• When borders blur

    Regional collaboration in action: The New England model.
    There are regions in this country where collaboration is a baked-in part of the culture. Where the towns share water systems, school buses, housing plans—and maybe even optimism. And then there are places where the idea of “regional planning” gets stuck in the gears of local politics, conflicting...Read more

  • Regional networks and local character: CNU33 explores Providence

    The 33rd annual Congress for the New Urbanism will explore national and international planning issues like housing and climate change through the lens of New England’s cities and towns.
    Every planner and urbanist we’ve met has been filled with a strong sense of wanderlust and often grew up, went to school, got a job, and settled in different parts of the United States or the world. But there’s something about New England that transforms restless explorers—including urbanists—into...Read more

  • Picturing 15 homes per acre

    Misconceptions of density sometimes fuel opposition, but a low-rise single-family and missing middle housing mix can achieve 15 units per acre.
    In 2021, Massachusetts required 177 municipalities to rezone land within a half mile of transit service to allow 15 homes per acre by right. These cities and towns in the Boston area are served by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). Some of the communities are getting public pushback on...Read more

  • New Urbanism and its influences in the Charlotte region

    New Urbanism has a long history in Charlotte. Attendees of CNU 31 can check out its impact next week.
    Note: CNU and Public Square are closed the week of June 5, following a successful CNU 31 in Charlotte. Something was in the air or water in Charlotte in the 1990s, or maybe it was moonshine from the North Carolina hills. But Charlotte was an early adopter of New Urbanism—much more so than most...Read more