Selling The New Urbanism

"The new urbanism has long been marked by confident assertions and bold rhetoric that, depending on your perspective, can be taken as anything from hyperbole to good, old-fashioned hype. Thus, it was no real surprise when, in welcoming the more than 50 participants to the recent "Marketing New Urban and Smart Growth Communities" conference in Seaside, Fla., consultant Jackie Benson took to the podium and declared, without the slightest hint of irony, "We are a group that is changing the world."But while such a pronouncement may certainly seem in character, whether or not it ever proves to be true is irrelevant. What matters is that it so evocatively captured the energy in the room at the moment it was spoken. It communicated, without the slightest question, how it feels to be a new urban marketer. It conveyed, in essence, the experience."

Thanks to Laura Kranz