Queenstown: The revitalization of a small town. The search for authenticity, community and green environment (Maryland).

摘要

Small towns are great places to live. In a small town walking is comfortable and promotes a sense of community and belonging because distances are close and the design of streets and buildings are on a human scale. At the same time that small towns are great places to live, many small towns are languishing. Why should this be so when there is an idealized image of life in a small town and the sense of community that supposedly exists there? These small towns already have the qualities of New Urbanism, which, as Peter Calethorpe points out, was based on urban design principles and structured on public space, pedestrian use, diversity and hierarchy, and the possession of discernable edges.; Rather than building “new” small towns, “existing” small towns are an untapped opportunity to become, once again, high-quality places to live. This thesis proposes that revitalized existing small towns can provide an environment that is favorable to a good quality of life, and will attract people in lieu of living in the suburbs. The research showed that there are three overarching principles that will contribute to the viability of renewing a small town: (1) Authenticity; (2) Community; (3) Green Environment.