hen the town of Seaside, Florida was created, it was the first manifestation of what has since become known as the New Urbanism. This return to the traditional neighborhood as a model has changed the way builders and planners view development, world-wide.

From the beginning, Robert Davis, Seaside's founder, realized that Seaside would benefit from constant study and refinement in order to ensure its residents a full community life. He created The Seaside Institute in 1982 for just this purpose, using Seaside as a living laboratory.

The Seaside Institute (SI) provides the information and the tools to drive and inspire the successful communities of the future. SI helps to give practitioners in the design and development fields the skills they require to help transform their neighborhoods. SI seminars teach the theory and practice of New Urbanism and Smart Growth and aim to remind practitioners that community is more than just building codes and traffic engineering. We invite you to become involved with The Seaside Institute, a non-profit organization.Through its forums and conferences on architecture, planning and urban affairs, The Institute has become a dynamic resource for everyone interested in making communities better.


Take a look at our programs and events. Become a member.

Help The Institute explore how our cities and towns can become better places to live.


                                                   The Seaside Institute Board
                                                               2008