• The office market transformation and how it will impact cities

    As a result of long-term trends and COVID impacts, many cities are experiencing the conversion of office structures to alternative uses. Concerns about vacancies are valid, yet cities stand to benefit in many ways.
    As the world moves beyond COVID-19, cities are impacted by the “work from home” transformation and other workplace changes. Many questions remain about how cities will function and adjust to a new workplace “normal.” The rapidly shifting office environment affects some of the most important North...Read more

  • The case for incremental development

    Lessons from Vancouver.
    Last November, Patrick Condon spoke somberly to a crowd of journalists in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He seemed defeated. He’d lost all hope. Condon teaches sustainable urban design at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. As he explained, much of his life’s work had been spent advocating...Read more

  • Restorative Urbanism in Over-the-Rhine

    A look back to look forward in Cincinnati's best-known urban neighborhood.
    In 2001, the fatal shooting by Cincinnati Police of an unarmed black teen, Timothy Thomas, who was running to evade arrest in a dark back alley in Over-the-Rhine, was the latest of many instances of misconduct that brought about civil unrest, protests at City Hall, a national boycott, and...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