• The enduring relevance of Walkable City

    The 10th Anniversary Edition of Speck’s popular city planning treatise highlights the still-raging war over walkability and streets designed for cars.
    A decade ago, my publication’s review of Jeff Speck’s Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time got nearly everything right. Writer Philip Langdon captured the significance of the book, and detailed Speck’s points that have endured to this day (as a 10 th Anniversary Edition...Read more

  • South Main gets the recognition it deserves

    The unique Colorado mountain community has had its difficulties, including an attack from an online magazine, but the latest recognition highlights how much the designers and developers have gotten right.
    The Urban Guild announced its 2022 design awards , including one for Excellence to the Surf Hotel in South Main, Bueva Vista, Colorado, designed by Craft Design Studio. I first reported on South Main in Buena Vista, Colorado, 18 years ago—when a young brother and sister duo set out to build a...Read more

  • Citywide parking reform enables reuse of vacant buildings

    While some cities opt for a targeted approach to parking reform, Fayetteville, Arkansas, finds that a citywide policy change is transforming buildings that were long-vacant.
    On the edge of downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas, a building that had stood vacant for nearly 40 years now houses a local restaurant with a rooftop patio. Down the road, a formerly abandoned gas station is back in use as retail space. The reuse of these once-forgotten properties was made possible...Read more

  • Building a community on wheels, one party at a time

    DC Bike Party helps build a community through its monthly celebration of the bicycle and by being a positive ambassador for cycling.
    With biking there is safety in numbers by making other road users aware of bikers and their right to the road. There is also safety in bikers feeling confident and comfortable with a city’s bike infrastructure. And what better way to increase visibility and inspire confidence than by throwing a...Read more