• Freeway fill-in feeds urban revival

    The noose around Rochester's downtown has been partly removed, breathing oxygen into the repopulation of the city center.
    First completed in 1965, the Inner Loop of Rochester, New York, was designed to wrap like a noose around downtown. Combined with the rolling demolition of urban renewal, the Inner Loop served to lure and siphon residents out of the city center—and Rochester’s downtown population plummeted. “We...Read more

  • A former industrial site pumps life into the city

    One of Buffalo's brightest spots of resurgence, Larkin Square combines adaptive reuse, restoration, and new buildings and public spaces that complement the old.
    Over the past decade and a half, the Larkin District in Buffalo, New York, has evolved from an abandoned industrial site to a thriving, mixed-use urban district that is spurring revitalization for blocks in every direction. Anchored by the headquarters of the First Niagara Bank, more than 2,000...Read more

  • A model for affordable transit-oriented development

    Once a railway coal siding and more recently a full city block of asphalt surface parking, North Philadelphia’s Paseo Verde now provides affordable, high quality, sustainable housing for a range of income levels. The former 1.9 acre brownfield site is adjacent to SEPTA’s Regional Rail Temple...Read more

  • Complete communities at all scales, for everyone

    A new book offers an in-depth report on how public officials, citizens, and developers are working together to create walkable and inclusive communities.
    Once started, I found Philip Langdon's new book, Within Walking Distance: Creating Livable Communities for All , hard to put down. I worked with Phil for 10 years on the publications New Urban News and Better! Cities & Towns, but the book's compelling narrative—not a personal connection—kept me...Read more