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Seaside, Florida
Seaside is a small town on the Florida panhandle that is considered the first example of New Urbanism. It was founded by Robert Davis, a developer whose grandfather had purchased the 80-acre site in the 1940’s [1]. Davis employed architects Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk who conducted extensive research on historic towns throughout Florida and the southern coast to imbue Seaside with an old-fashioned charm.
Street Design
The goal of planner Andres Duany was to realize the “outdoor room” feel of the best small-town streets. Similar to the street wall concept, this effect was achieved by setting houses back from the street at regular intervals. Most streets are straight but have a visual termination point, such as a gazebo or town center, that helps to create an enclosed space [2].
Several design elements combine to make Seaside a pedestrian-friendly zone. Streets are narrow — 18 feet wide — and largely paved with brick. Parking is mainly on-street. Though garages are allowed, they are required to be separate buildings set toward the back of the house [2]. A throwback to alleyways, sandy footpaths run behind most streets; some even lead to the beach.
Architecture
Seaside’s architecture draws from historic coastal communities of the southern United Sates: wooden beach cottages with deep roof overhangs, front porches and plenty of windows for cross-ventilation [1]. The town strives for a “natural and timeless” feel [1]. Accents include picket fences, pastel-painted wood siding, striped awnings and wooden signage. Modern (and tacky) homebuilding mainstays, like sliding glass doors and vinyl siding are largely prohibited [2].
Town Layout
Seaside has a central market area that is walkable from most residences. It includes a post office, a small local food markets, restaurants and several clothing boutiques. A larger grocery store, Publix Supermarket, can be found on the highway just outside of town.
Authenticity
Even though Seaside is modeled as closely as possible to traditional small towns, that has not stopped critics from throwing around such terms as “fake”, “creepy” and “theme park”. Such antipathy may stem from the town’s use as the setting for the film The Truman Show., about a character trapped in a fabricated movie-set world. It may also be a product of the town’s relative newness. As Seaside acquires a natural patina with time, such criticism may disappear.
The Seaside Institute
The Seaside Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 1982 for the study of traditional neighborhood design as well as the continuing refinement of the Seaside community itself. The institute sponsors conferences throughout the year, and bestows an annual award for contributions to the quality and character of local communities. Recent events sponsored by the Seaside Institute include Street Smart, a day-long conference about reviving the streetcar, held in Los Angeles and other cities.
REFERENCES
Each source is referred to by the same number every time it is cited. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Seaside, Florida.
[2] Langdon, Philip. A Good Place to Live. The Atlantic Monthly. March 1988.
[3]
[4]
PICTURE REFERENCES
Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Courtesy of the The Seaside Institute.
[2] Google Maps.
