• A slow revolution in zoning

    Commercial strip arterials in the Nutmeg State are beginning to transform as land-use regulations shift focus from use to the shape and siting of buildings.
    Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut, is an inelegant and jumbled commercial strip, a paean to post-World War II planning, a hurried venue for cars where pedestrians or bike riders venture at considerable risk. For example, at the 1950s-era Hamden Plaza, diners leaving Panera Bread on one side of...Read more

  • How charrettes avoid the Loop of Doom

    What serves the veto seekers and frustrates everybody else is process paralysis. Which is the usual outcome when the goals and strategies of the politically savvy and elite-warry clash with those of politically naïve design pros.
    See if this sounds familiar: The city planning staff, maybe working with an expert team of design consultants, comes up with what they think is a no-brainer solution to a high-profile problem. Say, a proposal for much-needed multifamily development to address workforce housing demand. Or a plan to...Read more

  • Council to study building a 'better burb'

    CNU is reviving a tradition of intimate discussions with top experts next month in Miami with the Build a Better Burb Sprawl Retrofit Council.
    For a decade, top new urbanist thinkers met in intimate Councils to work on problems, conduct high-level discussions, and immerse themselves in the art and craft of building communities. Five years after the last Council, CNU is reviving the tradition next month in Miami with the Build a Better...Read more

  • Historic arcade houses young professionals

    One of the nation's most beautiful historic shopping arcades was restored into affordable micro-lofts and small shops in Providence.
    Two assets of cities are historic buildings and the attraction to a talented workforce. A downside is the shortage of affordable housing, especially downtown. That issue is addressed by the restoration of one of the most beautiful historic shopping arcades as 48 affordable micro-lofts, rents...Read more