Downtown Naples, Florida: A 30-Year Story in Placemaking

DPZ has returned to Naples in 2022, nearly three decades after the charrette and code that transformed 5th Avenue South into a signature main street, the hub of a region, and a national destination. The assignment this past year was to address the Naples Design District, an eclectic, historic area in need of a clearer identity and a plan to help define it.

In 1993 the mission was to equip 5th Ave South with the tools to compete with the sprawling, commercial centers of US41. The charge for the Design District, also known as the 41-10 area, was to generate new ideas for the place to thrive, but without changing those qualities that already make it a beloved neighborhood.

Facilitating both efforts has been a rare and indispensable combination of supporters. Informed elected officials and city staff, complemented by an engaged business and resident community, has consistently contributed to a robust discussion.

Read more about the Naples Design District Master Plan effort here.

Creating the Place

Authentic, memorable places convey an understanding of what makes them special and worth visiting. 5th Avenue South offers a blend of retail, entertainment, and civic venues as well as residential structures. In turn, the Design District offers a quirky, art-infused and very broad mix of businesses, housing, and industrial uses.

The Design District also possesses a walkable urban fabric with east-west avenues wide enough for head-in parking and ample sidewalks. In between them is an untapped asset that some restaurateurs are already starting to explore: the district’s mid-block alleys that inspired the master plan’s Design Walk. This new pedestrian network weaves from alley to alley filled with exciting themes, open air dining, and event programming in a celebration of art, design, and the unique history of the neighborhood.

Connecting the district, 10th Street is the principal north-south spine and it too is a potential canvas for public art in the form of traffic-calming painted crosswalks, wall murals, and sculptural installations to draw passers-by into the Design Walk.

Enhancing the Walk

5th Avenue South’s most visible transformation came in the form of an exciting, rewarding pedestrian experience with a lively sequence of shopfronts and cafes made more welcoming with awnings, arcades, and landscaping.

Fortunately, the Design District already has a pedestrian-friendly scale where residents can access services and meet many daily needs within walking distance of their homes. The goal of the DPZ master plan is to make this walk safer, more interesting, and more comfortable. The new Design Walk and the refreshed 10th Street will solidify a greater sense of connectivity and character, and improve access to the 100+ businesses in the district.

Strengthening the Mix

Successful downtowns are almost by definition 24/7 environments that mix uses and balance the needs of daytime businesses, nighttime establishments, and the residents and visitors who will patronize both. The 5th Avenue South Master Plan accomplished this with multi-level living above the shops and cafes.

DPZ’s plan for the Design District aims to underscore this variety further. In a state that often sees gentrification erase affordability, this part of Naples’ Downtown features a notable inventory of affordable housing apartments sitting adjacent to recently built high-end condos, and the ever-appreciating single-family neighborhood to the north. The DPZ plan identifies strategies and incorporates backed research to maintain this mix and enrich the variety of housing options and building types.

Keeping it Local

Earlier this year The Wall Street Journal named Naples as the #1 ranked housing market in the US. The revenue and activity brought about by 5th Avenue South’s success as a draw for upscale tourists has been undeniably beneficial. However, the national appeal of 5th Ave has left local area residents craving a special area of their own.

The Design District can be that place for locals as long as there is support for the existing small scale and mix of eclectic small businesses. New infill needs to respect this and avoid large footprint structures. While the retail study identified the viability of national retailers and large format stores, this is not what the Master Plan recommends.

Reinforcing the Continuity

Understanding that the city-building process does not end with the drafting of a plan or the adoption of a code, the local leadership in Naples has grasped that good civic stewardship requires ongoing attention, assessment, and adjustment. Naples’ willingness to seek DPZ’s counsel over the decades has lent considerable continuity to the evolution of their downtown.

For 5th Avenue South, the creation of a Business Improvement District has provided an extra level of marketing and support to area merchants. The DPZ master plan recommends a similar BID entity for the Design District to assist the unique mix of retailers, restaurateurs, service providers, and other entrepreneurs.

