• City seeks quality of life in the face of flood risk

    A levee, with promenade, would connect Norfolk’s citizens to the waterfront and protect against rising seas. The city is developing a comprehensive vision for how to “thrive” with climate change.
    Of all of US coastal cities, the climate change issues faced by Norfolk, Virginia, are among the most challenging. Norfolk faces the double whammy of sea level rise and land that is sinking at a rate of about a half a foot per century. It’s a very low-lying city, and one of the most vulnerable in...Read more

  • How missing middle fits on a block

    The term “Missing Middle Housing” has become a popular reference to middle-density, low-rise housing that has been missing from most new construction over the past half century. Examples include accessory dwelling units (ADUs), cottage courts, duplexes, small apartment buildings, and the like. The...Read more

  • Coding for better places

    Zoning reform tools can enable better places, affordable housing, and complete communities, according to a discussion on CNU's On the Park Bench.
    Overhauling an entire zoning code is an expensive and complicated lift requiring political will that makes it prohibitive to many communities. With the help of CNU’s Project for Code Reform (PCR), more and more places are learning how to make these changes incrementally. PCR says, “if you do...Read more

  • Financial fragility is to blame for Jackson’s water crisis

    Note: This article first appeared on Strong Towns .​ Public Square editor Robert Steuteville is on leave through the last week of October. I’ve spent some time trying to understand what has happened with the water system in Jackson, Mississippi. For locals who have lived through the long unfolding...Read more