A Study of Integrating the Principles of New Urbanism with Urban Development Indicators for Achieving Community Sustainability: Case of the Communities in Beitou District Taipei

However, this set of indicators was established at city scale and was not totally suitable for applying at the neighborhood scale. To define a set of indicators for sustainable community development, this study aims to understand the causalities and the trade-off relationships between indicators based on New Urbanist Development Concept, through statistical analyzing and integrating the theories of urban design, time geography, and activity-travel patterns.

The selection of indicators is derived from interviewing and questionnaire surveys. Statistical examination of a set of environmental variables based on 17 Beitou’s neighborhoods shows that the more the high-rise buildings above 6 floors, the higher the sense of community, which in turn fosters a “self-organizing” sustainable community. To facilitate a “self-sustaining” community, this study also finds that the closer the distance from transit station, together with the higher the persons per household and the higher the degree of mixing land uses, the shorter of the daily travel distance.