Robert Steuteville

Robert Steuteville, F-CNU, is editor of Public Square: A CNU Journal and senior communications adviser for the Congress for the New Urbanism.

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Article image for Artistic, industrial neighborhood plans to stay quirky as it grows Design

Artistic, industrial neighborhood plans to stay quirky as it grows

The Cincinnati neighborhood of Camp Washington has a remarkable capacity for economic development, but the challenge is to manage growth without losing the unique mix of buildings, uses, and people.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2024
Article image for Kentlands gets a downtown makeover Design

Kentlands gets a downtown makeover

Design changes to the center of Kentlands, the influential traditional neighborhood development, show the potential for urbanism to improve as it ages.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2024
Article image for Project aims to connect a city Mobility

Project aims to connect a city

CNU’s Legacy Project in Norwood, Ohio, examines strategies for connecting neighbors, neighborhoods, and the city as a whole to the larger region.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 7, 2024
Article image for Vision plan released for transforming I-81 in Syracuse Freeway transformation

Vision plan released for transforming I-81 in Syracuse

The Community Grid proposal takes a broad planning approach to seven neighborhoods, districts, and corridors that could be changed and redeveloped following the demolition of the I-81 viaduct that has long overshadowed the city center.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 27, 2024
Article image for Living ‘car-free’ in the Arizona desert Design

Living ‘car-free’ in the Arizona desert

A YouTube influencer takes for a tour of Culdesac Tempe, one of the more interesting new developments today.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 27, 2024
Article image for Increasing access to opportunity Transit, TOD

Increasing access to opportunity

How transit and land-use work together to break down the walls around our lives and expand human freedom.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 15, 2024
Article image for Syracuse I-81 freeway transformation clears legal hurdle Streets

Syracuse I-81 freeway transformation clears legal hurdle

The demolition and replacement of Syracuse’s I-81 viaduct with a “community grid” cleared a key legal hurdle, as a New York State court unanimously overturned a lower court ruling blocking the project.   The February 9 decision apparently opens the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 13, 2024
Article image for Redevelopment plan advances for Tulsa massacre area Equity

Redevelopment plan advances for Tulsa massacre area

A century after devastating destruction of Greenwood, the city supports a community-driven plan to redevelop publicly owned sites in and near the neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 12, 2024
Article image for Cities moving ahead with pre-approved house plans Affordability

Cities moving ahead with pre-approved house plans

Pre-approved building plans can address the housing crisis by reducing regulatory friction around high-quality residential designs that fit a community’s vernacular.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 7, 2024
Article image for CNU endorses Housing Supply and Affordability Act Policy

CNU endorses Housing Supply and Affordability Act

CNU has endorsed the Housing Supply and Affordability Act, introduced in the US House and Senate last week.  The bill is sponsored by Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), and Senators Amy...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 5, 2024
Article image for Five hundred plans of Dover and Kohl Design

Five hundred plans of Dover and Kohl

This year’s Seaside Prize winners, Joseph Kohl and Victor Dover, discuss how street design is Victor's main issue and Joe will never put down his pen.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 1, 2024
Article image for Volunteers sought for Ukraine rebuilding charrette Design

Volunteers sought for Ukraine rebuilding charrette

CNU practitioners are invited to participate in a design charrette to help war-damaged Ukrainian communities. Team 11, a Congress for the New Urbanism member-led initiative, is working with the nonprofit Neo-Eco Ukraine on a pilot project to replan...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 31, 2024
Article image for Urban renewal could turn a dead mall into a downtown Retrofit

Urban renewal could turn a dead mall into a downtown

State infrastructure funding and an urban renewal designation are overcoming the challenges of a failed mall transformation in Western New York.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 30, 2024
Article image for Streetscape plan helps revive historic downtown Public space

Streetscape plan helps revive historic downtown

Built around a 150-year-old railroad depot, Greer suffered from motor-vehicle-age changes; a streetscape project has made downtown a destination.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 25, 2024
Article image for New walkable city planned in California Town planning

New walkable city planned in California

Wealthy tech investors are behind California Forever, one of the most ambitious greenfield plans in a century—for a mixed-use city of 400,000 on 29 square miles in Solano County.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 23, 2024
Article image for A pocket neighborhood designed for connection Missing middle

A pocket neighborhood designed for connection

The Ember in Edmond, Oklahoma, is designed so that all neighbors will feel part of the whole via a central gathering space.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 19, 2024
Article image for How placemaking can save the planet Public space

How placemaking can save the planet

A brief film biography of Fred Kent offers insight into placemaking, and why it is essential.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 16, 2024
Article image for Town extensions with urbanism are a great idea Town planning

Town extensions with urbanism are a great idea

Towns and cities used to grow by extending their street grids. Sprawl makes it harder, but many opportunities still exist. Why don’t we have more of this kind of development?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 10, 2024
Article image for New firm plans to bring walkability to scale Town planning

New firm plans to bring walkability to scale

Speck Dempsey is a partnership between walkability guru Jeff Speck and mobility expert Chris Dempsey.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 10, 2024
Article image for A street ballet to aspire to, from the Dutch Got A Minute

A street ballet to aspire to, from the Dutch

The Netherlands is one of the happiest places on Earth. This video by Active Towns founder John Simmerman gives a reason why.  On the last day of a visit, Simmerman recorded a typical morning commute in Delft, a historic city of just over 100,000...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 5, 2024
Article image for Fighting loneliness through community design Community

Fighting loneliness through community design

As the problem of loneliness grows, urbanists and planners may successfully design for social interaction in three broad ways.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 4, 2024
Article image for Town converts parcel into downtown hub Public space

Town converts parcel into downtown hub

A sold-out concert by soul music legend Gladys Knight opened a new 2-acre park in Douglasville, Georgia, recently—that’s a good sign for the multipurpose public space in the county seat 30 miles west of Atlanta. Douglasville is another example of a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 2, 2024
Article image for Ten features of walkable communities Got A Minute

Ten features of walkable communities

The following features of walkable communities were presented this week by Wade Walker, a transportation engineer with Kittelson & Associates. This is a great list, although not definitive; other lists of 10 could be made. Here's Walker’s list,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 22, 2023
Article image for Planning a city that gets people moving Mobility

Planning a city that gets people moving

Lake Wales, Florida, has adopted a plan that puts active mobility at the heart of day-to-day life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 21, 2023
Article image for Engineers resist narrow lanes, but change is coming Streets

Engineers resist narrow lanes, but change is coming

An American Society of Civil Engineers survey shows the challenges to creating more walkable streets, yet the way forward is to enable more context-based design.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 20, 2023
Article image for Abstracts sought for IMCL Organization

Abstracts sought for IMCL

International Making Cities Livable is calling for abstracts for two 2024 conferences—one in Newport, Rhode Island, and the other in Cortona, Italy.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 15, 2023
Article image for Missing middle combines cottages, mixed-use Design

Missing middle combines cottages, mixed-use

A missing middle development includes a cottage court, mixed-use building, street-fronting cottages, and an accessory dwelling on a narrow parcel near downtown Thunderbolt, Georgia.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 13, 2023
Article image for New urban fabric planned for old textile town Design

New urban fabric planned for old textile town

A plan is moving forward in Belmont, North Carolina—one of the first communities to adopt a form-based code—that would double the size of the downtown and extend the street grid.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 12, 2023
Article image for Shophomes offer living above micro-retail Design

Shophomes offer living above micro-retail

The Wheeler District, an airport redevelopment in Oklahoma City, offers many urban housing types including “shophomes”—mixed-use townhouses like traditional main street dwellings.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 6, 2023
Article image for Adaptable stock plans for missing middle housing Design

Adaptable stock plans for missing middle housing

A Fayetteville, Arkansas, designer has created a stock plan that works for a wide range of missing middle types, including townhouses, duplexes, cottages, ADUs, and even a pair of fourplexes.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 5, 2023
Article image for Street transformation is first for LA Tactical urbanism

Street transformation is first for LA

A 1.3-mile suburban arterial was quickly modified to take space from automobile travel and give it to transit, biking, and walking.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2023
Article image for Planning for climate change and aging Health

Planning for climate change and aging

Older Americans are the most vulnerable population in a natural disaster and provide the key to making communities more resilient for everyone, argues Danielle Arigoni, author of Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 29, 2023
Article image for Community fosters social life through civic design Community

Community fosters social life through civic design

A new town in Alabama is a model for how community planning and institutions can connect people.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 27, 2023
Article image for Connected streets are needed to support mixed-use, study reports Streets