Building Consensus

On June 9th, DPZ’s Design District Master Plan was unanimously accepted by the City of Naples CRA Board. It was in no small part a reflection of the strong community support for the project.

The process now moves into implementation with the writing of code language to enable the master plan. The result will hopefully be another great neighborhood in Naples, but one with a local focus and a commitment to inclusivity and creativity. The once-seasonal community is now a more year-round one, and it is increasingly a place for both the young and the young-at-heart.

OLD FRIENDS AND NEW: ON THE GROUND ON 30A & AT THE SEASIDE INSTITUTE

As we enter the second quarter of 2022, we want to recap some of the highlights from our whirlwind first quarter that was filled with celebrations and honors. In March we returned to our roots when our entire team decamped to Seaside for our annual office retreat, which we were lucky enough to combine with the weekend of ceremonies for the 2022 Seaside Prize.  This year’s prize was awarded to our longtime friend, collaborator and former DPZ-er Jeff Speck!  It was an incredible experience to see so many old friends, new friends and co-conspirators whom we have been so lucky to work with over the years. We got to visit and see developments at our three DPZ-designed communities along County Road 30-A in the Florida Panhandle: Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and of course Seaside. Seeing how our vision has evolved and continues to evolve over decades is always a deeply rewarding experience — and we come away inspired about what the future holds.

DPZ WINS CNU 2022 CHARTER AWARD FOR CARLTON LANDING IN OKLAHOMA

We are proud to announce that DPZ’s work in Oklahoma’s Carlton Landing, the first New Urbanist project to become an incorporated municipality, has won a Merit Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism in The Region: Metropolis, City & Town category of CNU’s 2022 Charter Awards. From the award announcement:

“I didn’t just buy a house. I bought into a community with a vision. It’s remarkable,” says Mayor Joanne Chinnici. The town plan sets a new pattern of growth for rural Oklahoma based on neighborhoods, gathering spaces, and the underdeveloped tourism potential of Lake Eufaula, a major reservoir. The town is near Longtown—an unincorporated village—and the small town of Eufaula that was losing population for decades but has started to grow again. “Together the three communities could one day add up to a complete, identifiable place where there currently is not one,” notes the planning team, led by DPZ CoDESIGN.

You can read the entire article and see more photos at this link. Our thanks to the CNU and all our partners and collaborators at Carlton Landing!

We also congratulate our friends and colleagues Dhiru Thadani, Liz Moule and Stef Polyzoides for their Charter Awards and for kindly crediting DPZ ‘s collaboration on their respective projects. Dhiru won for his “Evolution of the Civic Realm of the Resort Town of Seaside 1981 to 2021″. Moule & Polyzoides won for their admirable work on the sustainable and context-sensitive Civano New Town, near Tucson, Arizona — a project that began with a DPZ Charrette and master plan.

Also at CNU Oklahoma City, our own Marina Khoury was welcomed into the newest group of CNU Fellows, which includes architects, planners, urban designers, writers and developers who have made outstanding contributions to New Urbanism. Said Marina: “Honored to become a Fellow of the CNU! And delighted to be with my twin, Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt who also became Fellows. A family affair!”

LIZZ AND ANDRES WIN MIZNER AWARD FOR WORLD ACCOMPLISHMENT 

Our deepest thanks to the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Florida Chapter for bestowing upon Lizz and Andres the 2021 Addison Mizner Award for World Accomplishment, awarded by the ICAA Florida Board. Lizz and Andres join other 2021 awardees Robert and Daryl Davis (Patronage); Richard John, University of Miami School of Architecture (Pedagogy); and Gerald Buxbaum (Medal of Service). Congratulations to all the recipients and team members!

AND FINALLY – WE’RE HIRING!

DPZ CoDESIGN is currently seeking all levels of design professionals to work in our Miami office.  We are well known for creating beautiful, walkable, and resilient communities around the world. Recognized globally as change leaders in architecture, urban design and design regulations, we provide an unparalleled working experience of place-making and effective urban improvement.

• Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, planning, urban design, landscape architecture or related field.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Sketch-up and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal and analytical skills with ability to collaborate in a team format.
• Advanced experience in urban design and codes is also sought.

Bringing New Urbanism to a Wider Audience: Andres on Tucker Carlson’s Podcast

You may have been surprised to see that Andres was the guest for the entire hour of this week’s episode of Tucker Carlson’s FOX NATION podcast “Tucker Carlson Today.” The two had a long, in-depth conversation about New Urbanism and development in the United States and how the CNU ( “1,500 brilliant well-intentioned people working all the time with passion”) works to try to improve the country’s built environment.

This was a rare opportunity to expose a large part of the country to the New Urbanist message, and the reception has been gratifying across the board. The conversation touched on key themes including:

• The importance of walkability in design and how the car eradicated that discipline;
• How a child who has to be driven everywhere has no freedom;
• How America has made owning a car mandatory – and how New Urbanism tries to reclaim the right to live without a car;
• How New Urbanist communities outperform other communities in price appreciation and value;
• How existing codes make it impossible to build the places that we love;
• How parking lots destroy the fabric of our communities;

And more. It’s definitely worth watching – and sharing with your developer and community clients. It’s the perfect response to a lot of the criticism we all get in charettes and community engagement efforts – from fears of “Agenda 21” and NIMBYism – and it’s the first step in what needs to be an engagement with the population we build for.  Tucker Carlson’s programs reach the largest nightly audience in television – in fact, his show is the top-rated show for both Republicans and Democrats aged 25-54 and reaches millions of people a night. It’s almost unprecedented to have the New Urbanist story presented uninterrupted to this audience for almost an hour. And Tucker’s comment? “I just love this.”
 
The conversation was also featured on Carlson’s FOX News nightly broadcast this week:
 
TUCKER CARLSON: People don’t think or talk too much about architecture, about the way homes are designed, or even their towns are designed, but there is a reason that things are built the way they are. They’re either pro-human or they’re anti-human. And unfortunately, so much of our architecture in our city planning is anti-human. Andres Duany is one of the very few urban planners who thought deeply about architecture and planning that brings people together, that makes them happy. He founded the Congress for the New Urbanism. He’s got a plan to build cities, where people might actually know each other once again. We had an amazing conversation with him on a brand new episode of “Tucker Carlson Today.” Here’s part of it.

ANDRES DUANY, FOUNDER, CONGRESS FOR THE NEW URBANISM: The town plan really affects your life. For example, a kid that has to be driven everywhere is a kid with no freedom at all, you know?

CARLSON: Right.

DUANY: And an older person that no longer can drive is a prisoner, highly isolated. So, we design our places that are walkable, above all walkable, where you can get to your daily needs by walking. You could have a car, but you don’t have to use it. And I think what makes America pretty awful is that the car is mandatory.

CARLSON: Yes.

DUANY: If you do not have a car, almost at an individual level, every individual has a car, you would literally starve to death in a couple of days, you know? And —

CARLSON: We’re so used to that that we don’t imagine there’s an alternative.

DUANY: An alternative, yes, and yet, up to about 1950 before the cars were widespread and before everyone essentially had one, every place right across cultures you needed your daily needs within walking distance, it was absolutely normal. The Romans did it. The Chinese did it. Everybody did it. And then the car eradicated that discipline.

CARLSON: You think we’d be thinking and talking a lot more than we are about how we actually live how our lives unfold. Andres Duany is one of the few who is and definitely one of the smartest. If you’re interested on the topic, we recommend that conversation on FOX Nation.
 
If you haven’t seen it – click here to view.  You may need to sign up for a trial membership (expires in seven days) to watch – but we promise it’s worth the dollar!  As we head off to CNU in Oklahoma City, it’s bringing the messages of New Urbanism to a huge audience.

