Urban Density in Town
For those curious about the numbers that make up Las Catalinas, Beach Town achieves an impressive urban density of 12.76 front doors per acre, surpassing even renowned New Urbanist projects like Seaside, Florida which settle in at 6 front doors per acre. To put that density into perspective, let's compare that to another urban center that many of us have visited, Miami Beach, Florida. Miami Beach comes in at 12 front doors per acre, and although the number is similar to Las Catalinas' urban density, Beach Town gives the impression of being much more spacious thanks to the absence of cars.
An emphasis on compact, walkable spaces ensures that residents and visitors alike can enjoy an interconnected community. So much livable space is forfeited to make room for motorized vehicles even in the best urban context. Everything is built to last centuries in Beach Town, with architecture that stands up to heavy rains, intense sun, changes in trending tastes, and our own rich and intricate urbanism and topography. The architecture is predominantly simple and consistent, achieving harmony without uniformity. Small details at the human scale make for a delightful walk while allowing general architecture to be the backdrop. We are guided by the design philosophy that there is always beauty in what is truly practical.
Las Catalinas has even won awards specifically for its design. The Worldwide Urban Guild Design Excellence Award stated “All elements are arranged to create a series of wonderful, walkable public spaces interwoven with nature. The architecture is adapted for outdoor living, a constant ebb and flow of residents and visitors enrich the scene, and every street leads to scenic overlooks.” The Worldwide Urban Design Guild focuses on the use of successful principles of architecture and urbanism to create and promote the design of places that people love, and Las Catalinas is definitely a well-loved place.
We are proud of all the public spaces and buildings that have made Beach Town a great example of urban density improvement without cars, and look forward to the completion of our next construction phase with El Prado underway.