• To fix suburbs, first define them

    Suburbs may be defined in many ways, and a focus on walkability yields robust data aimed toward making better communities and sustainable regions.
    What’s the best way to define suburbia? The answer depends on who is asking the question and what biases they bring to the table. A Harvard paper by Whitney Airgood-Obrycki and Shannon Rieger describes three methods currently in vogue in academia. Each of the methods yields different definitions...Read more

  • A new view for Buffalo

    With the governor’s endorsement, CNU’s long-time recommendation to transform Buffalo’s Skyway is closer to reality. The city and state have an opportunity to implement the best ideas from the top proposals.
    The Buffalo Skyway may live up to its name at last. Standing on the stage at One West this week, overlooking the old elevated highway, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced to an enthusiastic gathering that it was time for the Skyway to come down. He posed two questions: Should we do it? C an we do it?...Read more

  • Enhancing New Urbanism through greenway design

    Linear greenways, through and bordering neighborhoods, are crucial design features of the most livable new urban communities. Here are examples of why and how they should be incorporated.
    After 45 years of professional practice, I’ve come to believe that creating greenway networks for informal recreation, exercise, and enjoyment of nature is one of the most fundamental elements of enlightened town planning, whether in rural, suburban, or urban locations. Simply put, greenways and...Read more

  • An international vision for cities, inspired by Burning Man

    Street grids hold special power to solve problems of massive urbanization, according to Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Romer.
    Paul Romer, the 2018 Nobel Prize winner for economics, has been thinking about how to accommodate 2.3 billion people who are projected to migrate to cities in developing parts of the world by 2050. He has proposed that functional Democracies should administer what he calls “ charter cities ” to...Read more