Seaside

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The streets are all interconnected, creating a network that eliminates "collector" routes and reduces congestion. Walkways crisscross the development to encourage walking and biking, while narrow streets serve to reduce traffic speed. By keeping the number of parking lots in the community to a minimum, parallel street parking is encouraged, providing pedestrians a buffer between themselves and traffic. To further this sense of "place" along the streets, building fronts are a uniform distance from the curb and all streets are tree-lined.

The most important features of this development are the ones that promote interaction among the community's residents. Mandatory porches are set close enough to walkways to enable porch sitters and passersby to communicate without raising their voices. The community has a discernible center, creating a common gathering place, and necessities -- stores, schools, post office -- are located within a five-minute walk of each dwelling.

Seaside's principal buildings are a school, a town hall, open air market, tennis club, tented amphitheater and post office.

Features of Seaside

• The Seaside plan was designed to optimize waterfront access and views for all of the town's residents, not just those with beach front home sites.
• The community's porch-lined streets and walkways all lead to the beach or town center.
• Seaside's design places an emphasis on the town's public spaces, which range from its main square to the pedestrian-only footpaths at the centers of blocks.
• Considerable architectural variety exists at Seaside, with designs spanning styles such as Victorian, Neoclassical, Cracker, Modern, Postmodern and Deconstructivist.
• A network of sand walkways cuts through the middles of blocks, enabling one to walk comfortably to the beach in bare feet.
• The majority of the buildings on the beach are public.
• The town's market area uses shipping containers for construction. Their industrial character is softened by the addition of gable roofs, wooden columns and fabric canopies.
• Fences must be of a different style than all the others on the block. Front porches are set back about 16 feet behind the fences so that those having conversations with passersby would not have to raise their voices.
• The streets offer pedestrians the feeling of being in a public room. This is accomplished by keeping the streets narrow and having buildings with uniform fronts.