Top 5 TNDs in the Southeast to watch

While there are, of course, far more than 5 TNDs (traditional neighborhood developments) in the Southeastern U.S. that are innovative and interesting enough to keep a close eye on, these are the five that have most attracted my notice:

1. Davidson, NC. Ok, this isn’t actually a TND – it’s a whole entire town, which is even better. I spent four years there, at Davidson College, so I can vouch for them: the city takes its planning quite seriously, and has maintained an authentic small-town demeanor despite the rampant development that was going on when I left in 2006. They have a great affordable housing initiative, lovely old neighborhoods, a really cute downtown, and a bicycling master plan in the works. Sidewalks are plentiful, and hundreds of kids walk to Davidson Elementary and Davidson Middle School every day.

2. Serenbe, in Palmetto, GA. Home to its own organic farm and horse stables, Serenbe has merged agricultural values with New Urban design. The community has a luxury inn and gourmet restaurant, which uses the farm’s produce, in addition to its residences and businesses. One of Serenbe’s most exceptional qualities is the amount of land that the founders are conserving: 70% of the 900 acres will be preserved as green space. Though Serenbe’s already gotten tons of local and national coverage, the community is still in its early stages, and promises much. I’m interested to see how Serenbe affects the area’s transportation patterns; will most residents commute to Atlanta, 32 miles away? Will the neighborhood draw growth towards it?

Another point of interest: my old roommate, Mary Kathryn Wyle, just finished an 8-month stint at the Serenbe farm and has a wonderful blog describing her experience, as well as all things to do with farming, cooking, and food in general: The Raw and the Cook.

3. Verdae, Greenville, SC. This massive development (1100 acres) has been heralded by some as the next I’On of Greenville…who knows? It’s got a retirement community (which means that several generations can live closely to one another, even if the elderly are in assisted living), a 300-acre TND, commercial space, a 20-acre park, and townhomes and apartments in the works. From what I can tell, Verdae is an attempt to create a city center outside of downtown Greenville, which has undergone some mega revitalization; if it works, Greenville will continue to be a model for citywide planning and development. This is definitely one to watch in the next few years.

4. Sky, near Clarksville, FL. While I’m not crazy about the “eco-luxury” tagline – I think I can assume that means that there will be no affordable housing here – Sky is another community, like Serenbe, that is taking sustainability quite seriously. Gardens, both private and community, as well as orchards and vineyards, are planned to supply most of the food that Sky residents consume. Homes are designed for both passive and active solar, and are equipped with cisterns to catch rainwater.

5. Cellars at Betty’s Creek, NC. The website doesn’t tell me exactly where in NC this neighborhood is, but it’s somewhere near Asheville, in the western mountains. Another conservation development, 500 of the 600 acres are being placed in an conservation easement and will be open to all residents of the community. Some killer amenities come with owning a home here: 10 cases of wine per year from the community’s vineyard; unlimited access to the produce and flowers from Betty’s Creek gardens; free guest accomodation in a restored 1820s lodge; and, of course, roaming rights over all the conserved land.