• Project shows potential of inner-block development

    Quiet, intimate urban places in the center of blocks may be built if land-use regulations allow.
    Earl's Court is an infill development in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, that is only a little over an acre in size. And yet, this tiny mixed-use project points to an opportunity for new urbanists going forward. In recent decades, urbanists have focused mostly on using architecture to define the...Read more

  • Developer minimizes car use in community plan

    A national developer who is subordinating automobiles has proposed a significant mixed-use community along the Beltline in Atlanta.
    Note: This article was revised to include more plan details (11/4/22). The national developer, Culdesac, is bringing its car-light community designs to Atlanta, Georgia. The 20-acre site on the Atlanta Beltline includes a mostly residential area that is car-free, while also incorporating parking...Read more

  • Why malls are a bad public investment

    A failed mall is bringing down a neighborhood in Milwaukee, highlighting the advantages of more sustainable retail.
    Note: This article first appeared on Strong Towns .​ Public Square editor Robert Steuteville is on leave through the last week of October. Big investments can bring about big problems. Take the shopping mall , for instance: Built on the appealing premise of housing a bunch of commercial businesses...Read more

  • New Urbanism from the air in Montgomery

    Traditional neighborhood developments at the Alabama state capital took sharply different turns after the Great Recession.
    It’s been more than a decade since I visited Montgomery, Alabama, a mid-sized state capital that also has a fair amount of New Urbanism. That includes infill development around downtown based on a new urban plan and code , and also substantial traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs)—The Waters...Read more