• Mariemont: A timeless exemplar of town planning

    Mariemont was an experiment in the power of new town design to produce a more humane and civic-centered life across the economic spectrum.
    Note: When CNU 32 convenes in Cincinnati May 15-18, attendees will learn from Mariemont, the town designed by John Nolen, among other notable places in the region. On 23 April 1923, Mary Emery, known as “Lady Bountiful” for her support of the arts and social philanthropy, broke ground for Mariemont...Read more

  • New Urbanism is inclusive urbanism

    Practitioners and thought leaders convene to explore new urbanists’ commitment to building great places for all people, beginning with the gendered urban experience.
    In the fall of 2023, a group of just over 30 academics and professionals in various sectors of the urban design and planning field came together in Washington, DC, to share perspectives and engage in discussions to begin improving new urbanists’ understanding of what it means to make cities, towns...Read more

  • Leveraging a trail hub for a thriving downtown

    The Xenia Hub District plan aims to rebuild a neighborhood around a multi-use trail hub near downtown.
    The small city of Xenia, Ohio, has a unique asset: multiple long-distance bicycle trails that converge around Xenia Station, a historic hub of former rail lines that attract visitors from far and wide. The Hub District is only a few blocks from the heart of downtown. A design team co-sponsored by...Read more

  • Guerilla Urbanism asks forgiveness, not permission

    From toilet plungers for bike lanes to community gardens on vacant lots to locally sourced incremental development, citizens are finding creative ways to make urban space while bypassing traditional bureaucratic systems.
    Guerilla Urbanism is a grassroots movement that allows ordinary citizens to reclaim and reshape urban spaces, explains Fernando Pages Ruiz, a homebuilder, developer, and author based in Houston, Texas. It harnesses Tactical Urbanism but differs in that it more directly challenges the power...Read more