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Creating
the 21st Century Master-Planned Community Requires...
A Vision for the Future
By Patrick S. Duffy, Managing Director of Consulting
with Hanley Wood Market Intelligence
Vision
Whether creating an ancient
city-state such as Athens or Rome or drafting the Declaration of Independence,
it’s never been a practical solution as much as a calling, and in the case of
today’s master-planned community, vision is the key.
In the not-so-distant past, some master-planned communities existed in name
only, in which a developer would sell off separate parcels to various builders,
add a stone or waterscape entry monument, throw in some pocket parks on awkward
parcels, dream up a country-sounding noun such as “Meadows” or “Canyons”
and call it a day. And yet others, built by Newhall Land in the Santa Clarita
Valley or The Irvine Company in Orange County, brought considerably more
gravitas to the table when master planning was still in its relative infancy. In
the process, these giant landowners showed that the right combination of homes,
jobs, schools, retail centers, and open space could strike a balance between the
needs of residents, businesses, visitors, politicians and -ahem – even
environmentalists.
Yet, like all visions, this one, too, has been accompanied by the painful
lessons of an evolving process. But if software companies like Microsoft get to
issue new releases which correct previous flaws with the promise of improved
function, land developers certainly have the same right. We’ll dub it Master
Planning Release 3.0, in which planners borrow from history, learn from past
mistakes and yet still keep open a watchful eye to create a living, breathing
21st century master-planned community.
Community Design
In
a bid to claim their own style, today’s X and Y Generations generally don’t
want to live in their parent’s type of ranch style or split-level home on a
cul-de-sac in which all trips to the store required a car or a bike. Ironically,
the typical suburban life that bestowed safety and stability in the latter half
of the 20th century did so at the price of what some have called cookie-cutter
homogeneity, making this new status quo uninteresting to the offspring who took
it for granted. With time now competing with money as the American family’s
most precious resource, these increasingly sophisticated buyers know a faux
master plan when they see it, and demand land planning that respects their free
time, values, and basic hunger for something inspiring.
To meet that demand – and also to pass muster in today’s political and
environmental climate – master plans such as Newhall Ranch (Santa Clarita
Valley), Centennial at Tejon Ranch (south of Bakersfield on the Kern/Los Angeles
County border), and River Islands (Lathrop, south of Stockton) start with a
decades-long process that marries the best of the suburban past (for example,
safety, services, and assumed quality) with a new vision of the future (better
jobs/housing balance, transportation options, open space and community
technology). At Newhall Ranch, streets that channel traffic onto thoroughfares
will slow traffic in neighborhoods, making it safer for residents to walk among
the interconnecting paseos and trails. At Centennial, an unusually broad mix of
housing options will seek to address demographic groups across the entire
spectrum, from starter apartments to active adult villas. And at River Islands,
the enormous influence of the adjacent San Joaquin River Delta is helping
developer Cambay Group market the project as a year-round vacation environment.
Jobs
With over 50,000 jobs, the
existing master plan Valencia by Newhall Land (now part of Lennar) has proven
that a healthy jobs/housing balance includes many family-friendly consequences,
such as driving less (helps the environment), biking or walking to work (helps
to regulate stress) and more free time at home (helps parents raise
better-adjusted kids). Part of the Newhall Ranch plan is a business park and
various retail centers intended to create 20,000 new jobs – a ratio of about
one job for the nearly 21,000 homes to be built. Centennial plans for over
30,000 new jobs and over 14 million square feet of commercial space, yielding a
ratio of 1.3 jobs for every one of its 23,000 new homes.
At Trimark’s 4,800-acre Mountain House community located near Tracy in
Northern California, up to 20,000 new jobs in its commercial parks will employ
nearly one-half of the expected 44,000 new residents. But River Islands must
take its new jobs most seriously, as developers cannot even gain crucial
building approvals unless they meet strict mandates to encourage employers to
relocate to their 300-acre business park and 100-acre town center. Thankfully,
local officials will be armed with up to a $55 million pool of incentives based
on an impact fee of $5,000 per unit, which should greatly help them land the
sort of high-paying jobs they’ll need to strike the right balance of local
housing demand against out-of-town commuters. Given that U.S. census figures
show Valencia’s daytime population is just 16 percent less than at night and
nearly one-third of its residents live and work in the city, it’s certainly a
model well-suited for duplication.
