Studies that quantify how urban places affect human, economic, and environmental wellness are essential to building the political will for change.

Nuture unique historic character in walkable formats and don’t build leasable space that you can’t lease. For downtown to have a critical mass, the goal is to capture 20 percent of the retail market share.

Fourteen hundred top land-use professionals, public officials, and citizens gathered in Seattle last week to discuss the future of cities.