Connected streets are needed to support mixed-use, study reports

A study looks at hierarchical and interconnected street networks, concluding that you can't have effective mixed-use without street grids, which provide many benefits.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 22, 2023
Article image for Selah rises in Oklahoma, survives storm Development

Selah rises in Oklahoma, survives storm

A new urban development is underway in Norman, Oklahoma, with a philosophy that can be compared to the award-winning Serenbe, in Georgia. Selah, a name derived from a Hebrew blessing, focuses on sustainability, agrarian urbanism, and community...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 22, 2023
Article image for Growing cultural life and mobility in a small city Public space

Growing cultural life and mobility in a small city

Railyard Park in Rogers is the central public space the city has always lacked—providing a place for diverse activities and people, connected to a regional trail network.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 20, 2023
Article image for Successful cities know their stories City life

Successful cities know their stories

First+Main Films and the Better Cities Film Festival are telling civic stories across America in film, with the goal of changing cities. It shows the power of storytelling in urbanism.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 16, 2023
Article image for Designing gathering spaces in a car-oriented city Community

Designing gathering spaces in a car-oriented city

A new urbanist development named after a literary hometown focuses on the arts and much-needed public space.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 15, 2023
Article image for Habersham marks 25 years of community building Development

Habersham marks 25 years of community building

South Carolina development offers convincing lessons for how builders, developers, and architects can create a successful new town.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 14, 2023
Article image for 21st Century infill urbanism that looks historic Development

21st Century infill urbanism that looks historic

Urban designers and architects are astounded by a charming, small, mid-block development in Charleston that is 2-4 stories tall yet is comparable to the gross density of Manhattan.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2023
Article image for Johns Hopkins study recommends narrow travel lanes Streets

Johns Hopkins study recommends narrow travel lanes

A nationwide study of more than 1,000 street sections sides with urbanists and planners in the long-standing battle with traffic engineers over the benefits of narrow travel lanes in urban places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 8, 2023
Article image for DC’s three waterfront developments Development

DC’s three waterfront developments

Three landmark developments since the 1980s have transformed the city's relationship to the water.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 1, 2023
Article image for A Blueprint for small-city reinvestment 15-minute city

A Blueprint for small-city reinvestment

A majority African-American city in southern Georgia is redeveloping with the help of a Transect-based, walkable urban plan.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 31, 2023
Article image for On Netflix, Blue Zones highlight the benefits of ‘place’ Health

On Netflix, Blue Zones highlight the benefits of ‘place’

New urbanists can be encouraged by the popularity of Blue Zone research and learn from the many place-based factors to longevity, including walkability, social institutions, and local diet—which can be included in plans to boost quality of life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 30, 2023
Article image for Why we need to design community into neighborhoods Community

Why we need to design community into neighborhoods

The author of Fragile Neighborhoods urges urban planners to take on a vital domestic challenge: Help restore the social function of neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 24, 2023
Article image for Florida town adopts ‘Big Green Network’ Town planning

Florida town adopts ‘Big Green Network’

An Olmsted-inspired plan for Lake Wales, Florida, would revitalize the core, promote new growth in walkable neighborhoods, and preserve green space around the town.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 23, 2023
Article image for Car-optional community is model for attainable housing Incremental and lean

Car-optional community is model for attainable housing

The Finley Street Cottages in Atlanta show how attainable housing can be built without subsidy, enabled by incremental zoning reform.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 18, 2023
Article image for Urban exodus and new urban reunion Got A Minute

Urban exodus and new urban reunion

In the early 1980s, a young architect, Dhiru Thadani, saw a lecture by another young architect, Andres Duany, who was designing a new town called Seaside with his wife and partner, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Duany explained how the elements of cities...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 17, 2023
Article image for Repairing past harm: Do designers and planners have a role? Equity

Repairing past harm: Do designers and planners have a role?

In a recent On the Park Bench webinar, CNU board member and former New York City Parks Commissioner Mitch Silver discussed the harm inflicted on black communities by the planning profession. He made the case for planners to mitigate inequities of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 12, 2023
Article image for New Urbanism growing through great ideas Design

New Urbanism growing through great ideas

Revisiting the 25 Great Ideas of the New Urbanism shows how the movement and world have changed in the last half decade.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 10, 2023
Article image for Ten years of walkable cities Town planning

Ten years of walkable cities

Jeff Speck updates his book, Walkable City, covering significant trends now and over the last decade.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 4, 2023
Article image for Group forms to promote international New Urbanism, eyes Ukraine Sustainability

Group forms to promote international New Urbanism, eyes Ukraine

Team 11, named after a UN sustainable development goal, wants CNU members to have a more significant impact worldwide to address climate change and other issues. The group is looking to sponsor a pilot project in Ukraine.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 3, 2023
Article image for CNU launches Charter amendment process Organization

CNU launches Charter amendment process

CNU is launching a formal process to amend the Charter of the New Urbanism, it was announced in an On the Park Bench webinar. The CNU board will accept proposals for amending the Charter in October and November, 2023.  Any CNU member can propose an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 2, 2023
Article image for A model for mall reuse in Portland Retrofit

A model for mall reuse in Portland

It’s no secret that large numbers of US malls are in deep trouble, having lost anchor tenants, and many of them are in foreclosure. In his 10th Anniversary edition of Walkable City, Jeff Speck reports that “Fully a quarter of US malls aren’t...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 29, 2023
Article image for Building community from farming, food, and walkable urbanism Sustainability

Building community from farming, food, and walkable urbanism

A bold vision of Agricultural Urbanism is now taking shape in British Columbia, 15 years after it was planned at the peak of the Great Recession.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 28, 2023
Article image for How ‘creative placemaking’ enhances a sense of place City life

How ‘creative placemaking’ enhances a sense of place

Art focused on people in a community can provide a bridge between them and the built environment, activating public space.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 25, 2023
Article image for Reuse of buildings celebrates architecture and public space Development

Reuse of buildings celebrates architecture and public space

Adaptive reuse of building ensemble in Providence, Rhode Island, restores significant mixed-use structures, improves public space, and provides contextual architecture in a historic downtown.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 12, 2023
Article image for The infrastructure of community City life

The infrastructure of community

Porches and sidewalks are often ignored or dismissed, but they have important roles in building community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 11, 2023
Article image for Utah City breaks ground, a very ambitious TOD Transit, TOD

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.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 31, 2023
Article image for I-81 transformation begins in Syracuse, but design is still an issue Streets

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.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 29, 2023
Article image for Toward a pattern language of corridors Streets

Toward a pattern language of corridors

These five design and implementation ideas could be repeated in many locations to create more equitable and sustainable, socially and economically robust corridors.
NEAL PAYTON, ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 28, 2023
Article image for Walkable, mixed-use on a former suburban brownfield Development

Walkable, mixed-use on a former suburban brownfield

The Proscenium is a key part of one of the largest, coordinated, suburban retrofit endeavors anywhere in the US.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 22, 2023
Article image for An alternative to a ‘wall’ in Charleston Sustainability

An alternative to a ‘wall’ in Charleston

The South Carolina city is pushing back against the US Army Corps of Engineers, who propose a perimeter wall to defend against storm surge. Charleston envisions a levy and range of public spaces in a Civic Design Opportunities Report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2023
Article image for The potential of mixed-use health districts Health

The potential of mixed-use health districts

Experts discuss hospital-oriented development and its dramatic potential to transform cities big and small.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 11, 2023
Article image for Hierarchy of centers for the 15-minute city Got A Minute

Hierarchy of centers for the 15-minute city

I recently spoke on a panel discussing the 15-minute city, and the cool graphic above was presented showing a hierarchy of mixed-use centers throughout the City of Portland, Oregon. This kind of analysis would help many cities plan to achieve an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2023
Article image for Walkable downtown created from a suburban office complex Retrofit

Walkable downtown created from a suburban office complex

Doral, known for a golf course and sprawl, has partnered with a developer to create a walkable downtown on the site of a former nondescript office park, reusing existing infrastructure.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 26, 2023
Article image for Innovative village based on agrarian urbanism Development

Innovative village based on agrarian urbanism

A mixed-use plan for a Central Florida blueberry farm seeks to build a sense of place around agricultural production, using Seaside as an urban design model.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 25, 2023
Article image for CNUers rank among most influential urbanists, past and present Headlines

