The builder's choice awards bore witness to the birth and maturation of traditional neighborhood design, starting with the concept's poster child, a budding Seaside, Fla., in 1986. The idea of revitalizing residential streets along grids instead of cul-de-sacs, of providing alley-accessed garages instead of having them dominate the streetscape, of pushing front elevations closer to the curb to encourage community, and of mixing complementary styles of housing moved quickly from the fringe of Seaside's resort town plan to the main streets of metro areas thirsty for nostalgia with a modern sensibility.

Project: Seaside, Point Washington, Fla.; Entrant/Land planner: Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (now Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co.), Miami; Builder: Seaside Community Development Corp., Seaside, Fla.

Project: Madison Lane, Newport Beach, Calif.; Entrant/ Architect/Land planner: Dahlin Group Architects, San Ramon, Calif.; Builder: California Pacific Homes, Irvine, Calif.

POSTER TOWN: Resembling a pre–World War II Southern town rather than what would typically be envisioned as a South Florida resort community, Seaside (above), which earned a grand award for community design in 1986, quickly became the benchmark for new town planning. With zoning restrictions etched in illustrations more so than in precise edicts, Seaside achieved a harmony of design without sacrificing creativity, color, and customization.
POSTER TOWN: Resembling a pre–World War II Southern town rather than what would typically be envisioned as a South Florida resort community, Seaside (above), which earned a grand award for community design in 1986, quickly became the benchmark for new town planning. With zoning restrictions etched in illustrations more so than in precise edicts, Seaside achieved a harmony of design without sacrificing creativity, color, and customization.
SWEET STREETS: By the late 1990s, neo-traditional planning was mainstream, but the idea of mixing housing styles along the same street was still a bit out there in the high-volume production realm. A groundbreaker of mass customization, Madison Lane (left) in Newport Beach, Calif., the 1998 Project of the Year, deftly creates community character out of diverse forms and a trio of lot sizes that enabled staggered setbacks and a staggering sales pace.
SWEET STREETS: By the late 1990s, neo-traditional planning was mainstream, but the idea of mixing housing styles along the same street was still a bit out there in the high-volume production realm. A groundbreaker of mass customization, Madison Lane (left) in Newport Beach, Calif., the 1998 Project of the Year, deftly creates community character out of diverse forms and a trio of lot sizes that enabled staggered setbacks and a staggering sales pace.

Learn more about markets featured in this article: Los Angeles, CA, Orlando, FL.