ABSTRACT
Europe has a vibrant urban legacy, yet its cities also face the crises of the contemporary era. Issues of sprawl, crime, and traffic force residents to consider alternative strategies to accommodate the needs of new households. In this chapter, we consider how new urbanism may be influencing planning practice in Europe. Since the Renaissance, proponents of classical forms have always had a voice in Europe. Revivals of traditional architectural practices occurred several times in recent centuries. To what extent are new urban approaches indigenous to Europe, and to what degree do they respond to the new urbanism movement in America? Many of the elements of new urbanism draw on models of the European city, so we should not find it surprising to see the movement gain popularity abroad. At the same time, though, Europeans may resist adopting ideas from ‘the colonies’. While a few architects are working diligently to establish a European (new) urbanism movement, by and large we have to conclude that European nations are making their own new urban approaches that are similar in many ways to trends in North America, but with some unique features. The European image of good community form does not prove entirely congruent with the American new urbanism prescription.