Seasons Greetings from DPZ CoDesign

Along with our best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy 2022, we are passing along some news on what we have been doing as 2021 draws to a close.

BACK TO THE FUTURE – DPZ RETURNS TO NAPLES: Almost thirty years after we developed the master plan and code that revitalized Fifth Avenue South, DPZ was excited to be selected to create plans for the redevelopment of another part of Downtown Naples. Known locally as the Design District, this 200-acre neighborhood fronting US41, and with 10th Street as its internal spin, features a unique mix of uses from high-end home decor showrooms to automotive repair shops, and residential dwellings that range from government-subsidized townhomes to new million-dollar condos. The project kicked off in November with an eight-day design charrette to encourage public brainstorming sessions for a new master plan. DPZ initiated a full-scale public engagement process to get ideas from the local citizenry. The online platform, SpeakUpNaples.com, allowed residents to submit suggestions, make comments and engage with the community.

The closing presentation to a standing-room only audience showcased many ideas including The Design Walk:

• A new public art, outdoor dining and entertainment venue (between U.S. 41 and 10th Street) that uses the alleyways, parking lots and empty spaces between buildings.
• This pedestrian promenade is intended to galvanize the identity of this District around the art and design theme of the many businesses that have been organically gravitating there for years.
• New public offerings could include everything from a small performance stage, a basketball court and a giant movie screen to changing digital art and food trucks. Spaces would be designed to come to life at night with special lighting.

The project will develop in 2022, as we continue to work with Naples’ CRA Advisory Board and the entire Naples community. The Naples 41-10 Project was featured in several articles in the NAPLES DAILY NEWS, including “People’s Plan for Design District in Naples Starts to Emerge” and “Naples Sets Eyes on New Vision for the Design District.”

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS IN THE PHILIPPINES: 2021 saw continued build out and success in two of the communities we designed in the Philippines:

• Seafront Residences in San Juan, Batangas, received two Philippines Property Awards for Best Housing Development by Property Guru. The 43-hectare beach community offers a variety of residential units with interconnected pedestrian walkways that make all amenities an easy 5-minute walk from home. DPZ designed the houses to face pedestrian-only parks that provide direct access and views to open spaces, while vehicular traffic is designated to the rear of the houses to maximize pedestrian experience.
• Foressa Mountain Town, a mixed-use residential development by AboitizLand, is located in the mountains of Cansomoroy, Balamban, Cebu. Half of the 257-hectare development is dedicated to open and shared spaces that look out over the breathtaking highland scenery.  Developed in four phases, the next phase will be launched in 2022.

HOLIDAY SEASON / HOLIDAY LIGHTS: On Monday the 13th, a group from DPZ was treated to a nighttime walking tour of our Downtown Doral project’s spectacular new experience: Lux Doral. Carefully curated by our tour-guide, Ana Codina-Barlick, CEO of Codina Partners, the still-evolving art collection features brightly lit sculptural works specifically commissioned for Downtown Doral. The installations, many of which are interactive, animated, and/or emit music, offer an intriguing reason to walk and explore a community’s public realm after dark.

DPZ IN THE NEWS: 

• TRAVEL & LEISURE Magazine placed Seaside at the top of its list of  “8 Best Small Towns to Buy a Vacation Home in the U.S.” The article noted the post-pandemic real estate phenomenon where suburbs, secondary cities and vacation markets have witnessed a notable boom in sales.
• Andres and Lizz both presented at the Traditional Building Conference in Coral Gables this month; you can view Lizz’s presentation here and Andres’ presentation here.
• Andres spoke at this month’s National Association of Real Estate Editors annual conference about the future of development in the wake of COVID-19.
• As previously announced, Galina continued her participation in the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s series entitled “The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with…” This month she was interviewed by Ben Bolgar, Senior Director at the Prince’s Foundation, on a number of topics including the ever-more pressing urgency to repair sprawling communities following the post-pandemic flight to the suburbs. You can view the recording here.
• On the heels of our Award of Merit in the Comprehensive Plan category from the Florida Chapter of the APA earlier this year, our North Bay Village master plan was once again recognized this fall.  This time the Gold Coast Section of the Florida APA selected our NBV100 master plan for an Award of Excellence in the category of Best Report, Plan or Study. The entire report on the plan is available here.

