High-density development in open farmland on the edge of Dorchester proves that it is possible to break the mold of characterless suburban developments and produce a place for modern living that revives the best qualities of traditional urban townscapes.

In 1996, the Prince of Wales, who has a long-standing interest in architecture and design, donated 400 acres of land that has belonged to the Duchy of Cornwall since 1342 for a development that would meet local housing needs without creating yet another car-dominated, zoned housing estate. We were commissioned to design a new urban crescent in the heart of Poundbury, with attached townhouses facing a park.