Finally, a contemporary new town
The irony is that of the hundreds of new pedestrian-oriented towns being built, hardly any of them look remotely, well, new. Most of them reflect the traditional styles of 1920s architecture, which is fine in the sense that much of that era produced some of the most beautiful towns in the country, but not so fine in perpetuating the myth that we can’t produce even more beautiful towns with modern design and materials?
I experienced what is perhaps a sign of things to come last week when I visited the new town of Prospect in Longmont, Colorado, near Boulder. The colors were unique, the materials were contemporary, and the building designs were refreshing. Even the commercial venues and locations were progressive – with a hot new coffeehouse in the town center and a restaurant/bar (with lots of outdoor seating) in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
It’s entirely different from the new towns being built, but its residents agree that it’s also more fun, vibrant and just plain better.
How did Prospect come to be? More in the next blog…
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