• Learning from the planners of old

    Street networks. Just Do It.
    A meme posted by a New Urbanist touches upon an important truth about how we build communities today, and why it is so difficult to create good places. New Urbanists are very good at designing great urban places—not as good, so far, at getting them built at the scale that is necessary to meet...Read more

  • How could Complete Streets policies be more effective?

    The Complete Streets movement has largely failed in practice, but a focus on networks and context could make it more effective.
    In a 2011 planning advisory board meeting for a county where I lived, I delivered the exciting news about New York State’s then-new Complete Streets Act, which “requires state, county and local agencies to consider the convenience and mobility of all users when developing transportation projects...Read more

  • In 2026, let’s resolve to save pedestrian lives

    A relatively small number of locations account for a large share of pedestrian mortality; we know what to do, so let's do something about it.
    Pedestrian deaths are a ghoulish topic; it’s easier to avert our eyes. But they indicate that something has gone seriously wrong with planning and the public realm. Pedestrian deaths have risen steadily for a decade and a half—to 7,314 in 2023, from 4,302 in 2010. The good news is that if we care,...Read more

  • The infrastructure choice

    A postcard sketch competition asked Urban Guild members to draw some ideas in a few minutes during an evening gathering at the Guild Summit in Chattanooga in late October. The members include architects, urban designers, and other urbanists. The winner was Anthony Catania of AMC Architecture &...Read more