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Award-winning planner puts the consumer first
September 05, 1999 Daily News
By KELLY HUMPHREY, Daily News Contributing Writer
Not too long ago, internationally renowned community planner David Jensen stopped by the Niceville area to visit Swift Creek, the new community he designed for developer Walt
Ruckel.
As president of David Jensen Associates Inc., a Colorado-based planning and consulting firm, Jensen has won numerous awards for his projects, which range from large golf course communities to small-scale empty nester neighborhoods.
Jensen-designed communities vary in size, scope and location: from Hawaii to the Philippines, and from California to New York.
During his visit, Jensen spoke to a group of Swift Creek property owners and other interested visitors about his goals for Swift Creek, and about current trends in community planning.
"David brings 30 years of experience on numerous projects that have become successful environmentally, aesthetically and financially," Walt Ruckel said of Jensen. "He strongly believes in letting the natural features of the site guide the land planning and design process, while balancing customer needs and preferences."
Shortly after his visit to Niceville, Jensen shared some thoughts about the trends he has observed in community planning and development.
"As we look to the future, a common thread appears: the need to create and sustain a better quality of life in a world with diminishing resources," Jensen said. "Nowhere is this more important than in the communities where we live and work and play, and where our children and grandchildren will live tomorrow. There are many issues, and opportunities, to ensure that life will be better in the third millennium."
Jensen points to research that indicates that most consumers are still looking for the American dream in a suburban setting, despite the growing prominence of communities designed under the "New Urbanism," or "Neo-Traditional" guidelines.
"Our research would show that they're heading in the wrong direction," Jensen said of designers who promote high density, self-contained communities. "Higher densities are just rejected by most consumers. Most Americans still look at moving to the suburbs as a reward for their achievements. In the case of younger families, they may be wanting to move out of a high density apartment complex to a neighborhood with more room for their children and less traffic."
In fact, a survey conducted for the American Lives study in 1995 showed that the No. 1 desire of new homeowners was finding a home in a neighborhood with quiet streets and with low traffic, preferably on a cul-de-sac or circle design.
Second on the neighborhood wish list was lots of natural open spaces, followed by the existence of walking and biking trails and established schools.
"A similar study done in 1998 came up with almost identical results," Jensen said.
While Jensen believes that most consumers prefer a less compact layout than those found in neo-traditional communities such as Seaside, he does point to some examples that his design philosophy and the New Urbanism Movement have in common.
"We're seeing a real desire for a sense of community in a neighborhood, a sense of connectivity," Jensen said. "One way that can be achieved is with the establishment of common areas where people can come together and see their neighbors - in a park, a community center, or maybe even a school."
In designing Swift Creek, Jensen paid close attention to the topographical and environmental features of the site. It's a practice that he has followed with all of his developments.
"What Mother Nature gave us guides our design," he said. "In Swift Creek, we've set aside lots of natural, open space, which has become a part of the community."
Jensen notes that designers have to be sensitive to the needs of all members of the community when designing common areas and amenities.
"In most neighborhoods, you will have a broad range of family types, so we've been careful to design different amenities for different age groups," he said.
While there may be no such thing as a community that meets the needs of all homebuyers, Jensen believes that developers and land planners must take the consumer's interests into consideration if they want to be successful.
"Savvy buyers today are making a list of what they want in a neighborhood, and they're checking each community they visit to see if the developers are addressing those issues in their comprehensive plans," he said. "Developers have to be prepared for that if they want to succeed."
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