SELLING LIFESTYLE CENTERS -- part 6

SELLING LIFESTYLE CENTERS

Smart Growth, New Urbanism, Traditional Neighborhood Development?

Lifestyle Center, Town Center, Planned Community?

What do these phrases mean to Realtors in Florida?

Well, in a state with all kinds of ecological issues from river corridors to wetlands to sensitive beach areas to water recharge fields to the granddaddy of all ecosystems – the Everglades – good land use practices are more important than just about any place in the nation.

Whatever the buzzword is of the day, Smart Growth is very important to home buyers and even retail, office, commercial clients.

Florida Association of Realtors past president Michael Dooley, of Illustrated Properties in Hobe Sound, puts it this way:

“The obvious benefit of Smart Growth, with respect to the mixed used concept, is you conserve infrastructure and save energy,” he said. “You also tend to get more of a community harmony, where neighbor knows neighbor. Abacoa (in Jupiter) is a bustling community day and night.”

Dooley said he believes over time, statistics will show that compact developments deter crime, because they have more neighbors to watch out for trouble, more constant activity and a stronger sense of community.

“One of the challenges is a lot of cities have 30- to 40-year-old growth plans. Even though they have been state-mandated to create growth management plans, they have created them under the old (suburban) model. So when an innovative concept comes along, the local code prohibits it,” he said. “It is a real challenge to rewrite codes and it is important for Realtors to stay involved in the process.”

Dooley has worked to educate communities about Smart Growth. He said governments need more educating than buyers.

“The buyer that comes into the office today is a new culture of buyer. The youth today are a different breed, they are much more sophisticated. They come looking for that type of housing,” he said of residences close to transit, pedestrian activities, commerce, offices, parks, education and other amenities.

Wright is an award-winning journalist who has written about growth, development, architecture, town planning and urban issues for two decades. He works in a traditional, walkable, sustainable community in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana.