New Urbanism comes to Central PA (Harrisburg, Lower Allen: appointed, 2013, apartments)

[DowntownHarrisburg]

There's already one development well underway. The mixed-use section is almost finished and already sold out:

Walden Crossroads | Charter Homes | Harrisburg New Homes

Charter Homes' smartly designed townhomes combine the unparalleled amenities of the Walden community with local village living found nowhere but Walden Crossroads. Neighborhood shops blend seamlessly with select elegantly-appointed townhomes - putting a great shopping experience at The Shops at Walden just down the street.

There's another one just around the corner:

Lower Allen Township commissioners weigh zoning changes that could allow large neighborhood-style development | PennLive.com

Someday people could be strolling down the main street of a town center not far from their homes on rural land in Lower Allen Township that has been in the family of Emerson Lesher for five generations. The proposed development would have a dense core area with retail and commercial businesses, restaurants and multi-family housing such as apartments and townhomes. The density would diminish as development spread outward from the core area.

I abhor suburbs, but this is a big step in the right direction. Suburbs to me combine the worst of rural living (long commute, zero walkability, high infrastructure costs) with the worst of city living (lack of open space, noise, congestion, lack of privacy). Development like this goes a long way towards fixing some (but not all) of those issues. You've got a handful of retail businesses within walking distance, you've got beautifully landscaped green space, and you've got a layout that heavily favors pedestrians and bicycles over cars.

One of the interesting things about Walden is, according to their master plan on file with Silver Spring Township, they're making substantial improvements to the surrounding area: A bike lane the entire length of Woods Drive, widening bridges as necessary; a traffic light at intersections that will be impacted by the development; a 33-acre community park bolted on to the existing park; and open-to-the-public access to all the parks and walking trails that will line the development upon completion.

This is a far cry from the cookie-cutter developments where every townhome looks the same. Both neighborhoods look to have staggered setbacks and varying facades, all designed to look like an existing old village.

If Vartan had done this to Lotsville in the city instead of sinking their money into the Titanic...er, I mean 1500 Project, we'd all be talking about the five-year dramatic turnaround of uptown Harrisburg.