• Sprawl madness

    These two suburban houses near Orlando, Florida, are about 60 feet apart, but to borrow a cup of sugar without trespassing requires a 7.1-mile trip by car—or a two-and-a-half-hour trek on foot (five hours round trip). A similar image was originally published on Streetsblog , illustrating the...Read more

  • The good, the bad, and the ugly

    New urbanists often exalt European urbanism precedents as exemplary models worth emulating. However, it is myth that European cities have managed to resist the devastation of placeless modern planning. On a recent visit to Delft, Johannes Vermeer’s hometown, I was charmed by the beauty and scale of...Read more

  • Leon Krier's foundational diagram

    Leon Krier’s Res Publica Res Economica Civitas ideogram is the foundational diagram for New Urbanism. The thesis promotes that real towns and cities are made up of two distinct realms — public and private. Krier likened the upper left drawing to a tourist map one purchases on visiting a town...Read more

  • Bikes!

    Transportation doesn't have to be complicated.
    Many engineers, planners, politicians, and other adults assume that transportation in cities has to be complicated. Yes, some aspects might be a little complicated. However, cycling and walking are relatively simple and are accessible to most people over five-years-old. Respectively, cycling and...Read more