What is New Urbanism?
In a nutshell, New Urbanism is an approach to land planning that reduces traffic and eliminates sprawl. A New Urbanist neighborhood resembles an old European village or pre-war U.S. small town with homes and businesses clustered together. Instead of driving on highways, residents of New Urbanist neighborhoods can walk to shops, businesses, theaters, schools, parks and other important services. Buildings and recreational areas are arranged to foster a sense of community closeness. New Urbanist designers also place importance on earth-friendly architecture, energy conservation, historic preservation and accessibility.
What makes Mueller a New Urbanist community? Click the links in the left column and find out!
Adaptive Reuse of a Former Airport Site:
The award-winning Mueller land plan takes a conveniently located, underused piece of land and adapts it for an exciting reuse: an "urban village" in the heart of Austin. This urban infill redevelopment of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, a 711-acre Brownfield site, includes the restoration of three historic buildings.
Mueller Central houses Catellus offices and the community information center. This building, formerly an aviation terminal and administrative building, has now achieved a USGBC LEED Gold rating.
Browning Hangar, the only wooden bow-trussed hangar in the U.S., has been restored and will be repurposed.
The air traffic control tower, dedicated by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1961, will be restored and remain a landmark for the community.
Neighborhoods with a Diversity of Housing Opportunities:
In the spirit of traditional Austin neighborhoods, Mueller neighborhoods will include a wide range of housing types contributing to a diversity of lifestyles. Mueller is planned to be home to approximately 10,000 residents.
Mueller’s first residential phase encompasses nearly 350 homes of more than 4,600 planned for the development. The first phase includes three home types – yard homes, row homes and garden court homes – of diverse prices, styles and sizes. The first residents moved in fall 2007. The second phase is currently under construction and includes additional home types. The first 442 apartment homes are also under construction and a second complex is planned to begin fall 2008.
Mueller will offer housing choices that create a new community of socially and economically diverse residents. At least 25% of all homes for-rent and for-sale will be offered in the Mueller Affordable Homes Program. Homes available through the income-qualifying affordable homes program are interspersed throughout the neighborhoods and are consistent in style with the market rate homes. Mueller’s first phase includes 71 of what will be more than 1,150 homes offered through this unique shared-equity program.
A Vibrant Town Center:
Within walking distance of the surrounding neighborhoods, Mueller's town center will be a place where residents, workers and visitors can shop, live, work and play.
A walkable and transit-oriented town center provides the social, cultural and commercial focus for both the new community and the surrounding neighborhoods. This vibrant mixed-use district is envisioned to be the heart of the Mueller community, comprised of higher density residential and office buildings. This mid-rise district will have a ground-level environment of street-oriented retail shops, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public-serving uses.
A Major Employment Center:
Mueller provides opportunities for economic development and job creation in a way that complements and extends the compact and pedestrian-friendly pattern of the community.
Mueller will be home to as many as 10,000 jobs, anchored by the 30-acre Dell Children's Medical Center, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, the first building in The University of Texas Health Research Campus, the administrative headquarters of the Seton Family of Hospitals, SEDL, Strictly Pediatrics Subspecialty Center, and more than 20 retail stores and the Austin Studios film production complex.
An Interconnected System of Parks and Open Spaces:
Mueller will be connected to the surrounding community through a system of hike and bike trails and bike lanes that extend over 13 miles of the development. Pedestrian friendly walkways and dedicated bike lanes help connect residents and visitors to over 140 acres of parks and open spaces.
More than 75 acres of parkland and greenspace will be complete by summer 2008. Visitors to Mueller will enjoy new lakes, trails, playscapes and 15,000 new trees. The amphitheater in the 30-acre Lake Park creates a place to gather, while the 32-acre Southwest Greenway, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s restored Blackland Prairie, will be a place to learn.
A Pattern of Pedestrian-Friendly Streets:
Mueller streets are designed to serve as an extension of the open space, pedestrian and bicycle network, and contribute to the community’s sense of place and identity. The buildings create friendly, active edges while the roadways and streets are designed to distribute traffic in a way that minimizes the impact on adjacent communities. Homes are oriented towards the street with stoops and porches that encourage neighborliness.
Transit as a Viable Alternative to the Automobile:
Mueller is planned as one of Austin's major transit-oriented developments with Capital Metro bus service and a proposed extension of the Capital Metro Rail system upon voter approval. The pattern and intensity of development is planned in conjunction with a comprehensive program of transit improvements aimed at reducing automobile dependence.
A central transit boulevard offers a corridor for bus, rapid bus and possible future commuter or light rail through the community, which will put the majority of residents and employees—as many as 20,000 people—within a ten-minute walk of the transit system.
Sustainability:
The Mueller community embraces the fundamental tenets of sustainable development and design and is intended to develop a new model of “green urbanism” at three distinct levels: Green Community Design, Green Buildings and Green Infrastructure.
The park system and lakes are designed to reduce off-site flooding and to filter pollutants from storm water.
Over 15,000 trees, including over 500 rescued pecan trees, and various sustainable and indigenous plant materials will create an eco-friendly environment that will aid to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
A reclaimed water system will provide irrigation for the majority of the community. An Austin Energy hybrid plant provides off-the-grid support to the hospital and nearby commercial development.
Green Building:
Mueller combines national principals for green building developed by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED with Austin Energy's Green Building Program to encourage resource efficient design, the selection of regional materials that are non-toxic, recycled and sustainably harvested, and site designs that provide heat island mitigation, light pollution reduction and storm water management.
Listed below are some of the first structures at Mueller on track to achieve ratings from either USGBC's LEED rating system or Austin Energy's star rating system:
Mueller Central - LEED Gold and 4-star
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas - LEED Platinum submitted
Ronald McDonald House - LEED Platinum submitted and the first "House" to go solar
Regional Retail - 3-star submitted
Residential Homes - 3- to 5- star submitted
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