• Biggest suburb gets a new downtown as walkable becomes legal

    Code reform and light rail, plus a key development, are helping to transform the center of Mesa, Arizona.
    A form-based code (FBC) and a recent light rail line are helping to revive downtown Mesa, Arizona. The Grove on Main development, newly completed with 240 apartments, 12 townhomes, ground-floor retail, and 1.5 acres of landscaped open space on 4.5 acres, is a linchpin of downtown revitalization,...Read more

  • Street trees: A wonder of climate adaptation

    Street trees have many benefits, but their climate impact is becoming more important all the time.
    Urban trees are among the most powerful tools that designers can use to help communities both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Trees are like outdoor air conditioners that operate as carbon sinks. The cooling impact of a single healthy tree from evaporation and absorbing sunlight “is...Read more

  • Plan would transform SoHo streetscapes

    The SoHo Broadway plan would greatly increase space for pedestrians and cyclists in the iconic Manhattan neighborhood, and be implemented over the next two decades.
    A Manhattan business improvement district (BID), the SoHo Broadway Initiative, seeks to revamp the streets in one of the densest, most distinct neighborhoods in America. The SoHo Broadway Public Realm Framework + Vision Plan , designed by Street Plans Collaborative with support from Karp Strategies...Read more

  • Rightsizing the automobile for local mobility

    Neighborhood electric vehicles offer a better local transportation option in light of climate threats, but the design of streets would need to change.
    Half of the work of urban design is deciding where to store cars. It’s a common lament of urban design professionals. In my community, controversy is brewing because Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and housing advocates want to build housing on a BART station ’ s surface parking lots. As usual NIMBYs...Read more