CNUers rank among most influential urbanists, past and present

The Planetizen list of top all-time urbanists confirms the outsized influence of new urbanist ideas among planners at the moment.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 20, 2023
Article image for Video: 27 Charter of the New Urbanism principles Organization

Video: 27 Charter of the New Urbanism principles

CNU is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023—a generation after the organization founders met in Alexandria, Virginia, and began to outline a new philosophy of city building.  Writing the Charter of the New Urbanism required three years and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 19, 2023
Article image for Florida’s success with context-based street classification Streets

Florida’s success with context-based street classification

If context-based street design works in the most automobile-dominated state, it can make a difference anywhere.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 17, 2023
Article image for New college town for South Bend Development

New college town for South Bend

The outcome of two decades of planning and implementation, Eddy Street is one of the more impressive new urban neighborhoods built adjacent to a university.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2023
Article image for Pacello Placemaking Fellowship established Public space

Pacello Placemaking Fellowship established

Submit ideas by July 31 for cash grants for innovative, catalytic urban projects on any scale.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2023
Article image for Healthy communities explained in three steps Health

Healthy communities explained in three steps

University of Miami Professor Joanna Lombard lists the elements of healthy communities—and reports how the built environment may lead to physical and mental wellness through social interaction, physical activity, and connection to nature.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 29, 2023
Article image for Commercial strip becomes mixed-use promenade Retrofit

Commercial strip becomes mixed-use promenade

In the Capitol East District, the City of Madison has created a model for redeveloping a commercial strip highway.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 28, 2023
Article image for Shining a light on parking reform Parking

Shining a light on parking reform

Motivated by concerns over housing affordability and climate change, big cities and small towns are eliminating parking requirements. The reform has just begun—especially in the suburbs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 22, 2023
Article image for Four ways to transform ‘stroads’ Streets

Four ways to transform ‘stroads’

Every city has commercial strip corridors, but there are proven strategies for rebuilding them as places for people.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 20, 2023
Article image for NPR travel personality talks ‘walkable cities’ City life

NPR travel personality talks ‘walkable cities’

The show covers urbanism trends like why America is experiencing a dramatic rise in pedestrian deaths, while Europe is not.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 15, 2023
Article image for How parking affects missing middle housing Missing middle

How parking affects missing middle housing

Missing Middle Housing types are key to affordability, but parking (and zoning that requires off-street parking) impacts the cost. This analysis by Dan Parolek of Opticos Design, author of Missing Middle Housing, shows that fourplexes—one missing...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2023
Article image for Achieving quality in affordable housing design Architecture

Achieving quality in affordable housing design

Note: CNU and Public Square are closed the week of June 5, following a successful CNU 31 in Charlotte. Too often affordable housing looks like affordable housing, with mediocre-to-poor materials and details on the outside. In and around Providence...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 31, 2023
Article image for Freeway ramp becomes park, connecting city to its river Freeway transformation

Freeway ramp becomes park, connecting city to its river

Albany Skyway in Albany, New York, reclaims an "ugly chunk of highway" to reconnect downtown with the Hudson riverfront via a new linear park. Stantec Consulting Services won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 30, 2023
Article image for Affordable live-work housing for artists Architecture

Affordable live-work housing for artists

Pullman Artspace Lofts in Chicago, Illinois, provide affordable housing in live-work spaces for artists in an underserved community. Stantec Architecture Inc. won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 25, 2023
Article image for A civic monument to the enslaved Equity

A civic monument to the enslaved

Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is a civic tribute to slaves who laid the foundations of one of America’s oldest colleges. Baskervill won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 24, 2023
Article image for New Urbanism and its influences in the Charlotte region Region

New Urbanism and its influences in the Charlotte region

New Urbanism has a long history in Charlotte. Attendees of CNU 31 can check out its impact next week.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 23, 2023
Article image for Citywide forestry plan sets a New Urban standard Sustainability

Citywide forestry plan sets a New Urban standard

ReLeaf Cedar Rapids is a plan to restore the Iowa city’s decimated tree canopy, with a focus on equity and placemaking. Speck & Associates and Confluence won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 22, 2023
Article image for Integrating new and historic in affordable housing Affordability

Integrating new and historic in affordable housing

Larkin Place in Elgin, Illinois, is the adaptive reuse of a historic orphanage, on a block with affordable missing middle housing. Full Circle Development and Cordogan Clark won a CNU 2023 Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 17, 2023
Article image for Nation seeks higher ground with New Urbanism Sustainability

Nation seeks higher ground with New Urbanism

The Higher Ground Initiative in Nauru is a plan for a Pacific island nation that is threatened by sea level rise. Metrocology and CIVIC/URBAN won a Merit Award in The Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category of the 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2023
Article image for Marrying affordability, good design, and preservation Design

Marrying affordability, good design, and preservation

Willkommen Urban Infill in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a scattered-site revitalization of a historic area, focusing on affordable housing. Model Group, 3CDC, and GBBN won a Merit Award in the Block, Street, and Building category of the CNU 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 11, 2023
Article image for From unsafe arterial to thriving main street Community

From unsafe arterial to thriving main street

CNU and affiliated designers work with a community to identify implementation solutions for a disinvested urban corridor west of Charlotte’s Center City.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 10, 2023
Article image for Community led plan for bottom-up revitalization Equity

Community led plan for bottom-up revitalization

WeCollab is a community led initiative to revitalize adjacent neighborhoods in St. Louis, Missouri. YARD & Company won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the CNU 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 8, 2023
Article image for May the Charter be with you Organization

May the Charter be with you

May 4 is the anniversary of two important historical events, both taking place on the East Coast of the US, eighty years apart, that have helped shape modern planning and urbanism for the better around the world. Only the first occurrence is widely...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 4, 2023
Article image for Supporting food economy and public space for working-class neighborhood Design

Supporting food economy and public space for working-class neighborhood

SCLT Headquarters is an adaptive building reuse and urban plan for a working-class area in Providence, RI. Union Studio Architecture & Community Design won a Merit Award in the Block, Street, and Building category of the CNU 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 4, 2023
Article image for Storytelling, urban design, and saving a city City life

Storytelling, urban design, and saving a city

How places from Seligman, Arizona, to Buffalo, New York, have become aware of their history and charms—including planning and design—to turn urban failure into success.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 2, 2023
Article image for A small city rebuilds downtown with a focus on urbanism Design

A small city rebuilds downtown with a focus on urbanism

Hammond Downtown Master Plan has enabled the Northwest Indiana city to kick start its downtown revival. Speck & Associates and Stantec’s Urban Places won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the CNU 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 1, 2023
Article image for Three zoning reforms for compact housing Got A Minute

Three zoning reforms for compact housing

A beautifully illustrated article on the Placemakers website offers ideas on compact living, based on case studies of “missing middle” housing types in a village in Wales. Author Susan Henderson, an urban designer and coding expert who is based in...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2023
Article image for From failed mall to downtown core, a city takes charge Retrofit

From failed mall to downtown core, a city takes charge

Downtown Westminster in Westminster, Colorado, is the redevelopment of a former mall into a walkable center, led by the city. Torti Gallas + Partners won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2023 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 26, 2023
Article image for Piloting a new urban quarter in an African city Design

Piloting a new urban quarter in an African city

Goha Sefer—The New Urban Quarter in Gondar, Ethiopia, is a 50-acre neighborhood plan in the historic African city. Metaya Tilahun of Notre Dame won a Student Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of CNU's 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 24, 2023
Article image for A 15-minute city for southeast London Design

A 15-minute city for southeast London

Thamesmead Expansion is a series of proposals for a large, transit-oriented site in London. Students at UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design won a Student Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2023 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 20, 2023
Article image for Car-free, mobility-rich urbanism becoming a reality Development

Car-free, mobility-rich urbanism becoming a reality

Designers of Culdesac developments in Tempe and Atlanta report progress in creating a built environment for shared mobility, as the first residents move in to the Arizona project.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 19, 2023
Article image for Community plan builds on success of food kitchen Health

Community plan builds on success of food kitchen

A team of new urbanists design for a neighborhood in the crosshairs of gentrification, adding healthy food and affordable housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 10, 2023
Article image for Creating a mixed-use college town in an ‘edge city’ Retrofit

Creating a mixed-use college town in an ‘edge city’

CNU and affiliated designers visited a sprawling part of Charlotte to plan the transition of a 16-acre shopping center into a mixed-use center, with connections to a major university—UNCC. Temporary public space drives suburban retrofit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 5, 2023
Article image for A funky mix of transit-oriented development City life

