• An innovative street grid proposal

    The Adaptation Village offers a twist on the street grid, consisting mostly of slow-speed, shared-use mews.
    Of all the changes in the built environment in the 20th Century, none had more impact than abandoning the street grid—which occurred in the US around 1950. That one change did more to eliminate walkability long-term, and the effects on public health and safety are dramatic. The street network...Read more

  • Six-point visual check for a better downtown

    When looking at façades, six questions asked together can point you toward new buildings that increase downtown vibrancy.
    Our downtowns are seeing more and more podium buildings (4 over 1’s, 5 over 1’s, pedestal buildings). Given building codes, the demand for housing, and financing it is easy to see why. The problem with a vast majority of what we are seeing is that the buildings are needlessly underperforming. They...Read more

  • Redeveloping faith sites into affordable housing

    The redevelopment of sites owned by faith-based organizations (FBO) is among the decade's biggest urban redevelopment challenges. Some arise from a nationwide wave of church closings—others represent land owned by congregations that could serve a larger community purpose and generate revenue. The...Read more

  • Make America walkable again

    A political diatribe accuses new urbanists of limiting liberty and imposing an exclusive vision on America. With support among liberals and conservatives, New Urbanism uses common sense to increase freedom for all and make communities healthier.
    The Federalist , a conservative online magazine, recently published what can only be described as a political diatribe against New Urbanism . The authors, a Florida couple Jonathan and Paige Bronitsky, rant about new urbanists’ “fanatical hatred of the automobile” and about its adherents’ supposed...Read more