Updates & News for September-October 2021

VOICES FROM THE FUTURE – THE DPZ INTERNS: This summer we had the pleasure of reanimating our internship program with five outstanding young people, who we know will go on to shape the built environment of the future. We thought it would be nice to highlight some of their comments about what they learned during their time at DPZ and how it is impacting the way they see the world: CECILIA McCAMMON (University of Miami): “It was such an amazing experience to intern for DPZ this summer. I appreciate that DPZ is like a little family and no matter how long you are away there is always a warm welcome back. I loved being able to participate on the charrette in Windsor and getting to catch a glimpse of how the design responds to different client requests. It was particularly interesting how creative each scheme can be—thinking beyond the usual urban planning methods of today. Andres mentioned Burning Man several times which taught me that we can take various activities or life experiences and transform them into built urban schemes.” ISABELLA ZAYAS (University of Miami): “Interning at DPZ granted me lots of valuable academic and career experience in the field of architecture and urban design. I focused mostly on archival work but I had the chance to help design a map diagram for a project logo and it helped me become more proficient in Photoshop which was great! I also had the opportunity to sit in during a charrette and it was very eye-opening to see the presentation as well as the interactions between architects and developers in a high-stakes environment. All in all, I’m very grateful to have been given this great opportunity explore my passion in a professional setting.”  JUNIPER ROSE HENTZ (University of Georgia, MA Program): “My path to DPZ began through conducting research for my thesis and making friendly connections in the last place one would think: rural Georgia farm country. I feel that just goes to show how DPZ has friends everywhere. Though my time at DPZ was far too short, I have returned to UGA with an entirely new outlook on the planning profession. My head is still buzzing with everything I have learned: from exciting innovations in the making to real-world minutiae and big picture facets of the planning profession. Ultimately, I learned that this is the field I want to work in.” MATTHEW JARAMILLO (University of Miami): “My goal has always been to graduate and immediately obtain my license to practice architecture. My experience at DPZ has given me insight into many aspects of a firm, some being meeting with clients, the design process, and learning about a site. Throughout my time at the office, not only has everyone been very kind and helpful, but also, they have taken the time to teach me things about the profession. I am extremely excited to continue learning and developing my skills at DPZ!” TINA KESHAVARZ (River City Science Academy): “When I grew up in Iran, my cousins and I frequently visited parks, playgrounds, or even simply spent time in my grandmother’s garden. There was room to walk, explore, and absorb life. The more you observe and think about where you live, you’re bound to realize there is not an adequate balance of intimacy or privacy within city boundaries. As builders, innovators, leaders, and citizens, we must reflect on the past and its consequences to strive to be better. Find the closest balance between closeness, privacy, affordability, and mindfulness towards nature for the planet we eventually leave behind.” THEY SAY A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, AND IN THIS CASE TWO PICTURES ARE WORTH EVEN MORE: From a recent visit to DPZ project Norton Commons in Kentucky, an aerial photo of the built condition makes for a wonderful comparison with the rendering and vision that inspired it. The pencil drawing of the central square was done by Chris Ritter on a post-charrette team over 21 years ago. You can see more photos and information on the project here.   AN HONOR FOR ONE OF OUR FAVORITE FORMER DPZ-ERS: We were thrilled to see that Jeff Speck has been named the recipient of the 2022 Seaside Prize! The Seaside Institute awards the Prize each year to individuals, organizations, or places that have made major contributions to the quality of community building and place making. Jeff’s tireless promotion of walkability, diversity, beauty, and sustainability in our towns and cities makes him a most worthy recipient. We are proud of his many post-DPZ accomplishments and appreciate his frequent mentions of Andres and Lizz as his mentors. The Institute will hold the 29th Annual Seaside Prize March 4-6, 2022 and DPZ will be there to celebrate him! Tickets go on sale in October, and you can see the entire announcement here.   APA FLORIDA HONORS NORTH BAY VILLAGE:  Congratulations to North Bay Village for receiving an Award of Merit from the American Planning Association Florida for the NBV100 Master Plan. NBV is the only city to receive this prestigious award in the State of Florida for a community under 50,000 residents. This award emphasizes the city’s commitment to protect and enhance the natural and built environment of NBV. In 2019, NBV embarked on a planning process to create a vision for the next 25 years. Collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, residents, and the leadership of North Bay Village, DPZ CoDESIGN drafted the NBV100 Master Plan, equipping the Village with the tools to become a more complete, sustainable, and economically successful community that can adapt to the challenges of a changing climate. Structured around three pillars: Livability, Resiliency, and Prosperity, NBV100 will shape the future of the Village. DPZ is honored to have collaborated with the NBV community, city leadership, and city staff in forging a path to a more resilient NBV!   DPZ IN THE NEWS: In CNU’s Public Square, a survey from MoveGuru shows that Miami has the greatest potential for meeting the goals of the 15-Minute City as laid out by Andres Duany and Rob Steuteville. Miami was followed in the rankings by San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston and Washington, DC. A shout out to Andres in this lovely interview with Anna Lowder of City Loft Corporation in Authority Magazine about the things female founders need to thrive and succeed in business. Anna is co-founder and director of Hampstead, a 416-acre New Urbanist community in Montgomery, Alabama, where she leads the town planning, design, construction, and marketing. And speaking of interviews, make sure you tune in on Thursday, October 7th at 12:00PM ET to hear Galina interview DPZ friend and collaborator Marianne Cusato. Part of an online series sponsored by the ICAA, INTBAU, and The Prince’s Foundation entitled “The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with…” , Marianne, Galina and architect Ben Bolgar will be taking turns interviewing each other about place making and the impact of good design. Galina will be interviewed by Ben on December 8th. A Q&A with university students will follow each interview. For registration details: https://www.classicist.org/the-architecture-of-place-in-conversation-with/

