• Green Code will help Buffalo to grow again

    The Great Lakes city needs clear direction in building and revitalization, and the new Unified Development Ordinance can provide it.
    After six years and 242 public meetings, the Buffalo Common Council unanimously approved the Unified Development Ordinance, otherwise known as the Green Code, December 27. Buffalo became the third major US city to adopt a form-based code (FBC) for the entire city, after Miami and Denver. Many other...Read more

  • 2016: CNU Year in Review

    After all the twists and turns and unexpected events of 2016, I’m ending this year the exact same way I started it: full of hope and gratitude.
    After all the twists and turns and unexpected events of 2016, I’m ending this year the exact same way I started it: full of hope and gratitude. The constant work and passion of CNU staff, our amazing members, and the New Urbanist movement continue to inspire me. Today, I want to share some...Read more

  • How to get by-right zoning right

    The Form-Based Coding process ensures that the discussion about where and what type of housing to allow happens at a community level, rather than on a project-by-project basis.
    By-right zoning is getting a lot of buzz these days as a needed tool to help solve the affordable housing crisis many communities are facing. For those unfamiliar, a zoning code is considered “by-right” if the approvals process is streamlined so that projects that comply with the zoning standards...Read more

  • What a Trump presidency means for New Urbanism

    Our principles—and our Charter—are timeless, and the work of our members is as relevant and populist as it has ever been.
    Like a lot of people, I was shocked by the results of Tuesday’s election. Donald Trump’s unprecedented victory has far-reaching implications for our social programs, foreign affairs, and civil rights. On top of that, Trump has made it impossible to predict exactly what policy priorities he’ll...Read more