Environment
As the first new community to
be built on Los Angeles’ Westside in more than 50 years – and in a highly
visible location within sight of Marina Del Rey, a mile from the Pacific Ocean
and adjacent to newly restored marshland – what Playa Vista 
gained
in density it paralleled in positive public relations, devoting two-thirds of
the original property to open space and deeding the Ballona Freshwater Marsh to
the State of California in perpetuity. And, by recognizing that natural
resources are by definition limited, Playa Vista’s developers were early
adopters of the Sustainable Design trend now sweeping the industry, which
emphasizes not just recycling, conservation, and energy efficiency but also the
use of recycled, durable materials to construct the community itself. Once the
buildings are complete, residents will use the most efficient lighting and
appliances possible without sacrificing style, while custom-made, non-toxic
paints and finishes will improve indoor air quality. Reclaimed water will
nourish drought-resistant plants while low-emission trams will provide free
local transportation around the community.
As part of its “Smart Planning” strategy, Newhall Ranch will completely
preserve 6.5 square miles in the high country of the adjacent Santa Susanna
Mountains that will tower over the community while providing immediate access to
hiking, biking, camping and horseback riding. Since Newhall Ranch will be built
on land previously used for agriculture, developers can also tap part of that
historical water supply and combine it with unused water rights purchased from
owners as far away as the Central Valley. And by taking advantage of
drought-tolerant landscaping, using reclaimed water and storing it in
underground aquifers, developers have ingeniously promised a steady supply of an
increasingly controversial resource.
Not surprisingly, River Islands takes its namesake quite seriously, and has
introduced basins and man-made wetlands that clean storm water runoff before it
can enter a nearby lake, where it’s expected to drain through the sandy bottom
before refilling the river system. Planning well in advance of the recent
lessons of New Orleans, modern levees high and wide enough to protect against a
200-year flood will reduce downstream flooding while creating new wildlife
habitat and hundreds of acres of new storage capacity to the existing flood
bypass system. And, with 40 percent of the project devoted to open space,
management by a non-profit conservancy assures both public access and a positive
image well after the last home has been built.
Technology
With broadband penetration in
the U.S. now passing the 50 percent mark, developers no longer have the luxury
of hoping buyers won’t demand the latest technology in new communities. Given
its density, location, and buyer profiles, Playa Vista’s cutting-edge
technology master plan requires that all builders provide a comprehensive
high-tech package in addition to digital work spaces that aren’t simply stuck
in a converted closet. By partnering with the likes of Comcast (connectivity),
Cisco/Linksys (wiring), and CompUSA (design center selection, service, and
training), developers can offer competitive “best of breed” options while
focusing on their core business. Plus, with planned wi-fi service at various
parks and public spaces, “working from home” at Playa Vista takes on new
meaning.
Such connectivity takes on even more function with members-only, community-wide
intranets offered not just at Playa Vista (playalink.net) but many other large
master plans such as Mountain House (MyMountainHouse.com), Santa Luz in San
Diego County (Santaluzliving.com) and trend-setter Ladera Ranch in Orange County
(LaderaLife.com). Acting like an automated concierge, these multi-tasking Web
sites can snag early-morning tee times, review school grades, make restaurant
reservations, or help manage social events – all without having to rely on
that ancient technology, the telephone. And as cheaper and increasingly
sophisticated home theater systems compete more effectively against pricier
multi-plex cinemas, “date night” may devolve to a simple night at the house
down the street.
Education
With the California public
school system struggling to regain its original prestige against an intensely
competitive world that demands at least some college, schools in new, high-tech
communities have the distinct advantage of better resources and more convenient
parental involvement. While a Santaluz can piggyback on the renowned and
high-scoring Poway Unified School District, more remote communities such as
Mountain House, Centennial at Tejon Ranch, or River Islands involve districts
early on to add school sites in tandem with population growth. To ensure an
education supply as reliable as its water, Newhall Land actually funds school
construction in advance of full population growth. But since education is truly
a lifelong process, many master plans have partnered with community college
districts and universities to bring out the inner Cezanne in a stay-at-home Mom
or give that child prodigy the advanced calculus he needs. By leveraging the
power of an always-connected Internet, lifelong learning thus becomes limited
only by interest and ambition.
