• New streetscape spurs downtown turnaround

    In Lancaster, California, a simple change in street design was a catalyst for economic and social activity.
    The City of Lancaster, California, converted a drab, automobile-oriented arterial at the heart of downtown into a lively, pedestrian-friendly center. The nine-block makeover of Lancaster Boulevard has become a regional draw and attracted significant economic development in its first two years. In a...Read more

  • Grassroots public art connects people, past and present

    Today, many hundreds of the city’s horse rings are adorned with small horses and the like, placed by countless, random individuals playing their own small role in something larger than themselves.
    There’s nothing new about the subject of today’s post. In fact, that’s kind of the point. It’s an ongoing grassroots public art initiative that simply exists, and has for quite some time. Many have had the pleasure of experiencing it but many others have not. That’s the nature of artistic cultural...Read more

  • Macy's closings—another bad sign for malls

    The announcement creates holes in enclosed shopping malls—meanwhile the department store chain is looking to open downtown locations.
    Macy's is closing 100 stores nationwide —and the vast majority are located in auto-centric suburban shopping malls. Amid these closures, the department store chain reported that it looking at opening three downtown stores in New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. In many ways, we are seeing a reversal...Read more

  • Design solutions suggested for reconnected Spokane neighborhoods

    This article is part of our ongoing coverage of the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation with design assistance from CNU. Learn more at cnu.org/everyplacecounts.
    An engineering and planning team assembled by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) worked with community residents to imagine design possibilities for neighborhoods impacted by freeway corridors in Spokane, Washington. The design-driven workshop event took place in mid-July, when Spokane...Read more