Haley Barbor and New Urbanism

Tuesday, 12:31 pm

By Kate

Oct

11

2005

Well, call me amazed. Haley Barbour, Republican governor of Mississippi has some forward thinking brain cells in his old noggin. Seems to me, maybe even a few more than a large number of Democrats lately. Of all the people to consider New Urbanism, Haley Barbour would have been about my last guess. Nevertheless, he believes that the time is right to rebuild the ravaged coastal areas of his state the right way while the opportunity exists.

He has enlisted the help of the Congress for the New Urbanism to come in with a team of 100 architects, planners, development experts, and other professionals to plan for Mississippi’s coastal rebuilding. In smart ways.

According to the Congress for the New Urbanism’s site:

New Urbanism is an urban design movement that burst onto the scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. New Urbanists aim to reform all aspects of real estate development. Their work affects regional and local plans. They are involved in new development, urban retrofits, and suburban infill. In all cases, New Urbanist neighborhoods are walkable, and contain a diverse range of housing and jobs. New Urbanists support regional planning for open space, appropriate architecture and planning, and the balanced development of jobs and housing. They believe these strategies are the best way to reduce how long people spend in traffic, to increase the supply of affordable housing, and to rein in urban sprawl. Many other issues, such as historic restoration, safe streets, and green building are also covered in the Charter of the New Urbanism, the movement’s seminal document.

I’ve never much liked Haley Barbour. But, I’ll sure give credit where credit is due. This is a really smart move.