• Scully at Seaside

    A four-story-high mural of Vincent Scully, a Yale professor of architectural history over five decades, was unveiled at Seaside, Florida, in late February. The mural, commissioned by Seaside developer Robert Davis and DC-based architect Dhiru Thadani, was painted by Baltimore public muralist Andrew...Read more

  • Building a healthier downtown and region

    Downtown has come back to life while the city is building a transit framework for walkable, mixed-use growth along corridors.
    The assessed value of downtown El Paso, Texas, has risen to $329 million, from $191 million in 2005, according to a February report in the El Paso Times . These values put numbers to a revival that has transformed the downtown to a destination for locals and tourists, writes Steve Ortega, a member...Read more

  • A towering proposal for Portland’s Pearl

    I don't often write about skyscrapers, but this proposal includes smart urban design moves.
    Portland’s Pearl District may get five million new square feet of development, including two towers—one 970 feet tall—in what is called the Broadway Corridor Plan. This project is interesting because it would extend the Portland tiny block pattern and the city's iconic “park blocks.” It also would...Read more

  • State-of-the-art implementation in a historic town

    A citywide comprehensive plan joins progressive vision with detailed implementation.
    The Beaufort Civic Master Plan continues to have an impact on the small coastal South Carolina municipality of about 13,000, as shown by the planning evolution of a key parcel. In February a developer submitted a mixed-use walkable plan for a 19-acre parcel across a bridge from downtown. The...Read more