A funky mix of transit-oriented development

When you go to Charlotte, North Carolina, you are likely to wind up in the South End, a funky mix of new buildings and converted warehouse and industrial sites a mile or two south of Uptown, the city’s central business district. The area is noted...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 3, 2023
Article image for Four types of corridors Got A Minute

Four types of corridors

Many kinds of urban corridors have great potential to transform cities, if the design is good.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 24, 2023
Article image for Parking reform is snowballing Parking

Parking reform is snowballing

Parking reform is gaining substantial momentum even in recent months—a policy development that will impact missing middle housing production, reuse of old buildings, and vehicle miles traveled, experts say.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 23, 2023
Article image for Reviving the downtown of a hard luck city Equity

Reviving the downtown of a hard luck city

Florida’s first predominantly African-American suburb has been out of the economic mainstream for six decades. A downtown plan that focuses on New Urbanism, affordable housing, and minority business development maps out a better future.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 22, 2023
Article image for Rush hour in Amsterdam Got A Minute

Rush hour in Amsterdam

I love this photo, from urbanist and author Michael Mehaffy, who posted it on his Facebook page. No moving car is visible in this commute shot of the most populous city of the Netherlands (in the winter, no less), but plenty of bicyclists and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 17, 2023
Article image for Why vacant offices are post-pandemic opportunities Retrofit

Why vacant offices are post-pandemic opportunities

Cities and states offer incentives for developers to convert offices to living spaces, which could have a profound impact on downtowns, employment districts, and office parks.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 16, 2023
Article image for The church of urban transformation Community

The church of urban transformation

On the Park Bench explores mixed-use, neighborhood-scale development projects for faith communities in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pike Road, Alabama.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 13, 2023
Article image for Parking is a national policy issue, thanks to Donald Shoup Parking

Parking is a national policy issue, thanks to Donald Shoup

A growing number of cities and states are reforming their parking regulations, and Donald Shoup, this year’s winner of the Seaside Prize, deserves considerable credit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 8, 2023
Article image for Debunking the 15-minute city conspiracy 15-minute city

Debunking the 15-minute city conspiracy

The 15-minute city has nothing to do with restricting freedom—it's about restoring freedom.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 3, 2023
Article image for US DOT advances highway transformations Freeway transformation

US DOT advances highway transformations

Reconnecting Communities grants represent a step toward a larger effort to undo the considerable damage from 20th Century transportation planning, aligning with CNU's Freeways Without Futures.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 2, 2023
Article image for Healing small cities through land use and transportation Policy

Healing small cities through land use and transportation

On the Park Bench experts reveal how to overcome barriers to healthy, thriving cities in America’s heartland.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 23, 2023
Article image for Sustainable design pioneer Kelbaugh remembered In memory of

Sustainable design pioneer Kelbaugh remembered

Influential urbanist, architect, academic, and early proponent of transit-oriented development (TOD) Douglas Kelbaugh died February 18 at the age of 78. Kelbaugh was professor and dean emeritus of the architecture and urban and regional planning at...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 21, 2023
Article image for Spokane streamlines ‘missing middle’ housing Policy

Spokane streamlines ‘missing middle’ housing

A house plan catalog is designed to expedite construction of compact housing that fits the neighborhood context throughout the city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 16, 2023
Article image for Changing street design is critical to reducing bike-ped deaths Streets

Changing street design is critical to reducing bike-ped deaths

Planner and author Jeff Speck argues that efforts to make our streets and roadways safer will fail unless the traffic engineering profession reforms its design practices.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 14, 2023
Article image for Trenton closer to long-sought freeway removal Freeway transformation

Trenton closer to long-sought freeway removal

Plan would open up the New Jersey capital's riverfront and offer economic, social, and environmental benefits.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 13, 2023
Article image for Analysis proposes ‘20-minute suburb’ 15-minute city

Analysis proposes ‘20-minute suburb’

An analysis by SOM argues that the suburbs are urbanizing as a result of shifting markets and people moving out of cities in the Bay Area of California. The firm examined what it called the “20-minute suburb,” based on the 15-minute city idea, to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 9, 2023
Article image for Washington beach town based on Northwest vernacular Design

Washington beach town based on Northwest vernacular

Seabrook, Washington, is the first full-scale beach town built according to the principles of New Urbanism on the West Coast. Founded in 2004, Seabrook is sited on a bluff that offers tremendous ocean views and protects against sea level rise. ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 6, 2023
Article image for Walkable places gain market share, economic impact Research

Walkable places gain market share, economic impact

The latest Foot Traffic Ahead report benchmarks walkable urbanism across the US, demonstrates pent-up demand for walkability and its outsized economic impact, and ranks metro areas according to this characteristic.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 2, 2023
Article image for The 15-minute city, why does it matter? 15-minute city

The 15-minute city, why does it matter?

A theoretical framework based on walking and bicycling sheds makes the 15-minute city more useful to cities and planners.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 31, 2023
Article image for Low-income people need ‘15-minute cities’ the most 15-minute city

Low-income people need ‘15-minute cities’ the most

Those who think “15-minute cities” are for wealthy urbanites should consider this graph from a recent nationwide study. It shows a powerful reverse correlation between household income and use of services and amenities within a 15-minute walk of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 27, 2023
Article image for A wall rises in Buffalo Public space

A wall rises in Buffalo

Even a city that is getting better makes mistakes, such as a massive concrete wall around a development in a city where population and urbanism are growing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 23, 2023
Article image for Feds release plan for compact communities to counter climate change Policy

Feds release plan for compact communities to counter climate change

The US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization lays out goals for practitioners of New Urbanism and smart growth “to increase convenience and reduce emissions by making it possible for people to take fewer or shorter trips.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 11, 2023
Article image for Novel idea: Modular house that’s cute Design

Novel idea: Modular house that’s cute

Good design is a low priority for houses made in a factory, but some architects and developers are trying to change the industry with a simple cottage that features a nicely detailed porch and roof lines.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 9, 2023
Article image for A primer on Missing Middle Housing Got A Minute

A primer on Missing Middle Housing

AARP, an interest group representing older Americans that claims 38 million members, has increasingly become involved in housing issues (including ongoing work with CNU on code reform). In between sending me direct mail for many years, AARP has...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 6, 2023
Article image for French village hit by sudden (Twitter) storm Design

French village hit by sudden (Twitter) storm

A viral Tweet highlights a village type that would be useful to analyze and replicate, and also touched a nerve.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 5, 2023
Article image for Church members propose urban village for congregation Community

Church members propose urban village for congregation

Parishioners of a historic church in Detroit want to develop eight vacant blocks with missing middle housing to build a church-centered community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 4, 2023
Article image for Reflecting back, looking forward Design

Reflecting back, looking forward

The top articles for 2022 have a lot to say about the world of city building and where we are headed for the new year.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 30, 2022
Article image for The enduring relevance of Walkable City Mobility

The enduring relevance of Walkable City

The 10th Anniversary Edition of Speck’s popular city planning treatise highlights the still-raging war over walkability and streets designed for cars.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 20, 2022
Article image for South Main gets the recognition it deserves Design

South Main gets the recognition it deserves

The unique Colorado mountain community has had its difficulties, including an attack from an online magazine, but the latest recognition highlights how much the designers and developers have gotten right.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 19, 2022
Article image for From slogan to substance, planning the 15-minute city 15-minute city

From slogan to substance, planning the 15-minute city

Too often, the “15-minute city” is just a slogan. A better understanding of the 15-minute city, with its walking and bicycling sheds, is critical to achieving the benefits of placing human access at the heart of community planning.
ANDRES DUANY, ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 13, 2022
Article image for To see America, get off the Interstate Community

To see America, get off the Interstate

To find hidden culture and history, you must do what most Americans rarely do — travel the old thoroughfares and see towns that were bypassed by the Interstate system. For example, take Route 20 in New York State.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 12, 2022
Article image for With CNU’s mission unfulfilled, Mallory Baches takes co-leadership reins Organization

With CNU’s mission unfulfilled, Mallory Baches takes co-leadership reins

In late November CNU’s board hired Mallory Baches as the new President, to co-lead with new Executive Director Margaret Gattis. Mallory recently discussed CNU’s urgent mission.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 8, 2022
Article image for How physical activity, land use, transportation, and zoning intersect Codes

How physical activity, land use, transportation, and zoning intersect

Zoning rarely gets discussed as directly related to health, but communities that have reformed their codes see health benefits, from reduced rates of cancer to greater physical activity—which in turn lowers disease and improves mental health.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 7, 2022
Article image for The life-saving benefits of street trees Health

