Civic Virtue and Nature
John Nolen's 1926 plan for Venice, Florida emphasized "civic virtue and nature," and its design illustrated garden city concepts that had gained favor by that time (Stephenson, 2002). Venice was a new community constructed on land purchased by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Nolen's plan features a linear park along the waterfront and parks throughout the city. Commercial centers and schools are the foci for residential neighborhoods.
The John Nolen Plan of Venice Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 to protect the original urban fabric and unique sense of place established through Nolen's design.
John Nolen was an influential city planner and landscape architect during this period. He was elected president of the National Conference on City Planning in 1927.
