In Remembrance of Doug Boone, 1945-2012

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Doug Boone, a Charlotte-based developer and leader in the New Urbanism movement, passed away last Thursday at the young age of 66.

Doug is best known for his contribution of the New Neighborhood in Old Davidson, a first-of-its-kind development for Davidson, North Carolina. The New Neighborhood in Old Davidson is a mixed-use development around the landmark St. Alban's  Episcopal Church. The neighborhood changed the face of suburban development in Davidson; while most suburbs were large plots of single family homes, the New Neighborhood in Old Davidson included dense single-family homes, townhomes, retail and office space, and civic space, all centered around the St. Alban's Church. The NNOD focused on creating abundant space for the community to use as a whole.

Boone acknowledged that place starts with architecture - that without architecture, there is no value in the community. Critics, mainly from surrounding developments, claimed the NNOD would take away from Davidson's "quality of life with the mix of uses." The development eventually went through, and today, Davidson has propspered. Proving its value, the neighborhood attracts many visitors from around the country every year. Although the development was extremely controversial at first, the New Neighborhood in Old Davidson won the 2007 Association of the Year via the North Carolina Chapter of the Community Association Institute.

Doug Boone will be remembered for his introduction of New Urbanism into the Charlotte area.

For more information on the New Neighborhood in Old Davidson, please click here. 

And to read more about Doug Boone's life, please click here.