The life-saving benefits of street trees

A US Forest Service study indicates that street trees save lives and provide direct health benefits that far outweigh the costs of planting and maintenance.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2022
Article image for Building ‘missing middle,’ first step to suburban retrofit Missing middle

Building ‘missing middle,’ first step to suburban retrofit

For much of the last six or seven decades, we’ve seen limited housing options in suburbia—generally single-family housing for sale, or apartment complexes with units for rent. In Gainesville, Florida, a South Carolina developer is offering a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 29, 2022
Article image for On Thanksgiving, it matters where you walk City life

On Thanksgiving, it matters where you walk

This holiday, experience the magic of a city or town. Let that become part of your family experience. It may change your life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 23, 2022
Article image for Historic chance to remove highway barrier, reconnect community Freeway transformation

Historic chance to remove highway barrier, reconnect community

The terminus of I-16 cuts into the historic core of Savannah, and removal of a flyover would help to heal the wounds of 1960s destruction in a minority and immigrant neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 22, 2022
Article image for Affordable neighborhood designed for Disney Got A Minute

Affordable neighborhood designed for Disney

The entertainment giant has donated land to create affordable housing, and the chosen developer has envisioned a new urbanist neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 18, 2022
Article image for Ways to jump-start small-scale urbanism Incremental and lean

Ways to jump-start small-scale urbanism

The benefits to good urbanism of finer grain building and development are well known, according to Brian Falk of the Project for Lean Urbanism. Now there are a suite of tools to help make that happen, including Pink Zones and “house hacking.”  Falk...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 16, 2022
Article image for In the unlucky rust belt, an overlooked 15-minute city 15-minute city

In the unlucky rust belt, an overlooked 15-minute city

For those who seek affordable, diverse urbanism in a community that needs committed residents, smaller, working-class cities have much to offer. Here's one in particular with 21st Century potential.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 16, 2022
Article image for Zoning that supports physical activity rising in the US Codes

Zoning that supports physical activity rising in the US

A longitudinal study found a 53 percent increase in new urbanist type zoning in the US during the previous decade, and support for infrastructure that boosts physical activity, and ultimately, health.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 15, 2022
Article image for Receiving zones and adaptation villages: A vision for climate change Sustainability

Receiving zones and adaptation villages: A vision for climate change

Korkut Onaran, author of Urbanism for a Difficult Future, has developed community planning ideas around self-sufficient places that rely on local technology.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2022
Article image for E-bikes are technology for the 15-minute city Mobility

E-bikes are technology for the 15-minute city

Electric powered bicycles may or may not be cool, but they expand access to the daily and weekly necessities of life while avoiding the many costs of driving.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2022
Article image for Project shows potential of inner-block development Development

Project shows potential of inner-block development

Quiet, intimate urban places in the center of blocks may be built if land-use regulations allow.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 7, 2022
Article image for Developer minimizes car use in community plan Development

Developer minimizes car use in community plan

A national developer who is subordinating automobiles has proposed a significant mixed-use community along the Beltline in Atlanta.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 3, 2022
Article image for Portrait of a successful ‘flex street’ Streets

Portrait of a successful ‘flex street’

Will street designers and public officials take notice of shared, flexible Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, which contributes to both transportation and placemaking?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 2, 2022
Article image for Shoup wins Seaside Prize Parking

Shoup wins Seaside Prize

Note: Public Square editor Robert Steuteville is on leave, and will return at the end of October. The 2023 winner of the Seaside Prize will be UCLA Urban Planning Professor Donald Shoup, who has led an international movement against off-street...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 17, 2022
Article image for In its hometown, Coors launches urban redevelopment Mixed-use

In its hometown, Coors launches urban redevelopment

As its name suggest, Golden, Colorado, began as a gold rush town, but it’s biggest economic driver in the 20th Century was the golden liquid of Coors beer and Coors-related operations. The Coors family started the Coors Brewing Co. (now Molson Coors...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 6, 2022
Article image for City seeks quality of life in the face of flood risk Sustainability

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.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 26, 2022
Article image for How missing middle fits on a block Got A Minute

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,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 22, 2022
Article image for Santa Barbara awarded for affordable housing design Affordability

Santa Barbara awarded for affordable housing design

The first Gindroz Award is named in honor CNU’s former board chair, a pioneer in applying new urban principles to social housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 15, 2022
Article image for Eye-opening video shows church site reuse Design

Eye-opening video shows church site reuse

Creating intimate spaces within blocks could be the answer for some underutilized house of worship sites—as shown by a plan for catholic churches in a midwestern city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 14, 2022
Article image for The new urbanist developer King Town planning

The new urbanist developer King

Charles III, who ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom late last week, may be the only world leader who has personally built a successful mixed-use, walkable town.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 12, 2022
Article image for Revitalization begins with cloverleaf demolition plan Design

Revitalization begins with cloverleaf demolition plan

In the City of South Bend, getting rid of absurdly failed highway infrastructure may be the key to revitalizing a district. The federal government is betting $2.4 million on it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 8, 2022
Article image for The magic of inner-block development Design

The magic of inner-block development

The opportunities are vast to create human-scale places on the inside of urban blocks, according to a discussion on CNU's On the Park Bench.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 7, 2022
Article image for ‘Car-free’ development substantially built Got A Minute

‘Car-free’ development substantially built

A video of construction shows the public spaces taking shape at the innovative Culdesac Tempe, in Arizona. Designer: “Car-free is the future of New Urbanism.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 2, 2022
Article image for US 1 is getting a public square Public space

US 1 is getting a public square

Generous public space amenities, including a square and wide sidewalks with trees, are key to transit-oriented suburban retrofit on Route 1 in South Florida.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 31, 2022
Article image for New Urbanism from the air in Montgomery Development

New Urbanism from the air in Montgomery

Traditional neighborhood developments at the Alabama state capital took sharply different turns after the Great Recession.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 30, 2022
Article image for Erasing the Arbitrary Lines of zoning Codes

Erasing the Arbitrary Lines of zoning

Nolan Gray joins CNU's On the Park Bench for a discussion of zoning, its history and problems, and what to do about it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 25, 2022
Article image for Suburban retrofit is ‘autophagy’ of the built environment Retrofit

Suburban retrofit is ‘autophagy’ of the built environment

Conventional suburbs are cities that have grown obese. We need processes for reusing their worn-out parts and creating something of higher value.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 23, 2022
Article image for Washington Drawings: Abe to Zoo City life

Washington Drawings: Abe to Zoo

Dhiru A. Thadani has produced an illustrative book that is full of insights into the people, places, history, and urbanism of our nation’s capital.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 22, 2022
Article image for Restoring a lost square Community

Restoring a lost square

Often, in the 20th Century, the courthouse square structure was damaged by automobile-oriented planning. Recovering what was lost is not easy—it’s a process of strategic elimination and addition to repair the form that is hidden while the town grows.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 18, 2022
Article image for How zoning reform has helped to turn Buffalo around Codes

How zoning reform has helped to turn Buffalo around

The New York Times recently reported on Buffalo’s “other story,” an unexpected and dramatic increase in population in the last decade, the first time this had happened in 70 years. The “other story” in the Times headline is a reference to the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2022
Article image for Analysis furthers code reform in Indianapolis Transit, TOD

Analysis furthers code reform in Indianapolis

Indianapolis has reformed its zoning along current and future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines to support transit-oriented development, aided by a “geoaccounting” analysis, according to a report in Strong Towns. The analysis graphically showed land...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2022
Article image for Renewing the heart of a 15-minute city 15-minute city

Renewing the heart of a 15-minute city

A Downtown Master Plan supports the urban diversity and access that are the goals of the 15-minute city, including affordable housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2022
Article image for Bird’s eye view of Jackson Square Got A Minute

Bird’s eye view of Jackson Square

This photo of Jackson Square, New Orleans, was shot with a drone by architect and urban designer Steve Mouzon. A photographer and author of The Original Green, Mouzon has been using a drone for urban photography for the last seven months, and is ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 4, 2022
Article image for Ten ways to build small-scale urbanism Incremental and lean

Ten ways to build small-scale urbanism

Building small has advantages in cost, time, ease of approval, ease of entry, and the character of the finished product. Small-scale urbanism has the support of multiple mini-movements, and here are ten ways to do it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 1, 2022
Article image for Visions of the city: I is for Ice City life

