The New Urbanism: Where and for Whom? Investigation of an Emergent Paradigm

New Urbanism has diffused rapidly, transforming landscapes across the United States. This paper is primarily an empirical examination of what the New Urbanism is, where these developments are found, and for whom they are being built. The empirical focus is contextualized by an analysis that emphasizes the timeliness of the New Urbanism movement but cautions against its uncritical adoption. Three maps that show the prevalence of New Urbanism by region, state, and individual project are discussed with the objective of explaining, in part, its geographical distribution. Advocates claim that New Urbanism "is good for everyone." In contrast, I argue that it may benefit many people in the long run, but that in the short term, it favors design professionals, developers, and upper-class homebuyers. [Key words: New Urbanism (NU), urban landscape, residential development.]