Village Homes Smart Planning Features

 

community shared space 

open land: 

• there are 23 acres of orchards, vineyards, greenbelts, common areas, and parks including ’the big green'  

• and many pocket parks 

• making Village Homes a popular destination to stroll for residents and Davis locals

 

shared amenities  

• the solar heated pool

• community center 

• preschool

• cafe

• dance studio

• offices and workshop spaces

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an innovative subdivision layout     

the layout:

• clustering homes on small lots

• saves room for shared community amenities and open space

• unfenced backyards connect to a network of walking paths

• most homes face the shared green space and walking paths instead of the street creating a friendly, community-oriented neighborhood

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sustainable features

swales

• grading property to create streambed drainage 

• allows rainwater to be absorbed — no cement gutters 

heat from the sun

• enclosed greenhouse porches warm homes

• planted arbors offer shade in the summer months, and light in the winter

• solar panels and extra insulation keep homes at a steady temperature

• solar panels heat the community center and pool

innovation:

• subterranean design uses the same energy-efficient concept as traditional prairie homes

orientation:

• streets trend east-west and lots are oriented north-south to make full use of the sun's energy.

less asphalt

• streets are slender — less than 25' wide (with 30-foot side easements to meet requirements for emergency vehicles)

• no parking on the streets, instead: off-street parking bays

• short, curved streets = slow car speeds

• less asphalt & tree planting keeps the area 10º-15º cooler in the summer 

edible landscaping & community orchards 

• 26 types of fruit and nut trees and 2 grape vineyards are shared by residents

       and beautify the subdivision 

 

affordability — buyers/renters

• inclusion of duplexes, triplexes and smaller house sizes kept development and purchase prices down 

• there are 20 rent-controlled 'forever' apartments  

• the swales provide one third of the water for landscape needs

• orienting homes for sun saves 10% in heating costs annually

• less asphalt and lots of trees keeps the neighborhood 10º -15º cooler in the summer

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affordability — developers

• Smart Planning techniques lowered development costs

• the swale run-off system saved about $800 per household in construction costs (in 1975)

• the slender street design and clustered homes saved land costs

• the neighborhood plan saves space by giving each of the houses a modest private front yard, and clustering homes together on smaller sized lots

• although houses and lot sizes are smaller, the shared amenities & green space give community residents a high quality of life

both a positive and negative result of developing a smart-planned subdivision: 

• property values tend to rise faster. 

• Village Homes is now the most desirable subdivision in Davis    

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the stats & block plan

• the principal designer was Mike Corbett — who along with a group of other architects and urban planners created the Ahwahnee Principles. (Some of the group were the original members of the Congress for New Urbanism.)

• the crime rate in Village Homes is only 10% of the average for Davis

• a much greater proportion of total acreage is shared than in most suburban developments. 25% in greenbelts and 15% in common areas

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develop a Village Homes subdivision in your community

http://islandpress.org/book/designing-sustainable-communities

https://www.lgc.org/about/ahwahnee/

funding assistance

https://www.lgc.org/funding/