• Using neighborhood DNA to catalyze urban regeneration

    Back to Better is a series of interventions planned for the Near Northwest in South Bend, Indiana. Students at the University of Notre Dame won a Student Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2024 CNU Charter Awards.
    University of Notre Dame architecture students met with neighbors and stakeholders to propose design guidelines for regenerating the high-vacancy Near Northwest Neighborhood (NNN). Back to Better: An Urban Conservation and Regeneration Plan for South Bend's Near Northwest Neighborhood would fill “...Read more

  • Is ‘guerrilla urbanism’ an appropriate term?

    Various interpretations of the term “guerrilla” sparks debate over its meaning and use within urbanism.
    In a recent “ On the Park Bench ” conversation, we tackled the concept of Guerrilla Urbanism, sparking a spirited debate. Angela Puerta, a city planner from Madison, Wisconsin, with roots in Colombia, challenged the session’s title head-on. She argued that the term "guerrilla" carries deeply...Read more

  • How Cincinnati’s riverfront was transformed

    The Ohio River city leveraged two stadiums and a highway reconstruction to build a new waterfront neighborhood, guided by a 1990s plan.
    Note: CNU 32 will take place in Cincinnati May 15-18, where visitors will see many examples of New Urbanism and urban revitalization throughout the city and across the region. The Banks Neighborhood was built on an underutilized area with stadium parking between Interstate 71 and the Ohio River in...Read more

  • Greenway planned for a community seeking identity

    In a former village with little or no walkability, where the main road resists change, planners envision a walking path linking public spaces, one of which would be a new central square.
    Amelia, Ohio, is a former village that disincorporated in 2019, splitting its land between two townships, Batavia and Pierce. (This decision made national news .) Amelia’s Main Street is a busy four-lane state highway, the Ohio Pike, which is hard to cross and dangerous for pedestrians. A...Read more