• Transect of incremental urbanism

    When you have a chicken and egg problem, have a chicken omelette.
    The term " missing middle " is widely used to describe small-scale, incremental housing development, but what about the commercial element that helps make a neighborhood attractive? Many experts advise that a certain number of "rooftops" are needed for commercial development, which leaves a chicken...Read more

  • The 5 'Cs' of community planning

    Complete, compact, connected, complex, and convivial describes everything that you want a neighborhood to be.
    The source of most conflicts and confusion I see occurring when cities update their Community Plans is due to the confusion over the scale and size difference of a ‘Community’ versus a ‘Neighborhood’ unit. A community is defined as, “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular...Read more

  • An inclusive, nationwide movement to walk

    Younger and older Americans are not the only ones at risk. The summit focused on challenges faced by pedestrians in racially and economically disadvantaged communities, as well as rural areas.
    Note: CNU is a lead organization in America Walks’ focus on walking in October, 2017. Few things in life relieve stress, instill creativity and boost health and more than taking a stroll. “Walking is a man’s best medicine,” Hippocrates declared in the 4 th Century BCE. “To solve a problem, walk...Read more

  • The great Caribbean Rim rebuilding challenge

    Sustainability takes many forms on the building and community scale in the Caribbean. Here are keys to places that stand the test of time.
    As Caribbean Rim nations move from emergency relief to disaster recovery mode in the coming weeks and months, strong consideration should be given to the ways in which places should be rebuilt, both at the scale of towns and of buildings. This, the worst hurricane season in twelve years, has caused...Read more