• Texas city builds iconic center

    Civic features and architecture give Frisco Square, a downtown extension, imageability.
    I was given a paper plan for the 148-acre Frisco Square in Frisco, Texas, in the early 2000s, one of the most ambitious town center visions I had seen. It was just getting started and was expected to take decades to build—its impact to be judged a generation down the road. The back story is that...Read more

  • Why we need walkable density for cities to thrive

    Three leaders of the New Urbanism explain why density matters today, how it impacts cities, and the importance of design.
    Leading new urbanists David Dixon, Laurie Volk, and Marina Khoury explain why, where, and how density can be used to revive cities. This new urbanist perspective on density is based on a powerful presentation at CNU 33 in Providence. David Dixon: Why walkable density matters, and why now For too...Read more

  • Carmel completes its City Center

    The Indiana City, north of Indianapolis, has taken a unique approach to combat sprawl thought downtown development.
    From an American urban planning perspective, Carmel, Indiana, is one of the most interesting stories in recent decades. Although Carmel is a northern suburb of Indianapolis, it is an urban center in its own right. From the middle of that last century to 2000, it grew in typical suburban fashion,...Read more

  • Landmark plan guides downtown revival

    Downcity Providence Master Plan in Providence, Rhode Island, created a blueprint for downtown vitality. DPZ CoDesign and Cornish Associates won a 2025 CNU Charter and Generational Project Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
    In the last quarter of the 20th Century, city revival efforts were characterized by big “silver bullet” ideas, such as convention centers, aquariums, festival marketplaces, and waterfront malls. These often involved tearing down historic fabric and replacing it with lifeless streetscapes,...Read more