Urbanism vs. new urbanism – A tale of two cities in one
By : J. David Chapman/August 7, 2025
Julie and I just returned from a few days in Panama City, Florida. Not to be confused with the tourist-heavy Panama City Beach, this is the historic downtown—a city with deep roots, hit hard by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and now undergoing a significant reinvestment. I had heard about the effort and wanted to see it for myself. What I found was a fascinating distinction—almost a case study—between “urbanism” and “New Urbanism.”
Urbanism, in its most classic sense, is organic. It’s the centuries-old street grids, narrow alleys, public markets, and civic buildings that evolved out of necessity and tradition. You see it in port towns, rail towns, and early state capitals. It’s what I write about in my new book titled subURBAN!. Panama City’s bones reflect that history. Its downtown is walkable, with older buildings hugging the sidewalks, modest blocks, and a waterfront anchoring the scene. In many ways, it has what newer places try to recreate.
But just a few miles down the road sits a different story—one more curated. Places like Seaside, Rosemary Beach, and Alys Beach embody the principles of New Urbanism—a planning movement that intentionally designs places to feel like the organically grown cities we fell in love with. These communities are characterized by tight-knit streets, mixed uses, architectural codes, and an emphasis on walkability and public space. They are beautiful and inspiring, but also deliberate.
The difference, as I experienced it last week, is authenticity through time versus authenticity through design. Both have value. Panama City’s downtown is rebuilding from disaster, holding onto its history while slowly adapting to modern needs. I found myself envious of their new streetscape, the roundabout traffic system, and improved street lighting—though certainly not envious of the reason for the retrofit: the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael.
The Seaside communities, on the other hand, were born from vision—built from scratch to capture the spirit of a walkable town. One grew over centuries. The other rose quickly by learning from history.
As someone who cares deeply about how places shape people—and people shape places—it was a meaningful trip. Whether you’re retrofitting a suburban downtown (subURBAN) or building from the ground up, the goal remains the same: create places where people want to be. In Panama City, I saw both paths—and both were worth the visit.
J. David Chapman, Ph.D., is chair of finance & professor real estate at The University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).