NEW URBANISM ROAD TRIP -- PART 3

NEW URBANISM ROAD TRIP -- PART 3

Working our way south, we next stop in Martin County to visit Stuart, another town that has re-energized its downtown.

“In Stuart, the lesson is how urbanism can help the comeback of the main street shops and restaurants in the redevelopment of a downtown,’’ DPZ’s Andres Duany said.

Stuart had history – Flagler’s railroad stopped in it – and location – three sides of the downtown enjoys St. Lucie River water frontage.

But property values were leveling off and vacancy rates were rising, Kim DeLaney, Growth Management Coordinator at Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, said when she was Stuart's planning director.

New Urbanist plans, first from DPZ and then from what then was Coral Gables’ Correa Valle Valle (CVV) firm, came to the rescue.

“Our historic downtown -- which has been reborn as an arts and crafts, dining and shopping district – connects to our riverwalk, DeLaney said back in 2004. “You can walk along the water’s edge, go under a trestle bridge and end up at the city’s festival deck, where we have a lunchbox concert season.”

DeLaney said New Urbanism is based on pre-World War II cities such as Stuart.

“The key characteristic Stuart has is a quaint downtown that is a `real’ place,” she said. Home prices continue to escalate. The city’s in-town housing is its most valuable asset because you can walk to a park, it’s on a grid pattern, it functions. It contrasts with the cul-de-saced, gated communities in so much of South Florida.”

Tomorrow: Abacoa in the Town of Jupiter, FLA