• ‘Traffic Gardens’ teach students to bike safely

    A second-grade bike education program in DC also informs children about street networks and helps them to understand their community.
    As schools nationwide have been closed since mid-March—and it is unclear when they all will reopen—now is a great time to remember why community schools are important civic institutions. Prior to Covid, District of Columbia schools launched a program to teach young children the safe use of streets...Read more

  • Thoughts about urbanism and architecture in the face of COVID-19

    The pandemic may have long-lasting design impacts, but we still need sociable and walkable places.
    At some point we will re-emerge from our quarantines—even those of us that take seriously the threat of this virus. Tentatively at first, we will increasingly find ourselves in public or semi-public spaces. If and when treatments and vaccines come on-line, we will become less fearful of elevators...Read more

  • On the Park Bench: Seeing the world through a New Urbanist lens

    CNU is restarting its weekly webinar series, On a Park Bench, by elevating new voices that expand the movement's horizons.
    Four months ago, as coronavirus took hold of cities around the world, urbanists grappled with questions about the connection between population density and viral transmission. They debated how cities could best respond, and how the virus could shape the future of our built environment. Streets were...Read more

  • State moves forward with zoning reform

    A bill moving through Vermont legislature adopts key zoning reform measures for walkable communities, even as the state recently completed a report with CNU on incremental changes to land use laws.
    Like many states, Vermont has many communities with outdated zoning that worsen housing affordability problems. The median price of a house in Vermont has risen rapidly since 2016 and now is $261,000, according to Zillow. The state recently worked with CNU on a how-to guide on zoning reform ...Read more