• The infrastructure of community

    Porches and sidewalks are often ignored or dismissed, but they have important roles in building community.
    There was a time when The New Urbanism was belittled as “The New Porchism” for its propensity toward old-fashioned porches in developments like Seaside, Kentlands, and Celebration. Although new urbanists went to great lengths designing (usable) porches and explaining how this architectural feature—...Read more

  • Protect the porch

    The porch is more than just another single-family architectural feature, it's an important part of the culture of Black neighborhoods.
    As a young black man growing up dually in the urban oasis of Memphis and the countryside of Bells, Tennessee, I repeatedly encountered an architectural element in both places: the porch. My maternal grandmother was a front porch person; she enjoyed the street-watching (she didn't know who Jane...Read more

  • Utah City breaks ground, a very ambitious TOD

    A new transit-oriented development in Utah is planned with the density and amenities of a big city downtown.
    Utah City is the biggest and most ambitious transit-oriented development (TOD) that I have ever seen. Surprisingly, it is breaking ground not in New York, DC, or LA, but on a windswept, barren site near Provo, Utah. “Located on the east shore of Utah Lake, this will be Utah County’s largest...Read more

  • I-81 transformation begins in Syracuse, but design is still an issue

    New York State DOT is moving forward with replacing the I-81 viaduct, which has divided the Upstate city for six decades, with a grid of streets. But the design will determine whether this is a human-scale community grid or marred by a suburban arterial.
    The City of Syracuse and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) agree that a "community grid" best replaces the aging Interstate 81 viaduct that has divided the city since the 1960s. Despite an ongoing court challenge from opponents, the state started clearing trees in July to...Read more