• Overselling utopia? The urbanist’s dilemma

    Do we risk overselling smart growth, placemaking or other urbanist concepts today, without taking heed of social and market realities?
    Generally speaking, the description of any Utopia that involves many details is apt to be an unconvincing way to present a principle which can be applied effectively in practice with immense flexibility as to details … —Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to Henry James, July 10, 1924, Papers, Regional Plan...Read more

  • A map of every building in America

    A new database makes every single structure in the United States visible
    The New York Times has put out a fascinating set of maps revealing building patterns across the United States, using Microsoft's Building Footprints , the first comprehensive database of the built environment in the nation. Using the data, the NYT team assembled portraits of the nation's...Read more

  • Mixed-use neighborhood reshapes suburban landscape

    Providence in Huntsville introduces a new development pattern that converts an arterial to a main street, provides nightlife and civic spaces, and adds a diverse school.
    An walkable neighborhood and center have taken shape in the unlikely locale of Northwest Huntsville, Alabama— an area characterized by car dealerships, big box stores, apartment complexes, industrial parks, subdivisions, and single-family houses. Through more than a decade of design and development...Read more

  • A new path to code reform

    The Users' Guide to Code Reform leads planners through the code reform process, providing tools for governments lacking the capacity to develop a full form-based code.
    The Project for Code Reform is one of the most important efforts we’ve had the privilege of contributing to in the last decade. We’ve spent most of our professional efforts crafting Form-Based Codes (FBC) for local governments, and while we still feel that is the zoning gold standard for...Read more