• Affordability is driving micro-unit construction

    Micro-units are being built in large numbers in many US cities, renting at a significant discount compared to conventional apartments, according to a report.
    A new report indicates that micro-units are being built in substantial numbers in expensive cities, particularly on the West and East coasts, and that they offer a substantially cheaper option for renters. Micro-units account for 66 percent of the new housing being built in Seattle, 29 percent in...Read more

  • Preservation plan promotes climate-friendly development

    Regenerative Conservation: Centering Preservation Philosophy within Urban Planning Policy. Sean Gaouette at the University of Notre Dame won a Student Merit Award in The Neighborhood, The District, and The Corridor category of the 2025 CNU Charter Awards.
    Regenerative Conservation began as a study of resilient cities in climate-stricken areas, focusing on the 40-block, 150-acre Arapahoe Square, a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Denver, Colorado. This project applies a range of tools, including a conservation district, building code amendments,...Read more

  • 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