• Park plan brings Olmsted aesthetic to suburbs

    Amherst, New York, is building a Central Park to create a regional public space that is centrally located to town residents.
    An Olmstedian “central park” is moving toward construction in Amherst, one of New York State’s largest suburbs. The drawing by Joe Kohl of Dover, Kohl & Partners looks much like a Frederick Law Olmsted plan—except for some parking and a few other modern aspects. Amherst is a steadily growing...Read more

  • Porches, walkability, and sustainability

    The design keys to making a porch comfortable, usable, and sociable are explained and diagrammed.
    Editor's note: This is an update of an article first published in 2009 on The Original Green , with larger images. Steve Mouzon's diagrams take a few minutes to study (at least for me, to fully understand). They are a valuable tool to properly use the elements of that impact front porch comfort and...Read more

  • Are you a CNU member? Increase your impact: Run for a Board seat 

    New Urbanism is a reform movement that is radical and transformative, dedicated to reshaping places around the world. The non-profit organization Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) supports this movement of multidisciplinary practitioners and advocates. The organization grew out of the movement,...Read more

  • Increasing access to opportunity

    How transit and land-use work together to break down the walls around our lives and expand human freedom.
    Jarrett Walker’s book, Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich our Communities and Our Lives , changed how many people understand public transport. This month, Walker’s new edition of the book is substantially rewritten and addresses current trends that have taken hold...Read more