Q&A w/Andrés Duany – Episode 4

In the most recent episode of Q&A with Andrés Duany, Andrés discusses how men and women react differently to public space, where he thinks people should consider retiring in Florida, and why he thinks living near the beach is worth the risks of climate change.

Updates & News for July 2021

Like so many of you, we at DPZ are continuing to work in the hybrid manner we have all become accustomed to during COVID, both in person and remote when appropriate. While our projects continued during the last 15 months, the volume of work seems to have ramped up in the summer. Here are a few snapshots from our current projects:

This month we started work on the Key Biscayne Vision Plan, which will help the Village reassess their vision documents, policies and regulations as they celebrate their 30th anniversary as an incorporated municipality. By engaging their citizenry via an interactive website and a series of workshops this fall, DPZ will help them craft a vision that reinforces the qualities that make their community a special place, and reevaluate those that can make it stronger and more resilient to future challenges. The project represents a homecoming of sorts for DPZ, as the Village was where some of our most beloved and award winning early houses were built in the 1980s and 90s. In the intervening years the Village has built an impressive civic center complex and village green, and has become an even more tightly knit community. DPZ witnessed this spirit of unity at their July 4th celebration when we lent our support at a booth set up to promote the vision project and our new outreach website: speakupkeybiscayne.com. The site will serve as project hub and will drive the community engagement process that starts this summer.

In a fitting coincidence, this fall DPZ will get to revisit another Florida community that is close to our hearts. The Naples Design District 41-10 Master Plan is being launched this summer within the same downtown district as our 1993 Naples 5th Avenue South Master Plan. That plan helped transform a sleepy main street into a thriving dining, entertainment and business district. The 41-10 study area offers a different set of challenges for a diverse set of residents and merchants that share an eclectic, mixed-use urban neighborhood. We look forward to the project initiation and community outreach phases starting this summer in advance of a public charrette in November.

