• Valletta cityscape

    This view of Valletta, Malta, by urbanist Dhiru Thadani, drawn from a peninsula that extends out to in the harbor, doesn’t seem to have changed much in centuries. A photo of the same view, easy to find on the Internet, reveals a few telecommunications towers, some motor vehicles, and splashes of...Read more

  • Not hard to design a great public space

    Arcata Plaza, laid out along with the town’s first streets in 1850, was first used to load lumber from the sawmill—and has served as the commercial heart of the Northern California town ever since. Arcata Plaza is a square, literally, and the design is not complicated. A square should not be too...Read more

  • A Lexicon of Modern Facades

    Architectural Modernism emerged between 1900 and 1930, influenced by the industrial revolution, the rapid growth of cities, and the horrific aftermath of World War I. They were motivated by the acceleration of industrialization and social change, and emphasis on function, simplicity, and...Read more

  • Where sidewalks and bike paths have priority

    Continuous sidewalks and bike paths cross intersections so that local streets are no more disruptive than a typical driveway.
    The City of Nanaimo, British Columbia, and ISL Engineering have been working for the last two years on new engineering standards and a complete street design guide. To showcase the standards, the City has implemented a complete street project on Metral Drive. A standout feature of the new standards...Read more