New Urban Communities Have a Lot to Offer

New Urban Neighborhoods Have “Lots” to Offer

July 24, 2024 — New Urban Urban Community was the surprising winner of our recent poll of favorite retirement community types. Of the 5 possible choices in that poll, New Urban got 28% of the votes, narrowly beating out “I wouldn’t live in any of these” and “All Ages Active Adult”. That development prompted Patricia to ask if we were going to have an article about New Urban Communities, which was a great suggestion! Here is a link to all the results from “Your Favorite Types of Communities“.

New Urban communities (often called traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs) are an often overlooked choice for retirement. These communities deliver on many of the requirements desired by many baby boomers. Those include walkability, a neighborhood feel, bike or pedestrian access to a town/city center via paths or sidewalks, and an attractive environment with recreational possibilities.

Retro Village
New Urbanism is, in our opinion, an oxymoron. “Retro Village” or “Retro Urbanism” might be better terms. That is because the movement seems more like a return to what towns were like before cars changed everything – there is really nothing “new” about it! There are plenty of examples of very old towns that are a perfect example of great urban planning – Savannah, GA; Washington, D.C.; Venice, FL; not to mention almost every walled city in Europe. In all of these cases residences are clustered around parks, shops, and restaurants – making everyday life possible without the hassle of cars and traffic.

Here are some of the leading New Urban Communities

Here are some, but by no means all, of the “new urban” communities listed at Topretirements that are ideal for today’s retirees Some of these communities were designed exclusively with retirement in mind, and some are for people of every age. It might be a stretch to call all of them New Urban, but they at least have most of the required characteristics. You can use our Community Explorer to find more: Select a state, then under “Unit Types” choose New Urban and/or Mixed Use.

Alabama
Fairhope, AL. This former Utopian community sits on Mobile Bay and is very desirable. Many homes have a view of the Bay, and a 1,450-foot town pier serves as a local gathering spot.

The Village of Providence – Huntsville, AL offers a village experience with architecture inspired by classic Southern towns. Single-family homes are intermixed with brownstones, traditionally styled town-homes, cottages and apartments. Amenities include parks, outdoor swimming pool, and a Meeting House. The bike friendly community also features a town center with professional offices, restaurants, boutiques, and retail shops. There are also Villages of Providence in other states.

Arizona
Rio Verde, Arizona. This small golfing community is northeast of Scottsdale.

Mission Viejo, California. Located in southern Orange County, it has a population of over 100,000. It is known for its tree-lined neighborhoods.

Colorado

Prospect New Town – Longmont, CO. The area’s first New Urbanist community offers tree lined streets that connect homes to parks, recreation, fitness centers, restaurants, entertainment, and shops. Prospect offers homes in a broad range of bright colors and architectural styles which include single family homes, townhouses, courtyard houses, lofts, and apartments.

Florida

Abacoa (Jupiter, FL). Abacoa has just about everything an active adult could want in one convenient location. There is a University, a Major League Baseball Park for spring training, restaurants, town square, and a considerable amount of retail. The Abacoa Golf Club is also right in the center of town. It also has many residential developments that offer an array of choices including single family, attached, and condos – plus many amenities. Read this recap of our site visit with more photos.

Nocatee (Ponte Vedra, FL). This community south of Jacksonville combines one million square feet of retail, four million square feet of office and nine public schools in a livable environment.

The Villages (south of Ocala, FL). By now just about everyone has heard about The Villages, the largest active adult community in the world. It sprawls over 3 counties in Central Florida.

Ave Maria (Naples, FL). This brand new community east of Fort Myers and Naples has a religious core (Roman Catholic).

Winter Park, FL. This planned community dates back to the 1920s, although it’s design is still contemporary. The city is built along a group of lakes including Lake Osceola.

Seaside, FL . Located on Florida’s Northeast coast, Seaside is studied the world over for its combination of beautiful buildings in a vacation resort with full time living.

Celebration (Orlando, FL). Disney’s entry into New Urban design. It has all the features such as trying to minimize the presence of cars and maximize friendly neighborhoods.

Palm Coast, FL. This giant community in Northeast Florida was originally built by ITT. A car is still a necessity, but there are many neighborhoods to choose from along with central commercial areas and recreational opportunities.

