• Gentle density: Making neighborhoods transit-ready

    Accessory dwellings can triple the density on a single-family lot while preserving the character of neighborhoods.
    Fayetteville, Arkansas, is a rapidly growing city—the largest in Northwest Arkansas, a region with major corporate headquarters including Walmart, and a major research university in the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is a low-density city with a large supply of single-family houses from the...Read more

  • Maybe we CAN build our way out of an urban housing shortage

    As cities boom, rental rates are easing due to supply.
    Despite traditional cities growing at rates unlike anything they have seen since the middle of the 20th Century—urban rents are surprisingly under control nationwide, according to a recent Apartment List survey of rental rates in the 25 biggest cities. The findings of the survey put media reports...Read more

  • Five steps to super blocks

    Designing a sophisticated city, one block at a time.
    Here's a step-by-step process to designing a piece of a city. Don't be put of by the design complexity and follow these steps, one after another: 1) Draw a truly large block—it doesn't have to be stiffly rectangular either; the best way to accomplish irregular blocks is to simply cover the space...Read more

  • City dreams

    An exhibit promotes a discordant, unsustainable model for growth in the developing world—but we have an opportunity to do better.
    A constant debate within the CNU revolves around the height of buildings. Léon Krier has emphatically stated that buildings in villages, towns, or cities should not be higher than four stories. He notes that low-rise structures are sustainable as they can function solely on human energy without the...Read more