In addition to its supporting its established neighborhoods, Winston-Salem is encouraging a new trend in neighborhood development. It's working to create livable neighborhoods that celebrate the interaction of living, working, shopping, and playing. After decades of neighborhood development where housing was stratified into separate subdivisions featuring a single house type and price point, the area's communities now provide a variety of residential options and price ranges for their diverse populations. The pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods feature well planned public and open spaces, and they're designed to encourage interaction between people. Even the streets are designed to minimize the impacts of the automobile, thus encouraging walkability and movement between residential and non-residential uses.

The public policy for this change in neighborhood development was signaled by the adoption of a new comprehensive plan called Legacy. The plan, enacted in 2001, embraced many of the principles of mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly communities. Additionally public, non-profit, and private sector funds have been used creatively in launching several of these developments, particularly those in and near the city center.

New urban neighborhoods sparked by Legacy neighborhood development include:

Goler Renaissance
Development of this mixed-use neighborhood will consist of a variety of residential and non-residential options that will take the form of both new development and adaptive reuse. Goler will take advantage of its location between the downtown core, the new Piedmont Triad Research Park, and the Downtown Health Plaza.

Unity Place
Unity Place will combine office, entertainment, retail, and residential components in an area between the downtown core and the West End Historic District. The future world headquarters and museum of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will anchor Unity Place, along with a multiplex movie theater, an IMAX theater, restaurants, shops, brownstone-style residences, a public plaza, and parking. A creative partnership between Krispy Kreme, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the City of Winston-Salem, and Forsyth County is making this new neighborhood possible in a location where an automobile dealer and surface parking lots had been the prominent features.

Southeast Gateway
Southeast Gateway is a development almost ten years in the making. It is located in an area adjacent to downtown, between Old Salem Historic District, Salem College, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and Winston-Salem State University. Construction is already underway on a major traffic roundabout that will be a visual focus of the area. The neighborhood will offer a variety of housing options that will appeal to a wide range of people who work or attend school in the area. The Salem Creek Greenway also cuts through the center of the site, providing access to parks and other open spaces. Partnerships between area colleges, the NC Department of Transportation, and the private developer are making this truly unique neighborhood development possible.

Kimberly Park and Happy Hill Gardens
Kimberly Park and Happy Hill Gardens are mixed-income neighborhoods that were redeveloped from two old public housing communities. Using a HUD HOPE VI Grant along with local funding and private developer investments, these areas are being transformed into traditional neighborhoods that feature a variety of housing styles and prices in a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.