• The American strip is a relic

    California’s new legislation may be the catalyst for transforming America’s dying commercial strips
    “The Strip” was once the glue holding together the American Dream’s new world of subdivisions, shopping centers, and office parks. It was the place to cruise, a new type of social space, lined with landmarks, trademarks and yes, gathering places. But no more. Today we do our cruising online and...Read more

  • How Charles was right (it’s probably not what you think)

    As the former Prince of Wales moves into a new and more circumscribed role, many people are reassessing his legacy for planning and design—but some are still missing a key point.
    I was on my way to Poundbury, the model town planned by the former Prince of Wales in the southwest of England, when I got the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth. I was headed there to meet with representatives of the Duchy of Cornwall, and to plan a possible next conference of the International...Read more

  • How to create real housing affordability, with dignity

    New Town at St. Charles, MO lays out patterns useful in providing enduring affordability in communities.
    The U.S. housing shortage is most severe on the more affordable side of the market. At a time when costs are escalating broadly and homes that were recently attainable by many have moved out of reach of most, this is no surprise. The problem is most acute in the heated markets, of course, where...Read more

  • 8th annual Better Cities Film Festival screens in Detroit

    Unique annual film festival spotlights the world’s most inspiring stories about making cities, towns and neighborhoods better places for everyone.
    First+Main Films will be screening the 2022 Better Cities Film Festival on October 20 - 23 in Detroit, Michigan. The festival curates and exhibits the best films from around the world, all focused on the theme of making cities and towns better places to live, work and play. The 8 th edition of the...Read more