Let’s get the obvious sorted. “Mid-urbia” isn’t a real thing. Not yet anyway. Mid-urbia is a term that, to me, best describes an area that floats somewhere between an Urban and Suburban environment. It’s not likely that you’d have passed through one because they’re simply a concept. One drummed up by sustainability spokesman and urban strategy consultant Alex Steffen. It's one that bucks the congestive trend and threat of urbanization by shifting focus of the individual aspirations of say, building a “dream home”, and instead focusing on building a “dream neighborhood”.

In current urban environments, where space comes at a premium, this concept is appealing. Goods and services would be sharable and whole areas, including job-creating industries would be within walking distance. In fact, EVERYTHING would be within walking or riding (bike) distance. Cars would fall into obsolescence. Imagine an apartment complex chock-full o’ people you trust. Could it be achieved?

This is a pipe dream of sorts, but a promising one. Elements of what Steffen sees in the future are in fact already being flirted with certain surveys determining the “walkability” of your neighborhood popping up on the NY Times (one that can result in the value of ones home rising significantly), while some mobile apps have been created to locate the meditative and tranquil locations within your immediate surroundings.

Whether this passes that all too dreamy “concept stage” all depends on the demand of the people and the faith in a future city where everyone really knows your name.

Links to consider:

http://www.alexsteffen.com/
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/10/dream-house-dream-neighb...