ABSTRACT
Until the 20th century, the United States had a long history of founding settlements according to certain organizing principles. Many planners became so focused on promoting zoning that they overlooked and neglected older, more traditional ways of creating communities and failed to foresee the extent of sprawl, which was propelled by new interstate highways that served as "can openers" to develop the countryside. Communities interested in reestablishing traditional town character can adopt regulations restricting new town-house development to the more urban districts where buildings can be required to face onto streets and accommodate parking with alleys or lanes behind them. The principal characteristics of traditional towns includes incremental growth outward from their core, civic open spaces within and rural open space at edges, compactness and tighter form, medium density, pedestrian-friendly and auto-accessible design. The livability of compactly built neighborhoods depends on the provision, within easy walking distance, of parks, squares, greens, commons, or protected natural areas, whether formal or informal.
