• A new urbanist and a green builder walk into a bar

    How might they empower each other to build walkable, decarbonized cities?
    Note: This piece was published on the Emerging New Urbanists substack. Say Jane, the Emerging New Urbanist, and Bob the Green Builder walked into a bar … how might the conversation unfold? Both individuals work in fields related to the built environment—urban planning and construction. They share a...Read more

  • What New Urbanists can learn from The Villages

    We've learned how to design a good block. It's time for new urbanists to focus on the block party, says Fernando Pages Ruiz. The Villages have mastered that aspect of community building.
    Note: Fernando Pages Ruiz and Andres Duany will discuss lessons from the Villages in an On the Park Bench webinar on July 15, at 12 noon ET. The Villages, Florida, is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States. That fact alone should prompt attention from planners. But there’s a...Read more

  • The human side of housing

    The housing supply-demand gap has grown so huge in desirable places that the panic to add more units is overshadowing what should be obvious about human needs goals.
    As an architect, I have spent years working on community-oriented housing projects within the private market. I’ve pursued affordability through smaller home sizes, shared amenities, and simplified construction. Over the past 5 years, however, I’ve seen the market shift. The threshold at which...Read more

  • Social life, not density, makes city dwellers happy

    Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona, has people-friendly courtyards and a walkable design, which leads to success. The formula is explained in Happy City.
    I’ve been reading Charles Montgomery’s Happy City , a 2013 book on how city design impacts life satisfaction. Then I came across recent coverage of Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona, and a light bulb turned on. Culdesac is one of the nation’s most talked-about new developments, because the 17-acre...Read more