• Developer minimizes car use in community plan

    A national developer who is subordinating automobiles has proposed a significant mixed-use community along the Beltline in Atlanta.
    Note: This article was revised to include more plan details (11/4/22). The national developer, Culdesac, is bringing its car-light community designs to Atlanta, Georgia. The 20-acre site on the Atlanta Beltline includes a mostly residential area that is car-free, while also incorporating parking...Read more

  • Why malls are a bad public investment

    A failed mall is bringing down a neighborhood in Milwaukee, highlighting the advantages of more sustainable retail.
    Note: This article first appeared on Strong Towns .​ Public Square editor Robert Steuteville is on leave through the last week of October. Big investments can bring about big problems. Take the shopping mall , for instance: Built on the appealing premise of housing a bunch of commercial businesses...Read more

  • New Urbanism from the air in Montgomery

    Traditional neighborhood developments at the Alabama state capital took sharply different turns after the Great Recession.
    It’s been more than a decade since I visited Montgomery, Alabama, a mid-sized state capital that also has a fair amount of New Urbanism. That includes infill development around downtown based on a new urban plan and code , and also substantial traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs)—The Waters...Read more

  • New urban plan focuses on healthy living, affordability

    The City of Las Cruces is planning an "aspirational" Transect-based neighborhood that includes modular housing on a publicly owned site.
    The City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is planning a major new urban neighborhood on 150 acres of city owned land about three miles east of downtown. The East Lohman Development Plan calls for nearly 1,000 residential units, with an emphasis on affordable housing. The plan includes a new transit...Read more