• How community design impacts social life

    The social aspect of community development is important. It’s been said before, but we are, at heart, social creatures. When technology drives us apart, as it has in many ways over the last 100 years, we suffer. Social scientists have consistently measured happiness in America since the 1970s, and...Read more

  • Why walkable places are good for children

    Despite arguments that sprawl is pro-family, children benefit from mixed-use, urban neighborhoods.
    Are walkable places bad for children and families? Joel Kotkin wrote a book based on this thesis , and the argument recently was made on The Federalist website. Professor Michael Lewyn then debunked this theory in a Planetizen post. Planners and urbanists will likely encounter the issue in land-use...Read more

  • Restoring value: how adaptive reuse benefits communities

    How we can breathe new life into old spaces—and why it matters.
    As business and consumer needs evolve, adaptive reuse—the repurposing of existing buildings for new functions—has become a leading architectural solution for flexibility and sustainability, offering many benefits to our communities including: Cultural preservation Waste reduction Urban...Read more

  • Promoting creative retrofit solutions

    States have an interest in promoting the reuse of failing suburban commercial properties. They need to promote mixed-use and walkability without stifling creative solutions.
    What do we do with the obsolete suburban retail properties and office parks multiplying across the US? Some states, such as New Jersey, are looking at legislative solutions to failing commercial sites, and trying to promote mixed-use and walkability, among other goals. Legislation is not my forte,...Read more