• Legislation advances for zoning reform, pre-approved plans, pattern books and more

    Senators propose federal support for pro-urbanist ideas including local zoning reform, pre-approved plans, infill, and transit-oriented development.
    The ROAD to Housing Act 2025, which was passed unanimously by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on July 29, includes support for federally funded pattern books, pre-reviewed plans, zoning reform, streamlined infill housing, and transit-oriented development. The bipartisan...Read more

  • CNU 33.New England at Providence survey recap

    Insights from our growing, engaged New Urbanist community.
    As the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) continues to grow and evolve with ever more impactful annual gatherings, CNU 33.New England at Providence proved to be another landmark event. This year’s post-congress survey sheds light on who attends, what they value, and how the Congress continues to...Read more

  • Washington flips the switch on parking reform

    State legislation takes a new approach to removing parking mandates—one that is far more comprehensive.
    Today, I am covering something that happened two months ago, as I was preparing for CNU, so I didn’t have time to report on it then. However, it is important enough to revisit now. The State of Washington adopted a new approach to statewide parking reform that the Sightline Institute calls “the...Read more

  • Carmel completes its City Center

    The Indiana City, north of Indianapolis, has taken a unique approach to combat sprawl thought downtown development.
    From an American urban planning perspective, Carmel, Indiana, is one of the most interesting stories in recent decades. Although Carmel is a northern suburb of Indianapolis, it is an urban center in its own right. From the middle of that last century to 2000, it grew in typical suburban fashion,...Read more