I’ve been asked numerous times whether Kitson & Partners has been involved in any other project similar to Babcock Ranch. The simple answer is no, because there has never been a project quite like Babcock Ranch.
The community we’re creating in Southwest Florida, and the process we’re using to create it, is unprecedented. Yes, there are other communities of similar size, but none of them were planned. They just happened. Yes, there are numerous master planned communities, but none of this magnitude, or with any comparable focus on self-sustainability, environmental stewardship and hurricane preparedness.
I’ve been asked numerous times whether Kitson & Partners has been involved in any other project similar to Babcock Ranch. The simple answer is no, because there has never been a project quite like Babcock Ranch.
The community we’re creating in Southwest Florida, and the process we’re using to create it, is unprecedented. Yes, there are other communities of similar size, but none of them were planned. They just happened. Yes, there are numerous master planned communities, but none of this magnitude, or with any comparable focus on self-sustainability, environmental stewardship and hurricane preparedness.
The Babcock Ranch Community defies existing labels. The integration of nature and environmental responsibility with metropolitan features requires its own category, perhaps best described as “eco-politan.”
What defines an eco-politan community? An eco-politan community is a place where green technologies, alternative transportation, clustered development amidst expansive greenways and blue ways, and environmental planning are combined with all the comforts of city life. It’s a community that creates a true “sense of place” with features such as pedestrian-friendly community centers, civic meeting spaces in the town center and neighborhood schools. It’s a community that sets aside 50 percent of the land for open space. It’s a community that can stand up to the toughest weather conditions that the tropics can produce. It’s a community that minimizes development impacts, and most importantly prevents sprawl.
At Kitson & Partners, we are encouraged by the increased interest and commitment to sustainable and responsible growth - both within the building industry and among homeowners. Consumer demand is the key to moving green building from niche to mainstream. The momentum is growing as home buyers seek walkable, bikeable, storm resistant, environmentally sensitive communities – eco-politan communities - where families of all walks of life can live, work, learn and play. We believe that Kitson & Partners, with our new Babcock Ranch community, is leading the way.