In yet another Florida project, DPZ is in the final stretch of a multi-year collaborative effort working alongside Canin Associates and the Orange County staff to update and overhaul their Vision 2050 Comprehensive Plan and undertake an ambitious zoning code rewrite. Orange County’s geography is diverse with natural, rural, suburban and urban areas and expects its population to double over the next three decades to approximately 1.5 million people. As a result, Vision 2050 not only guides how and where growth will occur but also defines the shape and character that growth should take. Its implementation will be guided by the adoption of Orange Code, a county-wide form-based code, focused on improving the quality of life for all of the County’s residents and visitors. Both documents tackle complex issues such as: preserving environmental areas, managing rural growth, encouraging infill development at many scales, improving future transit, contextualizing street design, providing greater housing choice and affordability, and better defining public spaces and placemaking standards. Additionally, DPZ has led two recent public workshops that examined how to direct future growth within very different contexts. One of the town hall sessions in May included a thorough explanation of the Transect, DPZ’s tool for ensuring urban compatibility. In June, the Boggy Creek area specifically examined the interface between urban and rural living. This month, the Lockhart area explored the revitalization of a funky area with a rich industrial heritage. A third workshop later this month will explore the suburban retrofit of a multi-cultural commercial corridor. For all three workshops, we are delighted to be joined by an enthusiastic group of young local architects and students who are testing the standards of the code with their own designs for these areas.

We are very pleased by the implementation of our Tornagrain project outside of Inverness, in the highlands of Scotland. As with most master-planned projects in the UK, the approval process was a thorough and multi-year one. Designed during a 2006 charrette, the community is now taking shape with great momentum. The CNU’s Public Square has just featured the project here and we are delighted to see our charrette drawings by Max Von Trott and others being so capably brought to life by the town architect Ben Pentreath. We congratulate our client Moray Estates, and Turnberrry Consulting, the planning advisors who have helped guide the project since its inception.

DPZ IN THE NEWS: Some recent stories featuring DPZ projects and principals:

• Also getting a CNU Public Square profile was our Downtown Doral office park retrofit. Developed by DPZ at a 2005 charrette, the ambitious project has followed a steady and strategic implementation process. Masterfully guided by Codina Partners, the keys to placemaking success have been a simple plan, a family-oriented vision, and an emphasis on strong relationships with public and private sector partners. This project has taken to heart the essentials of a vibrant 24/7 environment.  Beyond having a City Hall, a central park, and two Charter schools, there is a range of residential offerings from single-family to townhouses to high-rise condos. Joining the main street of shops and restaurants, there is an urgent care center, an urban format supermarket, and a library.
• Crediting DPZ as a pioneer in promoting and re-defining neighborhood-based planning principles—currently made popular by the 15-Minute City concept–a recent Miami Herald article notes how the New Miami is becoming a series of self sustaining, interconnected villages.
• DPZ’s Seaside and Rosemary Beach projects were featured among the ten best luxury destinations for post-pandemic travel in this recent article in The Palm Beach Post.
• La Mudi profiles DPZ’s Foressa Mountain Town in the Philippines in an article on the rise of eco-friendly developments and renewed interest in mountain living.

PUBLICATIONS: Following the Polish example, the SmartCode was translated into Bulgarian and posted on the Sofia municipality’s website. In addition, the Sprawl Repair Manual is currently being translated and will be published by one of the Bulgarian universities in architecture and design as an online edition. We’ll let you know when that is available!

AND JUST FOR FUN: Check out the latest episode of our “Q&A with Andres Duany” series– in the most recent episode he discusses how men and women react differently to public space, where he thinks people should consider retiring in Florida, and why he thinks living near the beach is worth the risks of climate change.

