• Fighting loneliness with parks and third places

    We have a unique opportunity to rethink what it means to create shared spaces. By reimagining downtowns, expanding parks, and supporting hybrid third places, we can design environments that heal, connect, and inspire.
    I was struck by a recent essay in Time about the growing epidemic of loneliness in America. It drew a clear correlation between isolation and the decline of real-life social connections, particularly in third places—those informal gathering spaces like coffee shops, libraries, and parks. As someone...Read more

  • Kalamazoo to build pre-approved cottages

    Kalamazoo has allocated $480,000 to build three cottages from its catalog of pre-approved plans. The Michigan city will build the 864 sq. ft. single houses on infill land owned by the Kalamazoo County Land Bank. Construction is expected to begin in May and the houses will be sold to households...Read more

  • Achievements in community design and architecture

    Some noteworthy projects show how skilled architects and urban designers are tackling mixed-use, civic, housing, and infrastructure challenges around the US.
    Designing the “architecture of community” poses endless problems, but elite new urbanists in the Urban Guild are up to the challenge. After serving on this year’s Urban Guild Awards jury, I have been reporting on many awarded projects over the last few weeks. Today, I highlight more extraordinary...Read more

  • TOD creates public space in suburban DC

    Construction along the future Purple Line creates a dense, mixed-use urban center—providing residents with options besides driving in the congested Maryland suburbs.
    Chevy Chase Lake is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development (TOD) completed this year on a suburb-to-suburb light rail line under construction just outside Washington, DC. Replacing a strip shopping center, its first two completed phases comprise three buildings totaling 530 units, 110,000 square...Read more