Pedestrians Come First

“Pedestrian-first” means more than adding sidewalks. It means deciding, from the beginning, who the best parts of a place are actually for.

In much of American real estate development, we design the movement of cars first: Roads determine the blocks, parking determines the buildings where storefronts face the road, and then pedestrians get whatever space remains between the curb and the front door.

At Monteverde, however, we’re approaching that hierarchy differently so the pedestrian realm comes first.

Piazzas, promenades, courtyards, and pedestrian streets aren’t leftover spaces between buildings - they’re some of the most important spaces we’re designing. Wherever possible, storefronts will face into those places rather than turning their front doors toward traffic, which changes what happens outside them.