• Film, community, and the Mother Road

    The most storied US highway, also known as America's Main Street, inspired filmmakers to discover New Urbanism. The centennial of Route 66 is an opportunity to celebrate place in the heartland.
    In 2026, Route 66 turns 100. In a way, it’s surprising that it’s only 100. The 2,448-mile-long US highway was already an American legend when Nat King Cole recorded the hit song Get Your Kicks on Route 66 in 1946. As the song says, “it winds from Chicago to LA,” going through the center of hundreds...Read more

  • Conducting a climate adaptation audit

    Here’s a list of 10 steps that communities can use to evaluate risks and adapt to climate calamities, using resilient planning principles.
    How can communities plan to become more adaptable and resilient in the face of climate calamities, such as wildfires, hurricanes, drought, heat waves, and floods? One idea is to start with an audit. Using Jeff Speck’s successful 10-part “ walkability plan ” as a template, I wrote a list of steps...Read more

  • Garden State city gets mixed-use transit plaza

    Somerville Station brings infill, transit-oriented development that supports diverse mobility and quality public space.
    Somerville is one of many historic towns in Central New Jersey. This county seat stagnated in population for decades but has recently experienced a surge of growth, due to infill projects like Somerville Station. Somerville Station is a transit-oriented development (TOD) on a former park-and-ride...Read more

  • You can’t make a great city, without a great public realm

    A focus on the public realm is really what distinguishes new urban design from conventional suburban planning. A good definition and full understanding are important.
    New urbanists often speak of the public realm—but what is it? The public realm consists of streets, parks, and other public spaces where you can wander freely, ideally on foot. Think of the city as a series of connected outdoor rooms, large and small, bounded by buildings: That’s the public realm...Read more