• Keep the lanes open

    Many cities undervalue rear alleys and lanes. Some are allowing these public rights-of-way to revert to private ownership. This is a mistake, as the recent surge in ADU development demonstrates.
    Public Square recently published an article on the opportunities presented by alleys and rear lanes, and many reactions to that piece showed that prejudice against alleys persists among many public officials. The piece by Dillon Colbert described St. Louis, a US city with a wealth of alleys, and...Read more

  • They heard the whistle blow, 30 years in advance

    Addison Circle was designed as a transit-oriented development three decades before the transit line opened. The far-sighted dream became a reality last fall, spurring more mixed-use development.
    Sometimes it takes a long, long time for transit to appear. Addison Circle in Addison, Texas, was an early CNU Charter Award winner for RTKL Associates in 2002. It was the brainchild of Robert Shaw, a former offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, who was the developer of the then Columbus Realty...Read more

  • Prosperous main streets in the online era

    Good design and the right mix of businesses are keys to success.
    The importance of main streets and small downtowns for walkable urban places was highlighted at the recent CNU 34 congress in Northwest Arkansas. One of the fastest-growing regions in the US, Northwest Arkansas is not centered on a single downtown but rather on a series of smaller downtowns that...Read more

  • An ode to Alexandria

    George Washington helped to build a nation later in life. As a teenager, he planned a city that is still a model of livability.
    As the nation celebrates its 250 th birthday this weekend, George Washington’s often-overlooked achievement is noteworthy. As a 17-year-old in 1749, Washington planned what is now the City of Alexandria, Virginia. He surveyed and platted what are, to this day, more than 275 years later, the streets...Read more