Victoria Park – Deland, FL. Just north of Orlando, Victoria Park is a mixed generation community where everyone, from young families to active adults, can return to the simple pleasures of life. Victoria Gardens is the active adult community within the Victoria Park. There is a variety of neighborhoods situated among parks, lakes, natural conservation areas and walking and bike paths.

Fleming Island Plantation (Orange Park, FL). The motto of this all-ages community is “Live…Work…Play”.

Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Founded by a corporation and then becoming a city in 1961, Port Saint Lucie now has more than 161,000 residents. It is more master planned than new urban. The NY Mets have spring training here.

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Georgia
Peachtree City, GA. This is one of those communities where the golf cart has pretty much displaced the automobile. You can get anywhere in this giant community (with many different developments) on a golf cart path.

Atlantic Station (Atlanta, GA). Located just off the city center, this development mixes office buildings with residential and parks.

Trilith – Atlanta, GA is the largest geothermal community in the United States, with 51% dedicated to green space. It has 1,400 homes, a micro school, a fitness facility, parks, nature trails and a dog park. It was designed for those interested in film and the creative industries, and includes filmmaking studios. The community won a National Association of Home Builders award for a Multifamily Mixed-Use Community for 2022.

Maryland
Columbia, MD. One of the original “modern” New Urban communities, it is completely self-contained and quite large.

The Flats at National Harbor – National Harbor, MD. This Pulte gated community is located in the Waterfront District, and features upscale condo living. The one and two-bedroom home designs boast 1-level living with open layouts, and most have balconies. Residents will enjoy beachfront walking trails, waterfront piers, marinas, shopping, dining, and the Capital Wheel, which are all within walking distance. The Flats offers a lock-&-go lifestyle as well as retirement living.

New Jersey
Washington Town Station (Robbinsville, NJ). The overall plan includes parks, walking trails and other open public spaces, and welcomes the community at large into its shops, restaurants and residential neighborhoods. Single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes.

North Carolina
Fearrington Village (Chapel Hill, NC). Although most of the folks who live here are 55+, there are many families too. It has a CCRC affiliated with Duke, a distinguished book store, plus a 5 star restaurant and inn.

South Carolina

Verdae Village (Greenville, SC) is a village-style center city community where traditional neighborhoods, specialty shops, cafes, businesses and outdoor recreation are joined together. Public and private spaces create a balance for life, work and play. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Greenville, this vibrant destination embraces the best traditions of urban development.

Celadon – Beaufort, SC. This walkable community is focused on a simplified lifestyle, appreciated at a laid-back, Southern pace. Each home is within an easy stroll along wide sidewalks to Celadon Square – a quaint commercial area that includes the post office, offices and retail. All ages, the Traditional Neighborhood is just a few miles few miles from downtown Beaufort.

Hammonds Ferry – North Augusta, SC. In this “new urbanist” neighborhood, the houses, buildings, and urban design of the community are an extension of the genteel architecture, friendly streets, and rich cultural heritage that already thrive in the Savannah River Area. Amenities include a loop of North Augusta’s Greeneway trail.

Texas
The Woodlands, Texas. Here there is a cluster of 8 master planned villages and a Town Center. There is plenty of good shopping including a shopping mall, restaurants, and activities such as 7 golf courses

Virginia
Reston, VA. One of the original New Urban communities from the 70s that made the concept so popular.

Washington

Kendall Yards – Spokane, WA. A new and vibrant urban community located on the north bank of the Spokane River, across from downtown Spokane. Residents of the community enjoy parks, tree-lined streets, open spaces, art walks, and offers walking access to downtown. Homes and apartments in Kendall yards are available in several sizes, styles, and prices, with rentals also available. The business district will ultimately include everything from a grocery store to serve the neighborhood, to fine dining, shopping and offices.

Bottom Line

Most of the communities we mentioned here are very true to the new urban spirit, a movement that tries to recreate the idea of a small town before the age of the automobile. They usually feature sidewalks and the ability to walk to restaurants, shops, and offices. Most of are open to people of all ages, not just 55+. You can also find a new urban environment in many cities and mid-sized cities. There you can often find a condo or apartment that where you can easily walk, bike, or take public transit anywhere.

For further reference:
Check Out the New Urbanism (Jan Cullinane)
Wikipedia article about New Urbanism
List of Traditional Neighborhood Developments (this list is old but has many possibilities)
Use the Community Explorer to find more New Urban Communities
Frustrated about Finding Your Ideal Community – How About a New Urban Community?