At the Simplicity development in Charlottesville more land is being left open than is actually being developed. The developers plan no through streets, only a central parking area with foot access to homes, parks and open spaces. Children will be able to safely bike or walk to the neighborhood elementary school in about 10 minutes, and commuters can use bus service to connect with rail and other forms of transit. The University of Virginia, the region's largest employer, is 15 minutes away by bus.
Simplicity also pushes the envelope when it comes to green-building techniques.
The houses will be constructed with extensive use of natural or environmentally friendly building materials and will be very energy efficient. Solar water heaters and special floor heating systems will be incorporated into all the homes. Though developers hope to make this the greenest community of its kind in the area, the goal is to keep these homes affordable. In fact, over half of the housing stock will be reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 80 percent or less of the area's average monthly income. Perhaps the best thing about Simplicity is that it is designed to last.