• We need code reform: How do we get there?

    Focusing attention on downtown, areas facing heavy development pressure, and neighborhood centers can help.
    We know that traditional zoning and development codes can be harmful to building strong, prosperous communities. In Michigan, we have major statewide initiatives to support locals in wrestling their regulations around to something that does what they want: Redevelopment Ready Communities helps...Read more

  • A sidewalk to connect our fractured nation

    It's easy to divide the country into those who have sidewalks, and vote one way, and those who do not, and vote another way. Yet sidewalks, and all they symbolize, are gaining political recognition.
    Nate Silver, the celebrated election prognosticator, Tweeted during the 2012 presidential race: "Heuristic: if a place has sidewalks, it votes Democratic. Otherwise, it votes Republican." Nate Silver is an astute analyst, and his observation mostly rings true in 2016. The presence of sidewalks is a...Read more

  • How Latinos shape the American suburb

    Latin American immigrants conceive of suburban and urban life in a way that is hugely influenced by the Law of the Indies and its resulting development patterns.
    Latino immigrants are reshaping the American suburban landscape in ways that deserve any planner’s attention — not because this reshaping needs to be curbed, but because it offers unique learning lessons in how to improve the sustainability of the American suburb in simple and low-tech but...Read more

  • In praise of the existing building code

    These are buildings with tremendous intrinsic value that have been standing and functioning for over a hundred years, but are technically unusable according to current building codes.
    We are very big fans of the International Existing Building Code. This is a very special code that allows for flexibility in renovating and reusing existing buildings. One major challenge with any new code is that existing buildings often don’t meet new requirements. Retrofitting existing buildings...Read more