Smyrna Market VIllage

As I mentioned last week in my presentation on New Urbanism, I believe that the strict New Urbanist concept may ultimately fall by the wayside as developers will tend to pick and choose from New Urbanist principles that best fit their goals (and budgets). However, I think that the movement has, and will continue, to shift the market in a significant way, especially in terms of popularizing the mixed use development. An example of one such development that I am quite familiar with is the Smyrna Market Village. While it was not built with the aim of creating a true New Urbanist development, it has succeeded in introducing diverse and walkable commercial uses into an existing neighborhood.


The entrance to the village faces Atlanta road and features welcoming storefronts, eatery patios and nice landscaping.
The central roadway is divided down the center with large park-like medians.
Several civic buildings have been incorporated into the village including city hall, a recreational center, and the public library. These buildings serve as focal points as they are located at the axises of the development.

Residential units were included in the village. There are large condominiums over the retail stores and patio homes adjacent to city hall immediately behind the village.