads but this one?

[Brad]

And do you ever post on any other threads but this one?

yes

[Herb]

Harpoon, to answer your questions:

No, I have not yet picked a name, but I have rejected some of the 250 names that have been suggested. No names involving "Maggie," "Herb," "Freeman," have made the first "cut" because I do not want to personalize the new neighborhood. Also, any name substantially similar to the name of any existing project has been rejected for the obvious reason that the city will not approve the use of a name already given to a subdivision. This still leaves a lot of names, but so far I have just not had that flash of inspiration that reveals to me the perfect name.

No, I do not post to any other threads. I read a number of them them, but I do not post to them.

Here is a brief status report on the project:

The engineers at Lamp Rynearson are working on the grading plan. They are also working on the street geometries and configurations. When those maters are completed, the next step will be to do a financial proforma to see if the project will meet the required SID debt ratio for the cost of improvements as a percent of assessed valuation.

I have spent some considerable time also on the zoning for the mix of uses that have been designed into the neighborhood. As you may know, in Omaha, as in most other cities, the zoning for a new traditional neighborhood designed in accordance with established new urbanist principles is, at the worst, completely illegal, or at the best, extremely difficult and complicated. Despite these obstacles the City Planning Department staff have been very helpful, and the project, as designed, they believe, CAN be zoned albeit only through a rather tortuous and convoluted process.

So the work of bringing Omaha's first greenfield new traditional neighborhood to fruition goes on . . .

Thanks for your continuing interest and support,

Herb

[Big E]

Might I suggest the following:

"Herb Freeman's Maggieville Anti-Burb-a-torium"

-Big E

[Coyote]

Thanks for the update Herb. I can imagine that zoning for this would be difficult although I do not know what would entail. I would presume it would be mostly MU's but I guess there are a variety of types of MU's.

[Herb]

Based on Previously established criteria, I Would consider simply "Un-burb . . . ."

[Big E]

I think it would be much more vainglorious with the Herb Freeman part in the name, but I guess it is your place. :)

-Big E

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Wow, you REALLY love that word, Big E. Glad I could entertain you :;): .

the zoning for a new traditional neighborhood designed in accordance with established new urbanist principles is, at the worst, completely illegal, or at the best, extremely difficult and complicated.

This is THE major problem of American cities... It's very, very unfortunate.

Herb, have you looked into any of the history of the land on which the development will be located? I'd say that doing some sort of homage to the place's history (ie. Native American place names, early "owners" of the land, native plants/animals, geographic features and their possible historical names) would make for an EXCELLENT name.

[Herb]

"Miles per House" Bodes Well for Traditional Neighborhood Development

Energy Costs to Become Top Buyer Concern

Look for “house miles” to become an important consideration in home purchases in coming years, say land-use experts who gathered for the Urban Land Institute’s recent meeting in Denver.

“A new generation of home buyers is looking at the world differently, and to them, green building will be a given," says John McIlwain, a senior resident fellow of ULI. "The issue of energy savings will be a fundamental driver in their decisions on what and where to buy." The cost of distance, along with heating and cooling, has a direct impact on housing affordability, McIlwain pointed out, noting that “miles per house” — the number of miles a home is from employment, retail, education, and entertainment — could become a standard measurement of location desirability.

A 2005 ULI survey of consumers found them willing to combine more trips and use mass transit more to cut down on fuel consumption, said Robert Dunphy, who's also a senior resident fellow of ULI. Transportation spending is the second largest component of consumer expenses, currently taking up an average of 19 percent of their monthly income (monthly home mortgage payments generally at least 33 percent).

As the cost of energy plays a more important role in home-buying decisions, house miles will become a deal breaker or maker. That trend will drive the development of sustainable housing and "green" communities. The land-use experts discussed some designs that are now gaining traction, such as close-in infill projects, more downtown housing, and more mixed-use projects in urban centers and on the urban fringe.

Yours of the mixed use, walkable neighborhood,

Herb

[Brad]

Nothing yet:


But I am amazed about all the housing developments going up out there, this new one to the west of Herb:

[Uffda]

this new one to the west of Herb:

They have been working on that one for over a year. I think the streets were all done early last summer but houses didnt start showing up until a couple of months ago.

[RockHarbor]

I admit: New urbanism is starting to bug me. I mean, I love it, and I think it is neat, and it wisely cuts back on sprawl. But, not everyone should be forced to live in an attempt to capture yesteryear. Not everyone wants to ditch the backyard deck, and the pool, and trade it in for a front porch to sit around and drink lemonaide with their neighbors on a hot day.

[the1wags]

Who's forcing anybody? Lucky for you that most developers seem content to churn out boring, bland, and beige subdivisions for miles. It's the same thing over and over and has no identity to it at all.

What do Omaha's suburbs look like? The same as Des Moines suburbs, as Kansas City's, the same as everywhere else. THE CORE is currently what gives a city its identity.

Count me in among the people who welcome Herb's vision to bring something new to the Omaha market. I also don't thing he will have to force anybody to move there. Hopefully this sets a precedent of how to develop suburban areas.

[Coyote]

I don't think GRID knows what he is talking about - less has any knowledge of the concepts behind New Urbanism.

[RockHarbor]

I was maybe a little harsh. I hope I didn't upset you guys.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy that Omaha is getting a suburban section devoted to "New Urbanism." I think every metro should have sections devoted to that type of living. I was just out in suburban Denver, where my Dad/Stepmom live, and nearby there are total areas of "New Urbanism" going up. They were neat to look at. But, I would hate if all of suburbia looked like that.

Today, I was driving out on West Military, and it was neat looking at all the homes rolling along with the prairie. The house styles were all clean and crisp looking -- perfect-pitch gables, shutters, porches, and windows with cross bars in them. I'll always like looking at that. And, I like coming into the inner city and seeing the big ole' "heavy" home styles, the big trees, the straight grid streets, and all the brick. I just like variety. So, when I drive out to West Omaha, I don't want to see the same thing -- only newer. That's all.

[midtown charlie]

GRID, those are some common misconceptions.......

1) the most common is that New Urbanism or by the correct name (TND...Traditional Neighborhood Development) is just a sentimental development style. It is actually quite the opposite. What is more sentimental than pretending to be living in a rural farm setting at the end of a cul de sac (ie present day suburban development)......I wish I had the article because it articulated it much better.

2) New Urbanism can only be done in traditional/historical housing styles. It can be done in pretty much any housing style.

3) New Urbanism can only be done in a traditional grid network. As you will see with New Herbanism it is supposed to leave the land in tact and the streets are supposed to conform to the existing landscape.

I actually like the grid network better because it allows one the opportunity to take multiple routes to get somewhere.....thus lessening the traffic on each road.