• Comeback city: CNU in Detroit

    The Transforming City is the theme of this year’s Congress—and it’s the most inspiring CNU storyline that I can remember.
    Everything bad that has happened to US cities since 1950 is compounded in the Motor City. Detroit has lost more than 60 percent of its population. Its industrial economy is decimated. Houses have burned down almost nightly for years. Crime, poor schools, bankruptcy—you name it—Detroit has suffered...Read more

  • Florida embraces Complete Streets, a colossal task

    A comprehensive implementation guide was written to retool the machinery behind Florida's deadly streets.
    Florida recently adopted a comprehensive statewide plan to implement Complete Streets. I'll go out on a limb and say this plan is needed. Florida ranks first in the US in pedestrian fatalities nationwide. Florida is also the most dangerous state for bicyclists, according to the Centers for Disease...Read more

  • Lean codes for low barriers to entry

    We believe form-based codes are the most efficient, predictable, and elegant way to assure high levels of walkability and urbanism – even in more rural environments. However, the political and staff capacity of many local governments is not prepared for a full zoning reform effort. CNU is...Read more

  • Sprawl is not the problem

    Note: This is a guest article from Strong Towns , which will attend and cover CNU 24 in Detroit. Recently, I made a few people upset with me by asking that I not be called a smart growth advocate . Actually, I received a lot of email and messages on that one and the ratio of positive to negative...Read more