Neotraditional Neighborhood Developments – 1980 to the Present

Neotraditional Neighborhood Development encompasses a spectrum of neighborhood planning and development themes anchored by the tenants of sensible land use and a restored sense of community. The movement is also commonly referred to as "New Urbanism" and "Traditional Neighborhood Development". Neotraditional neighborhood development draws heavily from development practices of the first half of the twentieth century before the mass adoption of the automobile resulted in the sprawl of low density neighborhoods and accompanying strip malls.

Hallmark features of neotraditional neighborhood developments include a comparably compacted mix of both single and multi-family housing, committed public gathering spaces, and focus on pedestrian rather than automotive traffic. Ideally, a properly designed neighborhood includes within reasonable walking distances: a center or town square, shops offering grocery and sundry necessities, and often an elementary school.

Modern Homes Inspired by Turn of the Century Architecture

Home plans of a neotraditional neighborhood are typically based upon a variety of classic American architectures. A neotraditional neighborhood may have Victorian, Georgian, and Colonial themed single family homes on one block and town homes resembling Federal styled row houses on an adjacent block. Although often containing an eclectic mix of architectural styles, house plans frequently favor house styles that were historically most popular for the region.

Homes are not meant to be exact replicas. Rather, they combine distinctive features of the past with modern trends in home construction and design. Below is just a sample of classic architectural styles that have become the inspiration of homes found in neotraditional neighborhoods.

Colonial Period Revivals Colonial period homes reflected multiple styles with varying European influences. Colonial, Georgian, and Federal styles share English roots whereas the Dutch Colonial style reflects German traditions. Although each style has its own set of distinguishing features, they share many features that make them a popular choice for builders of neotraditional homes. These features include multiple stories, simple rectangular shape, and symmetric arrangement of windows. Not surprising, colonial period revivals are especially popular along the East Coast.
Victorian Victorian homes initially enjoyed popularity from the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s. The distinctive character of these homes continues to make them highly sought after still today. Victorian inspired homes possess notable Victorian architectural features such as expansive spindled front porches, balconies, tall windows, and decorative shingle patterns. Modern variations of Victorian homes are very common in traditional neighborhood developments, particularly in the South East. For more information about original Victorian-style homes, please see our Victorian Style Guide.
Craftsman Bungalow The compact form and efficient use of interior space makes the American bungalow an ideal fit with the New Urbanism movement. Modern versions of the bungalow are especially popular in the Midwest and along the West Coast. Low pitched roof lines, overhanging eaves with false braces, dormer windows, and wide front porches supported by square tapering columns are some of the distinguishing Craftsman features incorporated in today’s adaptation of one of America’s most beloved house style. For more information about original Arts & Crafts period bungalows, please see our Arts & Crafts Bungalow Style Guide.
Tudor Tudor is arguably the most charming American house style. Enduring features of classic Tudor homes include steeply pitched front gabled roofs, prominent chimneys, and combinations of brick, stone, and stucco facades. Modern adaptations frequently make generous use of stucco in place of the elaborate brick and stone that is characteristic of original Tudor Revivals, however, their old world charm remains. For more information about original Tudor-style homes, please see our Tudor Style Guide.

Classic Home Hardware and Plumbing

Carry the nostalgic theme of your new classic home past the front door with high quality reproduction hardware and plumbing from Shop 4 Classics.

	Decorative vent covers are a great way to add character throughout your home. Registers and air return vents of many designs and finishes can be found in the Vent Covers department.		Unlike the originals, neotraditional homes do not suffer from a shortage of bathrooms. Equip your bathrooms with a nostalgic themed pedestal or console sink found in the Sinks department. Add a matching toilet from the Toilets department.
	Door hardware inspired by authentic historic patterns including Victorian, Art Deco, and Arts & Crafts Prairie styles can be found in the Door Hardware department.		Proving that the kitchen sink does not have to be merely functional, country kitchen sinks are as charming as they are practical. Kitchen sinks and faucets are located in the Kitchens department.

Publications

The Town Paper
The Town Paper, publisher of New Towns, is dedicated to topics of interest to residents, potential residents, architects, and builders of traditional neighborhood developments. New Towns is a quarterly publication that includes articles on general neotraditional neighborhood designs as well as focused articles on particular neighborhoods. The Town Paper website includes an extensive state-by-state list of neotraditional neighborhoods.

New Old House
The New Old House magazine, from the publishers of the Old House Journal, focuses on homes built to resemble classic American housing styles.

Additional Resources

TNDhomes.com
TNDhomes.com is a great online resource for those new to neotraditional neighborhood concepts as well as experienced developers and architects. In addition to offering house plans, TNDhomes.com provides online tours of established neotraditional neighborhoods.

Shop 4 Classics offers many tip topics to help you with your project. A list of these topics can be found in our Help Center. Additional on-line resources can be found in our Other Resources directory page.

Disclaimer

The resources listed here are for reference only. Shop 4 Classics is not associated with these resources nor does their listing imply endorsement of any kind.