• Legalizing single-stair, a path to affordable housing

    A report from Massachusetts quantifies the significant potential of legalizing four- to six-story single-stair buildings.
    Loosening the rules against single-stair buildings could significantly increase the supply of much-needed housing in Massachusetts. Utile Design, in collaboration with Boston Indicators—the research arm for the Boston Foundation—and Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, published “Legalizing...Read more

  • A village starts with a street plan

    A town near me is looking to build a mixed-use waterfront village—a street plan could be the key to achieving that goal.
    A recent Substack piece, “ How to Build a Village ,” caught my attention because it features a site near where I live. The “village style” plan in Clay, Onondaga County, New York, was highlighted by planner, ex-mayor, and writer Bill Fulton ( The Future of Where , which I highly recommend). Clay is...Read more

  • Why did the chicken cross the stroad?

    Today, just for fun, I offer a slight twist on an age-old question. The question above was posed on an urbanist listserve, and this was my answer: Because chickens can't drive. Stroads are dangerous and unpleasant; no proverbial chicken would cross the stroad if it had a choice in the matter.Read more

  • The historic city crime drop is an opportunity for urbanism

    The historic urban crime reduction, if long term, will have significant ramifications for the housing market and urbanism.
    A spike in violent crime in the last 10 years, especially in the first two years of this decade, has not been good for US cities. Cities like Philadelphia and Chicago, which gained momentum and population growth in the 2010s, began to recede again as families moved to the suburbs. At the same time...Read more