• Build an urban sequel to A Christmas Story

    Note: Hammond, Indiana, is seeking proposals from developers to build in a downtown that has recently ad­opted a new urban plan, is creating a new rail connection to Chicago, and has committed to a transformation of the downtown main street. When I was sick with a bad cough in December, I watched A...Read more

  • CNU explores AVs on the Florida Panhandle

    A national team of experts will work with local and other participants to examine automated vehicle implementation on the 30A beach highway, which goes through Seaside and many other towns.
    CNU is working with the Seaside Institute to put on a workshop on the future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on Route 30A in South Walton County, Florida. The event is scheduled for February 6-8 CNU is bringing in a national design team of experts in transportation and urban planning to examine key...Read more

  • The cost of an extra foot

    Our cities desperately need professional engineers to realign their values to reflect those of the broader society, and we can start by making streets no wider than they need to be.
    Civil engineers generally have a conservative disposition. I’m not talking politics but their way of approaching the world. My fellow engineers tend to dress conservatively, keep a low profile, and avoid social situations, especially where they will be the focus of attention. I’ve experienced few...Read more

  • Neal Peirce, chronicler of cities and regions

    From identifying “pedestrian pockets” as a regional antidote to sprawl to advocating for the reform of the electoral college, Neal Peirce was ahead of his time.
    Neal Peirce, the person who first put me on the path to New Urbanism, died several weeks ago, just days before his 88 th birthday. Neal had an outsized impact on my life and that of many other friends and colleagues. In 1987, I received a small envelope in the mail from my mother. Inside was a...Read more