{
  "id": 19137054,
  "title": "How the New Urbanism took on sprawl and won",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/how-the-new-urbanism-took-on-sprawl-and-won",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-09T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91636935/how-the-new-urbanism-took-on-sprawl-and-won"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1996, a small group of urban planners, designers, architects, and policymakers banded together under the banner of the New Urbanism. This movement emerged at a time when suburban sprawl had become a major issue in the United States. The sprawling suburbs, characterized by long commutes, lack of walkability, and excessive dependence on cars, had started showing their faults. The New Urbanists sought to challenge the conventional wisdom of suburban development and advocate for a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach to urban planning.\n\nThe movement's roots can be traced back to the 1970s when young planners and architects began feeling disillusioned with the built environment. They recognized that many urban issues were the result of development patterns that prioritized economic returns over the well-being of residents. This led them to question the traditional logic of urbanization, which had shifted from a focus on city-centered growth to one driven by unchecked suburban development.\n\nKey figures in the New Urbanism included Andrés Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides, and Peter Calthorpe. They were architects and planners who had come together in the 1970s, after working in various architecture and design programs across the country. They were frustrated that the promises of suburbia—ample green spaces, parking, and functional highways—had been betrayed by traffic congestion and car dependence.\n\nThe New Urbanists' core principles were outlined in a 27-point charter, which was signed by 262 people at a gathering in Charleston, South Carolina in 1996. This charter legitimized the group's ideas and set the stage for a new approach to city planning and design. Over the past three decades, the movement has made significant strides in reshaping the way cities are planned and built. It has contributed to the creation of nonprofit organizations like the Congress for the New Urbanism and has influenced planning policies worldwide.\n\nThe New Urbanism's focus on walkability, mixed-use and mixed-income districts, and elimination of rigid zoning laws has gained new relevance in recent years, particularly in light of housing affordability issues and the lessons learned from the post-Great Recession and post-COVID-19 pandemic era. As cities and communities continue to evolve, the lessons learned from the New Urbanism movement offer valuable insights for reimagining urban spaces.",
  "summary": "It’s 1996. You just moved to a suburb of Atlanta, to a roomy house on a quiet street. Every morning at dawn, you kiss your family goodbye, and then hop in your car to drive 35 miles to your office in the city. It takes more than an hour to get there. You have plenty of company on the road at that hour, as you’re one of the more than 600,000 people who moved to the northern outskirts of Atlanta…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}