• Italian coastal towns: The power of public spaces

    A few simple policy steps rooted in design and public access have dramatically improved a stretch of the Adriatic coast. Similar ideas could be implemented in US towns.
    Two and half years ago I retired and my wife and I moved to Italy permanently. Following extensive research and multiple visits in previous years, we found a house and a village that perfectly suited our needs and preferences. The region we live in is called Le Marche. Although situated in the...Read more

  • Harvard to New Urbanism: A bit of long-due respect

    Review of City on a Hill: Urban Idealism in America from the Puritans to the Present, by Alex Krieger, Harvard University Press, 2019.
    For 30 years there’s been an unwritten rule at Harvard—and many elite US universities that follow Harvard’s lead—“keep your distance from the New Urbanism.” Twenty years ago, Harvard held a series of events that were framed as debates between new urbanists and Harvard faculty and students. These...Read more

  • The Charter Awards at 20: Looking back, moving forward

    The year’s awards will celebrate design that takes New Urbanism to the next level and inspires a new generation of urbanists.
    Urban planner Geoff Dyer, CNU-A, is chairing CNU’s twentieth Charter Awards jury in 2020. CNU has officially opened up the period of submissions for awards in this special year. This year, the jurors are especially looking for projects that emphasize the importance of design to New Urbanism, and...Read more

  • Creating Temenos: An experiment in suburban retrofit

    An elegant plan to transform a struggling shopping mall into a mixed-use town center uses the same principles of sacred geometry that were employed by Pierre L'Enfant in the urban design of Washington, DC.
    “The catalog of forms is endless; until every shape has found its city, new cities will continue to be born.” ~ Italo Calvino In an article early last year, I reported on the process by which Pierre L’Enfant designed the city of Washington, using various principles of what is known as “sacred...Read more