• Where building types make sense in zoning

    Building types are most helpful when trying to achieve a fine-grained mix of house-scale buildings of varied density and type in a walkable neighborhood. This is part one of a series.
    Building types are a key component of the physical environment and have existed for millennia in all types of walkable places: from crossroads and small towns to every size of city. Building types and the public realm have made all of these places. But despite their existence before zoning,...Read more

  • Architecture is frozen music

    Imagine the following scenario. There are some problems with it, but you will get the point. The Berlin Philharmonic has the only sheet music for Mozart's Requiem. One day, a fire destroys the last 10 pages. Angela Merkel announces that the National Treasure will be restored within 3 years, before...Read more

  • Bold corridor attracts investment

    Carmel, Indiana, builds a high-quality public realm at the heart of its new Midtown district.
    Carmel, Indiana, a suburb of more than 90,000 people bordering on Indianapolis, is building a walkable urban downtown to fit its growing population and economy. Main Street and the Arts and Design District have already been revitalized with restaurants and art galleries. City Center, a half mile to...Read more

  • Leveraging proximity to downtown, physical assets, and culture

    An initiative for Westside Atlanta—an area replete with civil rights history—combines new housing and public realm improvements with a wide range of social and philanthropic programs designed to help legacy residents to thrive while the area redevelops.
    Atlanta’s Historic Westside has a history rich with achievement and activism. The area is home to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived there during the peak years of the Civil Rights Movement. The Historic Westside boasts many civic and cultural...Read more