What’s Happening at DPZ

This month we catch you up on the latest DPZ news.

CNU29
CNU held its annual congress May 19-21 via a virtual format. The focus was on effecting social, policy, and physical changes to better address equity and climate. A sponsor of the conference, DPZ was represented throughout the week with multiple presentations by Andres, Lizz, Galina, Marina, and Matt who serves on the CNU board. Also of note, we’d like to commend Camille for spearheading a new coalition of New Urbanists under the name PLACE Initiative who during CNU 29 hosted two days of speakers on equity and climate, including Brian Falk and Ben Northrup of DPZ.

Projects
Here’s a snapshot of new project info and key milestones:

• We have launched the 2040 Vision Plan for the Village of Key Biscayne to help the village better face the challenges of resiliency, climate change and sea level rise.
• The Three Corners Community Plan in Vero Beach, FL has been unanimously adopted by the Steering Committee and the City Council, as it moves closer to becoming a referendum item on the November ballot.
• In late March the Coral Gables Zoning Code Update that DPZ has been working for a couple of years, was adopted.

Webinars 
Like everyone, we spent the past year experimenting with virtual events and other digital platforms to stay in touch. If you have missed any of our recent events and videos – keep up to date at the links below:

• Classicist No. 17: An Evening with Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Beth Dunlop and Teofilo Victoria – a Books & Books event to promote a new journal edited by Lizz.
• Transect Urbanism: Readings in Human Ecology – An Evening with Andres Duany and Brian Falk – a Books & Books event to promote a new book with essays by DPZers, colleagues, and collaborators, edited by Andres and Brian.
• Q&A with Andres Duany: Episode #1 – Andres answers questions – including his favorite city and why, what advice he would give to young urban planners, and more. If you enjoy that, also check out Episode #2, Episode #3, and Episode #4. Funny, insightful and illuminating for all, especially developers and elected officials.
• Andres discusses Post-Pandemic Residential Design with NanaWall’s Matt Thomas.

DPZ in the News
Links to recent stories featuring DPZ projects and principals:

• The Miami Herald:  Meet the new Miami:  A Series of Self-Sustaining, Interconnected Villages – DPZ and Miami 21
• The Globe and Mail: New Urbanism Trend Integrates Sustainability and Livable Communities
• Forbes: A New Urbanist Model Community in Montgomery, Alabama
• Town & Country: How this Florida Destination Was Designed with Serenity in Mind
• MDPI: Introducing the “15 Minute City:” Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities
• The American Conservative: Did you say Mobile Homes as Chic Affordable Housing?

Recognition
We extend congratulations to both Lizz and Andres for two recent honors:

The Miami Center for Architecture and Design has presented Lizz with a Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging her many years of working with the local design community and leadership to make Miami better – especially its urban core.

Andres’ much-celebrated Bento Cabin – first launched at the 2020 Builders Show with the help of Fernando Pages and Josef Albert – has won the Citation Award in Residential Design Magazine’s 2021 Architecture Awards. You can see the full article here.  It will be featured again in the print magazine next month.

And finally some great news about the DPZ family. Two of our favorite people, Josef Albert and Kyannah Andrews, were married in February! Join us in wishing them all the best.

Q&A w/Andrés Duany – Episode 3

In this episode of “Q&A w/Andrés Duany,” Andrés answers questions about his favorite transect zone, getting fired, 3 things he would tell every mayor and their planning department, advice for young professionals on knowing essential lingo not taught in academia, the “third fist”, and more. Episode 3 is now live on DPZ CoDesign’s YouTube channel, watch now and subscribe!

Q&A with Andres Duany – Episode 2

Episode 2 is now live! In this episode of Q&A with Andres Duany, Andres answers questions about topics such as “Skeptical Environmentalism,” his favorite DPZ project: Mitigation vs. Adaptation, his least favorite city, and more. Watch the series and subscribe to DPZ CoDesign’s YouTube channel.