• The first suburban retrofit gets a neighborhood

    After two decades, Mashpee Commons is moving forward with 300-plus residential units, more shops, and civic spaces with support from the regional planning authority.
    Transformation of the former New Seabury Shopping Center in Mashpee, Massachusetts, into a town center began 30 years ago. The early-1960s strip mall at the intersection of two state highways on Cape Cod was fading and needed refurbishment. Mashpee, a suburban municipality located between two older...Read more

  • Choice and the ‘sprawl tax’

    Daniel Hertz at City Observatory introduced what he called the “Sprawl Tax” last week—defined as the cost associated with excess commuting distance for the top 50 metro areas. This distance adds real costs for gas, depreciation, and wear and tear on motor vehicles as well as time spent commuting...Read more

  • Existing assets boost Detroit revival

    Note: This article was written as part of the Project for Lean Urbanism and edited for Public Square . Lean Urbanism will be a topic of discussion at CNU 24 in Detroit taking place June 8-11, 2016. Detroit is a place of intrigue. The dramatic rise and fall of the city over the last half century has...Read more

  • New eco-city combines ancient practice and modern technology

    Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is designed with energy, transit, human comfort, and sustainability in mind.
    A new city rising on the edge of the Arabian desert may become one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Perhaps ironically, this attempt at creating a low-carbon city is occurring in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which has grown wealthy exporting hydrocarbons to the world. Yet it’s not pouring...Read more