Urban planning ideas and concepts that influenced the development of New Urbanism movement

Abstract

New Urbanism is an urban planning concept aimed at creation of a comfortable urban space, oriented towards human and environment that satisfies the communication needs of citizens, while retaining function of city as a system of effective  development, distribution and augmentation of resources, as well as the impact upon social structure through creation of conditions for communication between people. An ideal city for the adherers of New Urbanism is the one, where is the streets and public spaces are the center of social activity, and environment is adequate to a person. The article explores the urban planning concepts and ideas of the XX century: garden cities movement of Ebenezer Howard, regionalism of Patrick Geddes and Lewis Mumford, idea of neighborhood and superblock of Clarence Perry and Clarence Stein, impact of urban development practice of Jane Jacobs, Léon Krierm, Kevin Lynch and Donald Appleyard, as well as the factors of emergence of the Congress for the New Urbanism. The author examine the fundamental principles of each concept, their key representatives, as well as legacy or rejection of the ideas by the New Urbanism movement. Overall, the concept of New Urbanism suggests the approach towards city planning that is aimed at creation of comfortable urban environment oriented towards people. The New Urbanism movement is called to lay the foundation for sustainable development of urbanized territories, and establish such city planning principles and rearrangement of urban environment, which would be able to ensure high quality of life without damaging the natural framework.