Hudson Farm
Hudson, AL
Project Description
The Hudson Farm, located in eastern Montgomery, Alabama, is formed by several parcels of land totaling approximately 2,100 acres. The site is immediately adjacent to Pike Road, an important north-south road connection running through the City, Montgomery County, and Town of Pike Road. The recently adopted City of Montgomery Smartcode promotes the development of the property as a new community consisting of a series of neighborhoods which follow a set of prescribed rules based on traditional neighborhood design (TND). The Smartcode proposes that new communities be compact, pedestrian-oriented, and mixed-use, in contrast to the single-use conventional suburban development which is prevalent in eastern Montgomery. Creating whole neighborhoods and towns, rather than pockets of suburban development, is a vital step towards creating a sustainable development footprint (Hudson Land Development and Urban Villages).
From June 20 -27, a design charrette was held to plan the future of Hudson Farm. A team of town planners, landscape architects, architects, transportation and civil engineers, and marketing and lifemaking experts were assembled by the town founders, Hudson Land Development Company and Urban Villages, Inc. The Hudson Family is a fourth generation Montgomery family; Jerry Hudson began assembling the current farm property as a cattle and horse ranch in 1973. Urban Villages, founded by Grant and Tom McCargo, is a real estate investment and development group based in Denver Colorado. Their organization has a multigenerational outlook, and embraces timeless design, long term investment horizons, and environmentally responsible building practices. At the charrette, the founders presented a set of Guiding Principles and Core Values that helped to direct the process. These principles will be a foundation to return to as the design process continues (Hudson Land Development and Urban Villages).
The Hudson Project design charrette included key members from Andropogon Associates, LTD; Auburn University, School of Architecture; Chael, Cooper & Associates, Inc; Civitech, Inc; Dover, Kohl & Partners; Ecos,Goodwyn, Mill & Cawood; Hall Planning & Engineering, Inc; Jeff Speck, AICP; Milesbrand; Sottile & Sottile; Zimmerman/Volk Associates, Inc.
NSI Project Contributions
NSI is helping to lead design activities at all levels. Specifically, NSI is spearheading the design and development of the potable, non-potable water supply, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, water reuse, watershed restoration efforts. Due to the cutting edge nature of this project, NSI is helping the State of Alabama write water reuse regulations to allow for this type of development to flourish. The Hudson Project is a massive undertaking, driven by an ambitious client and a talented integrated design team. The project has the potential to set a benchmark for sustainable development in the State of Alabama.