Visions of the city: I is for Ice

Amid the recent oppressive heat wave, it may be hard to imagine when warmth feels good. But there comes a time when people put on hats and gloves and scarves and engage in outdoor activities to generate body heat, and the contrast with the cold is...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2022
Article image for Building the Beloved Community in Atlanta Equity

Building the Beloved Community in Atlanta

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s home of Westside Atlanta, a nonprofit is partnering with the City and public and private organizations to transform disadvantaged neighborhoods using a new urban design plan.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2022
Article image for Visionary leadership creates new downtown Policy

Visionary leadership creates new downtown

Frisco, Texas, has been one of the fastest growing cities in the US over the last three decades, going from a small town of 6,000 in 1990 to more than 200,000 today. In the 1990s, when the city north of Dallas began to boom, officials acquired land...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 22, 2022
Article image for A man who loved and observed cities Public space

A man who loved and observed cities

A biography of William Whyte reveals a big thinker with a keen eye for details and a trust of his own observations over dominant planning theories—a trait he shared with collaborator Jane Jacobs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 21, 2022
Article image for New urban plan focuses on healthy living, affordability Development

New urban plan focuses on healthy living, affordability

The City of Las Cruces is planning an "aspirational" Transect-based neighborhood that includes modular housing on a publicly owned site.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 13, 2022
Article image for What good are planners if zoning disappears? Policy

What good are planners if zoning disappears?

In Arbitrary Lines, M. Nolan Gray offers a vision for a post-zoning world—including a productive shift in the planning profession.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 11, 2022
Article image for Abandoned railways and urbanism Got A Minute

Abandoned railways and urbanism

Lately I’ve been thinking about major opportunities for urbanism—places where compact, mixed-use development makes the most sense in cities and towns nationwide. Transit-oriented development—building walkable, urban projects near transit stations—is...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 8, 2022
Article image for Missing middle where the trains used to run Missing middle

Missing middle where the trains used to run

A cottage court called the Railroad Cottages shows how abandoned rail lines converted to trails have potential for incremental development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 6, 2022
Article image for Minneapolis zoning reform put on ice Codes

Minneapolis zoning reform put on ice

At a time when the need for zoning reform is gaining intellectual currency and credibility, one of the most important city land-use regulatory changes of recent years has suffered a legal setback. The Minneapolis 2040 plan, which effectively got...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2022
Article image for CNU attends launch of program to reconnect communities divided by transportation projects Policy

CNU attends launch of program to reconnect communities divided by transportation projects

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to Birmingham, Alabama, Thursday to launch the DOT’s $1 billion Reconnecting Communities program. The start of the city’s Birmingham Xpress, a 10-mile bus rapid transit line that connects 25...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2022
Article image for City wants to transform 14 miles of ‘stroad’ Streets

City wants to transform 14 miles of ‘stroad’

Plan El Paso—a groundbreaking new urban comprehensive plan—has been in place for a decade, and still the Texas city is rolling out implementation plans. The latest is Onward Alameda, the vision to transform a 14-mile-long section of “stroad,”...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 29, 2022
Article image for How the human face influences driver behavior in urban places Research

How the human face influences driver behavior in urban places

New research shows that psychology is important in street design, and drivers proceed with more caution in tight, changing, walkable places where facial expressions of pedestrians are visible.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 28, 2022
Article image for Housing ideas for people ‘on the spectrum’ Equity

Housing ideas for people ‘on the spectrum’

A report examines the living needs of the millions of people with autism spectrum disorder, and how good building and neighborhood design can help.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 22, 2022
Article image for Seven stroads that have been converted to streets Streets

Seven stroads that have been converted to streets

There are thousands of stroad sections in the US. Transforming a good number of them is important to to the goal of improving quality of life and mobility in cities and towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 21, 2022
Article image for The comfort of Light Imprint infrastructure Sustainability

The comfort of Light Imprint infrastructure

I love these boardwalks in Carlton Landing, a new town in Oklahoma. The houses face a tiny pedestrian thoroughfare that consists of the boardwalk and rain gardens. The rainwater simply soaks into the ground.  This is the ultimate in Light Imprint ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 17, 2022
Article image for What covid proved about traffic safety Streets

What covid proved about traffic safety

In mid-April of 2020, we published an article indicating that as traffic was plummeting, traffic deaths were rising. This counterintuitive claim was not backed by firm numbers at the time, and the world was more focused on deaths from the pandemic...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 16, 2022
Article image for Green, redevelopment fills hole created by ‘urban renewal’ Public space

Green, redevelopment fills hole created by ‘urban renewal’

A New England-style green creates the site for mixed-use and affordable housing at the center of a historic city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2022
Article image for Freeway fighting tide has turned Freeway transformation

Freeway fighting tide has turned

The halting of three in-city freeway expansions highlights a new momentum on reversing the damage of highways through urban areas.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 6, 2022
Article image for Louisville creek restoration funded, subject of CNU Legacy Project Sustainability

Louisville creek restoration funded, subject of CNU Legacy Project

CNU Legacy Projects have addressed widely diverse urban issues, and Beargrass Creek in Louisville is more distinct than most. The 2019 project, led by Gresham Smith, looked at a neglected urban waterway and how its restoration could impact 14...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 3, 2022
Article image for Why should cities have a music strategy? City life

Why should cities have a music strategy?

“Strong culture is as important as walkability, good street frontage, and all of the elements new urbanists always talk about.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 1, 2022
Article image for A trenchant critique of traffic engineering Streets

A trenchant critique of traffic engineering

Charles Marohn points the way to reviving cities and towns through reform of the profession that builds the framework for sprawl.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 26, 2022
Article image for Receiver places: Planning for climate migration Sustainability

Receiver places: Planning for climate migration

Receiver places, a term coined by urbanists for communities likely to gain migrants as climate problems grow, refers to not just physical places but also a process of preparing for change. “Managed retreat” is a related term, the other side of the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 23, 2022
Article image for The power of rails and trails Public space

The power of rails and trails

The 12-foot-wide Blue Line Rail Trail was originally designed to provide emergency access to light rail stations along Charlotte’s Blue Line. “However, since the Blue Line began operating in late 2007, the Rail Trail has been added onto, studied,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 20, 2022
Article image for Making ‘missing middle’ work in an anti-density region Missing middle

Making ‘missing middle’ work in an anti-density region

Cape Cod is desperately in need of housing diversity. Combining ‘visual preference’ with ‘missing middle’ housing types could point the way.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 18, 2022
Article image for Buffalo suburb moves ahead with retrofit plans Retrofit

Buffalo suburb moves ahead with retrofit plans

Amherst, New York, is a municipality to watch for those who are tracking suburban retrofit—the idea of re-purposing automobile-oriented suburban areas for new uses in the 21st Century. Amherst is the largest suburb in the Buffalo region, and home to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 16, 2022
Article image for The continuing relevance of Every Place Counts Freeway transformation

The continuing relevance of Every Place Counts

CNU led visioning sessions sponsored by US DOT in four cities in 2016, representing a landmark recognition of the wrongs committed in the name of in-city highway building.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 13, 2022
Article image for Ambitious plan to replace tree canopy lost to storm Sustainability

Ambitious plan to replace tree canopy lost to storm

In just over an hour, Cedar Rapids lost more than half of its trees—the recently adopted plan has lessons for many cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 6, 2022
Article image for The remarkable potential for retrofitting strip malls Retrofit

The remarkable potential for retrofitting strip malls

Redeveloping the most favorable 10 percent of suburban strip malls in the Boston region would meet a major portion of the area’s housing needs in the next decade, according to a study.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 3, 2022
Article image for The cost of crashes is higher than congestion Got A Minute

The cost of crashes is higher than congestion

Congestion costs drive highway expansion decisions, but these costs are dwarfed by the impact of automobile crashes. Comparing the two points to a better strategy than widening thoroughfares.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 29, 2022
Article image for A tool for better zoning in Wisconsin Codes

A tool for better zoning in Wisconsin

CNU’s Project for Code Reform completed a report for Wisconsin municipalities, Enabling Better Places, building on similar reports for Michigan and Vermont, and one upcoming in New Hampshire.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2022
Article image for Periodic Table of Urbanism Got A Minute

Periodic Table of Urbanism

At CNU 30 in Oklahoma City planner Stephen Goldie presented an idea that has been in the works for several years, building on the rural-to-urban Transect. Goldie calls it the “Periodic Table of Urbanism,” see image at top, because it resembles the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 22, 2022
Article image for Highway transformations funded for New York cities Freeway transformation

Highway transformations funded for New York cities

The recently passed New York State budget allocates major funds to further in-city highway removal in the Upstate cities of Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo. All projects have been highlighted by CNU in recent years. The budget alots $1.1...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 13, 2022
Article image for Carbon emissions and the Transect Got A Minute

Carbon emissions and the Transect

Transportation is a major source of household carbon emissions, and these emissions are reduced dramatically as Transect zones become more urban, as shown in this slide, presented by Scott Bernstein at CNU 30 in Oklahoma City in late March. I have...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 7, 2022
Article image for What cities will receive climate migrants? Sustainability

What cities will receive climate migrants?

