• ‘Induced demand’ calls for smarter transportation policy

    Widening of roads usually reduces congestion only for a short period of time, after which the congestion returns—as bad or worse than ever. The above graph shows why the forecast benefits of more roads are almost always a disappointment. “Induced demand is the name for what happens when increasing...Read more

  • Tiny blocks, big living

    Developers often spend considerable upfront time assembling land into larger and larger parcels. Then when it’s time to master plan the project, the last thing they think they want to do is break it back down again into smaller pieces. But this “disassembly” of land has several advantages. First,...Read more

  • Posters promote restoring avenue in place of freeway

    These posters have been installed under the Claiborne Expressway, an elevated freeway in New Orleans that replaced oak-tree-lined Claiborne Avenue—the heart of the Treme neighborhood—in the 1960s. Some of those who came of age during the highway's construction continue to fight to restore Claiborne...Read more

  • Tiny house and Mid-Century Modern trailer for affordable housing

    Back in September I wrote about DPZ CoDESIGN’s innovative new architecture for tiny houses and trailers—affordable housing that can be manufactured and assembled into villages with some of the informal community advantages of “trailer parks,” yet with a twist. The living spaces could be placed on...Read more