Abstract

New Urbanism (NU) is a complex planning paradigm and social movement that has recently become influential in planning, residential development, and government housing circles. To introduce this special issue on NU, we describe the history and important figures of the movement and provide a brief literature review of popular, academic, and professional presses. Because NU is a multifaceted phenomenon, we advocate an interdisciplinary approach to understanding it, one that would promote constructive dialogue and a range of perspectives (and choices) within and between disciplines, professions, and communities. From the vantage point of the academic community (in particular, geography), we argue that various theoretical and methodological perspectives can contribute to a more progressive understanding and implementation of NU practices at various scales. We conclude by outlining three areas for future research: documenting how NU is understood and implemented by urban professionals, analyzing urban infill projects, and conducting ethnographies of neotraditional towns.