A group of urbanists has compiled a list of “receiver cities and towns” from across the US, and identified principles for how communities can become more resilient to climate change.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 6, 2022
Article image for A new era of people-oriented infrastructure Streets

A new era of people-oriented infrastructure

We have been investing in automobiles, at the expense of people, for too long. The story of Oklahoma City indicates that change is possible, because the dialog is shifting.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 31, 2022
Article image for House hacking: Urbanism at its smallest and most personal Incremental and lean

House hacking: Urbanism at its smallest and most personal

The smallest scale of the Charter of the New Urbanism is the building, and the smallest building is usually a house. Many of us own one, or would like to own one. But it can also be expensive to purchase a house, pay a mortgage, and also launch a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 29, 2022
Article image for Vision of a ‘solar village,’ realized by New Urbanism Sustainability

Vision of a ‘solar village,’ realized by New Urbanism

Civano New Town is a groundbreaking fusion of New Urbanism and green design that has proven the efficacy of both together. Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists won a 2022 CNU Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 22, 2022
Article image for Contextual design and preservation on DC commercial corridor Architecture

Contextual design and preservation on DC commercial corridor

Collection 14 takes a surgical approach to infill, building over and around existing main street buildings. Perkins Eastman DC won a 2022 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 21, 2022
Article image for Christopher Alexander, 1936-2022 In memory of

Christopher Alexander, 1936-2022

Christopher Alexander, a towering figure in architecture and urbanism—one of the biggest influences on the New Urbanism movement—died on Thursday, March 17, after a long illness, it was reported by Michael Mehaffy, a long-time collaborator and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2022
Article image for Car-free hill town is designed in nature Town planning

Car-free hill town is designed in nature

Beach Town, Las Catalinas creates a rich network of intimate urbanism on a steep site in Costa Rica. Charles Brewer, Douglas Duany, TSW Design, and the Las Catalinas team won a 2022 Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2022
Article image for How Seaside’s public space has improved over time Public space

How Seaside’s public space has improved over time

The Evolution of the Civic Realm in Seaside has been part of the ongoing transformation of a classic new urban town to meet current needs. Thadani Architects + Urbanists won a 2022 Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 17, 2022
Article image for Revitalizing a stigmatized neighborhood Equity

Revitalizing a stigmatized neighborhood

El Punto Neighborhood Revitalization is a comprehensive, large-scale effort to lift up an immigrant enclave in Salem, MA. North Shore Community Development Coalition won a 2022 Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2022
Article image for Endearing and enduring, cottage court is designed to last a millennium Architecture

Endearing and enduring, cottage court is designed to last a millennium

The Borough is a strikingly beautiful group of houses that brings an abandoned, resilient construction technique back to life. Clay Chapman won a Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 14, 2022
Article image for Bringing the best parts of town to a disadvantaged area Equity

Bringing the best parts of town to a disadvantaged area

Church Hill North—Armstrong Renaissance invests in a neglected Richmond neighborhood to “remap the geography of segregation.” Torti Gallas + Partners won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 10, 2022
Article image for Comprehensive redesign makes city more livable Streets

Comprehensive redesign makes city more livable

Project 180 transformed the fabric of Oklahoma City’s downtown. OJB Landscape Architecture and Speck & Associates won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 9, 2022
Article image for Bold campaign for highway removal Freeway transformation

Bold campaign for highway removal

Re-Envision Albany is a compelling vision to transform an unnecessary freeway into a boulevard with green space and equitable development. Albany Riverfront Collaborative won a Merit Award in the Emerging Project category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 7, 2022
Article image for Setting a whole new pattern for rural growth Region

Setting a whole new pattern for rural growth

Carlton Landing, a traditional neighborhood development that is its own municipality, is transforming a rural Oklahoma region. DPZ CoDESIGN won a Merit Award in The Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 3, 2022
Article image for Transit-oriented model for economic development in the suburbs Transit, TOD

Transit-oriented model for economic development in the suburbs

The Blue Line Corridor sets the stage for substantial transit-oriented suburban retrofit in a growing region. HR&A Advisors and Design Collective won a Merit Award in The Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 2, 2022
Article image for Tackling concentrated poverty, without displacement Equity

Tackling concentrated poverty, without displacement

Westside Evolves is a master plan to deal with the 20th Century model of public housing in Chattanooga, Tennessee. EJP Consulting Group won a Merit Award in the Emerging Project category of CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 1, 2022
Article image for Station plan highlights the strength of an artfully drawn vision Transit, TOD

Station plan highlights the strength of an artfully drawn vision

West Chester Market Station is a practical and appealing plan for a disused rail stop west of Philadelphia. Notre Dame architecture student Benjamin Shelton won a Student Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category of CNU 2022 Charter Awards
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 25, 2022
Article image for Rebuilding a neighborhood in beleaguered Beirut Equity

Rebuilding a neighborhood in beleaguered Beirut

The Port and the City offers hope for a neighborhood in Beirut that is recovering from a major disaster. A University of Miami School of Architecture team won a Student Merit Award in CNU's 2022 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 24, 2022
Article image for Yes, a comprehensive plan can be ‘Lean’ Incremental and lean

Yes, a comprehensive plan can be ‘Lean’

Add to the list of oxymorons such as “jumbo shrimp,” “deafening silence,” and “military intelligence,” the idea of a “lean comprehensive plan.” In the planning field, a comprehensive plan often takes 30 years to update, and is usually anything but...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 23, 2022
Article image for Apple Park(ing) and the high cost of corporate greenwash Got A Minute

Apple Park(ing) and the high cost of corporate greenwash

It’s a pity that Apple chose a 20th Century model for construction of its headquarters. Our collective attention spans are short in 2022, and Apple’s massive office building landed like a spaceship in the sprawl of Silicon Valley more than four...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 17, 2022
Article image for Solving the congestion problem Got A Minute

Solving the congestion problem

This cartoon by Jean Wei for Transportation for America perfectly depicts what happened to so many American downtowns and main streets in the latter half of the 20th Century. Older cities and towns faced many problems at the time, not the least of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 11, 2022
Article image for Urban design boosts ‘passive cooling,’ responds to climate change Sustainability

Urban design boosts ‘passive cooling,’ responds to climate change

Civano, a new urbanist town in Tucson, Arizona, provides a useful model for how three-dimensional design cuts energy and water use—and also adapts to and mitigates climate change.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 9, 2022
Article image for Five keys to a successful master plan Town planning

Five keys to a successful master plan

Macon, Georgia, has been transformed by the Master Plan for Beall’s Hill, which helped tear down the walls between Mercer University and a disadvantaged neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 7, 2022
Article image for Pitt proves cutting-edge design and affordable housing don’t mix Architecture

Pitt proves cutting-edge design and affordable housing don’t mix

Brad Pitt violated the cardinal architectural rule since Pruitt-Igoe: Do not experiment on the poor. Others, such as Habitat for Humanity and new urbanists, were far more successful in New Orleans.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 4, 2022
Article image for Building a ‘main street’ from parking lots Tactical urbanism

Building a ‘main street’ from parking lots

The diverse Global District is the focus of a tactical event and long-term planning to promote main street character in a sector of strip malls and arterial roads.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 2, 2022
Article image for Public housing transformation gets boost from freeway teardown Affordability

Public housing transformation gets boost from freeway teardown

In Syracuse, New York, the relocation of I-81 creates opportunity for replacing public housing with a mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 26, 2022
Article image for Shift to the suburbs not your grandfather’s sprawl Markets

Shift to the suburbs not your grandfather’s sprawl

Core cities are losing population to the suburbs, but the 2020s will not repeat the last half of the 20th Century. The suburbs are bound to urbanize.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 21, 2022
Article image for When bad things happen in new urban places Got A Minute

