• Tiny blocks, big living

    Developers often spend considerable upfront time assembling land into larger and larger parcels. Then when it’s time to master plan the project, the last thing they think they want to do is break it back down again into smaller pieces. But this “disassembly” of land has several advantages. First,...Read more

  • Six keys to autonomous transit that fits local communities

    As cities and towns plan for rapidly changing transportation technology, flexible urban design and policy solutions are needed. Here are six considerations based on a workshop in Walton County, Florida.
    Forty years ago, Highway 30A in Walton County, Florida, began an experiment with New Urbanism—with the development of Seaside—that would spread across America and overseas. Now the county is looking to test new transportation technologies along 30A—like electric, shared autonomous vehicles (AVs)—...Read more

  • Corner stores can anchor a neighborhood

    Corner stores are the smallest and most useful type of retail—here's how to make them succeed.
    The smallest and most useful retail type of center, the corner store holds a special place in neighborhoods. Most corner stores range from between 1,500 to 3,000 square feet in the first level. The store can be sited as a stand-alone struc­ture or built into a mixed-use building, in both cases...Read more

  • Buffalo explores transportation technology impact on land use and streets

    In partnership with CNU and Stantec Urban Places, the city will host an intensive, four-and-a-half-day workshop on micromobility (e.g. scooters and e-bikes), automated vehicles, and new parking technologies, and how these trends will affect city living.
    Technological changes in transportation are beginning to transform our cities, and they have important implications for urban design and development. Buffalo, New York, is one of the first cities to explore these issues in depth, in the context of a specific neighborhood, in an upcoming intensive...Read more