Recreation
Whether or not it’s true that
cul-de-sac living causes obesity, today’s master plans include such a wide
array of recreational options that it no longer matters; in fact, a
well-planned, conveniently located array of amenities is a primary reason
residents are willing to fork over an additional HOA fee or Mello-Roos tax.
Newhall Land reports that residents who grew up in Valencia but moved away
return due to the common-sense approach to mobility 
called
the paseo (walking paths connecting different parts of the community), so the
company is planning for 50 miles of such paths for Newhall Ranch that will also
connect with the vast open spaces that surround it. Of course, golf courses
remain a favorite form of open space, and many of these large master plans
don’t disappoint in terms of acreage and design. While Santaluz contents
itself with a single Rees Jones-designed course, Centennial at Tejon Ranch plans
two golf courses as well as 18 parks. Not to be outdone, River Islands will
feature the requisite golf course frontage as well as river(front), lake(front)
and canal(front) areas, while Mountain House proposes 750 acres devoted to parks
(including linear parks along waterways), a marina granting access to the Delta
and, of course, golf. Given these combinations of amenities, activities, and
technology to spread the word, it simply won’t be possible anymore to blame
planners for the sin of sloth.
Transportation & Mobility
With increased traffic keeping
no-growth NIMBYs (Not in My Back Yard) in a constant state of anxiety, the
number of new cars associated with a larger master plan requires a variety of
solutions to gain approval. Given its urban location, Playa Vista has been
investing more than $125 million within a 100-square-mile area including new
lanes, improved signals at over 100 key intersections, a new multi-lane road to
fight congestion, and the purchase of 10 city-run buses. Within the community
itself, a low-emission tram system provides public transit, while a partnership
with DaimlerChrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) offers individual
residents an all-electric car with multiple charging stations in key locations.
Similar plans are underway for Centennial at Tejon Ranch, with a circulation
plan incorporating private cars, public transit, bikes, pedestrians, and
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) built on a grid system with multiple
access points. At Newhall Ranch, the $120 million already committed for new
freeway interchanges and regional roads encouraged Caltrans to expedite road
improvements well in advance of the first home built. And, in a bid to the
future, developers have already reserved a right-of-way should the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) elect to extend Metrolink light rail service to
the community.
Social Life
While community intranets and
Web sites can make planning social engagements more efficient, 10 years of
Internet mania have proven that nothing can replace old-fashioned, in-person
interaction, and it is in this realm that large master plans truly excel. By
stealing a page from the active adult playbook – a centralized community
center – and combining the small-town feel that today’s buyers say they
want, future residents of River Islands, Santaluz, Windemere near San Ramon, and
many other master plans need not even leave the premises. The combination of the
19,000-square-foot Hacienda Santaluz and its adjacent 11-acre Village Green
becomes the beating heart of the members-only Santaluz Club, and also offers a
large pool, multi-purpose gym, fitness facility, lighted tennis courts with
stadium seating, a pro shop for golfers, and rooms for various clubs. The
children (ages 3 to 10) of club members even get their own version called Camp
Santaluz with sports clinics, storytelling, science presentations, and
traditional summer camp activities.
At River Islands, Lathrop Landing Town Center will provide not just a riverfront
central village but immediate access to its most obvious amenity, the San
Joaquin River. Over at Mountain House, the self-contained Community Services
District controlling everything from water to phone service will allow residents
to manifest their own destinies with their Town Centers the hub of activity for
shopping, business, sports, and entertainment with a turn-of-the-century,
small-town ambience. And, while Windemere plans a community center offering an
eclectic mix of uses including a police sub-station, performing arts theater,
dance studio, gym, and day care administered by the City of San Ramon, Playa
Vista is hoping to turn over its planned Village Retail Center to the creative
mind of Rick Caruso, the retail developer behind the hit project The Grove near
the historic Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles.
Making the Vision Work
If vision is the art of seeing
the invisible, then actually bringing the vision to fruition is the commerce of
the practical. Only by catering to an often-quarreling group of conflicting
demands can a large master plan build its first home or lease its first retail
store. Yet like all great things, the sum of its parts working together –
including residents, businesses, and government – may ultimately create
something far greater than the original planners envisioned. That’s when you
know that builders and developers don’t just build homes – sometimes they
truly can inspire a new way of living.
Patrick S. Duffy is a Managing Director of Consulting with
Hanley Wood Market Intelligence (formerly Meyers Group).
He can be
reached at pduffy@hanleywood.com.
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