• Rockville, a green small city built on transit urbanism

    Rockville’s early New Urbanism and TOD puts it at the top of a green small cities list.
    I am skeptical about lists of cities, because the devil is in the details—the metrics determine the rankings. But when I saw that Rockville, Maryland, was ranked as the second greenest small city in the US (under 100,000 population), I looked closely and found substance under the data. The Greenest...Read more

  • A model dark sky community

    The Groveland Dark Sky Initiative manages and reduces light pollution citywide—even as the Central Florida community rapidly grows. City of Groveland won Honorable Mention in The Region: Metropolis, City and Town category of the 2025 CNU Charter Awards.
    In June 2023, Groveland, Florida, became the first certified International Dark Sky Community in Florida and the Southeast US, using context-based lighting standards. The Groveland Dark Sky Initiative applies new urbanist thinking to light pollution—downtown, in historic neighborhoods, suburban...Read more

  • Reviving neighborhood stores

    Neighborhoods used to be full of local businesses, but they have dwindled over the past century. Maybe it’s time to figure out how to make neighborhoods business-friendly again.
    Looking at a walkable urban neighborhood today, it may be hard to imagine how much mixed-use once existed. Chances are, it is far more than you think. In some cases, a former commercial building or site is obvious. In others, it is far from obvious. Often, the mixed-use or commercial building has...Read more

  • The benefits of ‘skinny houses’

    Single-family housing on narrow lots, sometimes called “detached townhouses,” can solve many problems for small-lot, economical, and efficient housing.
    Much attention is paid to “Missing Middle” housing types that meet the needs of diverse households, can fit in walkable neighborhoods, and are often more affordable. Common types include duplexes, four-plexes, townhouses, courtyard dwellings, accessory units, small apartment buildings, and cottages...Read more