When bad things happen in new urban places

New Urbanist places sometimes get the reputation of looking like movie sets, especially some of the well-known developments like Celebration (built by Disney), and Seaside, which did serve as a set for the 1998 film The Truman Show (the filmmakers...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 7, 2022
Article image for Let main streets be main streets Streets

Let main streets be main streets

A community should determine what kind of community it wants to be, not unelected DOT engineers.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 4, 2022
Article image for Pre-approved accessory units streamline small-scale infill Missing middle

Pre-approved accessory units streamline small-scale infill

Seattle, which adopted one of the nation’s most progressive accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinances for cities, has taken this idea a step further by streamlining plans and designs that work. In late 2019, Seattle approved an ordinance that allows...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 22, 2021
Article image for Ford promotes street grids Streets

Ford promotes street grids

A town in Texas is on the leading edge of a trend to bring back the practical, efficient street networks for new development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 20, 2021
Article image for A parking lot and a plaza Got A Minute

A parking lot and a plaza

The Memphis Medical District is a 2.6-square-mile area that has gained plenty of jobs, but has lost most of its population in the last 50 years. The area has loads of institutional buildings and surface parking lots, and many underutilized blocks....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 17, 2021
Article image for Turning a ‘stroad’ into a street Streets

Turning a ‘stroad’ into a street

“Stroad” is a term coined by Strong Towns’ Chuck Marohn to describe the poorly designed commercial streets found in conventional suburban environments across America. These thoroughfares are part street, part road, hence the name stroad, and perform...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 16, 2021
Article image for Calculating ‘induced demand’ Streets

Calculating ‘induced demand’

Recently the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) created a very simple tool that is long needed: A calculator of “induced demand” in transportation. This is the economic concept that applies when supply increases, price declines, and therefore demand for...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 13, 2021
Article image for Valletta cityscape Got A Minute

Valletta cityscape

This view of Valletta, Malta, by urbanist Dhiru Thadani, drawn from a peninsula that extends out to in the harbor, doesn’t seem to have changed much in centuries. A photo of the same view, easy to find on the Internet, reveals a few...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 10, 2021
Article image for Eight ways for ‘receiver cities’ to prepare Sustainability

Eight ways for ‘receiver cities’ to prepare

Great Lakes communities are prominent examples of what new urbanists often refer to as “receiver cities, towns, and villages.” They can prepare for migration by promoting growth that improves the quality of life of existing inhabitants.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 9, 2021
Article image for Legacy Project focuses on historic Black theater Community

Legacy Project focuses on historic Black theater

The Jewel Theatre is a 1931 brick building with Deco details on 4th Street of Oklahoma City—the only building left standing on what was once a thriving main street block in a Black business district.  The Jewel Theatre operated from the 1930s ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 6, 2021
Article image for How the ‘Heart of Town’ saved a town’s future Sustainability

How the ‘Heart of Town’ saved a town’s future

Compact development, which contributes to carbon reduction, is also useful for climate adaptation and the building of defensible places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2021
Article image for Envisioning Albany, without the waterfront-blocking freeway Freeway transformation

Envisioning Albany, without the waterfront-blocking freeway

It’s hard to imagine a highway that damages a city more, and serves a less noble purpose, than Interstate 787 in Albany, New York’s capital. This highway segment does not carry Interstate through traffic—it was built so state workers and legislators...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 24, 2021
Article image for The program that ‘changed everything’ for Oklahoma City Policy

The program that ‘changed everything’ for Oklahoma City

Thirty years ago, Oklahoma City’s downtown was hurting badly, and the city’s livability and beauty were at a low ebb. A policy called MAPs transformed the city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 23, 2021
Article image for Hammond, Indiana, and a more walkable USA Community

Hammond, Indiana, and a more walkable USA

A film segment tells the story of an American city, its struggles, and a future revitalized by urban design.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 18, 2021
Article image for Complete Streets policy designed for implementation Streets

Complete Streets policy designed for implementation

With CNU’s technical help, Evansville adopted a Complete Streets ordinance that includes tight deadlines and metrics so staff can make a difference.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 17, 2021
Article image for The infrastructure bill’s promise for cities Freeway transformation

The infrastructure bill’s promise for cities

To federal government this week adopted a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), which is going to pay for a lot of machines moving dirt over the next few years. To what extent will they make better...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 12, 2021
Article image for Community design answer to homelessness Affordability

Community design answer to homelessness

An architect makes the case for little cottages, grouped in a village form, as a way to address homelessness.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2021
Article image for Not hard to design a great public space Got A Minute

Not hard to design a great public space

Arcata Plaza, laid out along with the town’s first streets in 1850, was first used to load lumber from the sawmill—and has served as the commercial heart of the Northern California town ever since. Arcata Plaza is a square, literally, and the design...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 5, 2021
Article image for Fighting to save a troubled city Community

Fighting to save a troubled city

A documentary on Youngstown, Ohio, won top prize at the Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 4, 2021
Article image for Climate adaptation, mitigation, and urban design Sustainability

Climate adaptation, mitigation, and urban design

Analyzing how community design can impact various phases of climate change response, both local and global.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 3, 2021
Article image for Charter Awards 2022: Bringing people together Organization

Charter Awards 2022: Bringing people together

New Urbanism has always been about the architecture of community—that phrase was in the subtitle of Peter Katz’s seminal 1994 book that helped launch this movement. The architecture of community has a double meaning—first, it refers to a scale of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 2, 2021
Article image for Plans for a sustainable village center and neighborhood Town planning

Plans for a sustainable village center and neighborhood

South Hill village in Ithaca, New York, combines walkable greenfield development with suburban retrofit to offer a new model for growth.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 28, 2021
Article image for Urbanists designing new village in New York State Town planning

Urbanists designing new village in New York State

An urban design team is working in Ithaca, New York, this week to plan a new village center on a substantial site south of the City, which has been my home for the past 24 years. While Ithaca has benefited from infill New Urbanism in recent years,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 26, 2021
Article image for Tree canopies make us safe; Here’s how to grow them throughout cities Sustainability

Tree canopies make us safe; Here’s how to grow them throughout cities

A few days ago, I explained how planting street trees adapts to and mitigates climate change. Trees also bestow health, safety, and economic benefits. In other words: they are a “wonder drug” for cities.  Trees are low tech, and are adored across...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 22, 2021
Article image for Biggest suburb gets a new downtown as walkable becomes legal Retrofit

Biggest suburb gets a new downtown as walkable becomes legal

Code reform and light rail, plus a key development, are helping to transform the center of Mesa, Arizona.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 21, 2021
Article image for Street trees: A wonder of climate adaptation Sustainability

Street trees: A wonder of climate adaptation

Street trees have many benefits, but their climate impact is becoming more important all the time.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 19, 2021
Article image for Plan would transform SoHo streetscapes Streets

Plan would transform SoHo streetscapes

The SoHo Broadway plan would greatly increase space for pedestrians and cyclists in the iconic Manhattan neighborhood, and be implemented over the next two decades.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 14, 2021
Article image for How to prepare communities for climate change Sustainability

How to prepare communities for climate change

The Climate Planner offers a wealth of experience and advice for planners confronting climate change in community plans.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 12, 2021
Article image for Transforming a suburban commercial strip corridor Streets

Transforming a suburban commercial strip corridor

There is nothing so ubiquitous in the American landscape as suburban commercial strip corridors, typically built in the 20th Century with a variety of single-use buildings, large surface parking lots, buffers, and thoroughfares focused on driving...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 8, 2021
Article image for Legacy of the Little Pink House Policy

Legacy of the Little Pink House

Last night I watched the drama Little Pink House, based on the Kelo v. City of New London, Connecticut, eminent domain case that reached the US Supreme Court in 2005. The case centered on the taking of non-blighted houses in the small Connecticut...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 6, 2021
Article image for Design for new town deals with climate change Sustainability

Design for new town deals with climate change

Newfield in Martin County, Florida, provides an upland alternative to coastal real estate in Southeast Florida, while preserving the countryside.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 4, 2021
Article image for New urban opportunity: Alleys, mews, and accessory units Missing middle

New urban opportunity: Alleys, mews, and accessory units

The unsung alley has the potential to create an intimate American urbanism, it just needs a little attention from urban designers.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 29, 2021
Article image for A little vision, a small site on the water, makes a huge asset Retrofit

A little vision, a small site on the water, makes a huge asset

Even a small waterfront site can turn into a social and economic draw for a city or town.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 28, 2021
Article image for Form-based codes boost tax revenue and construction, don’t catalyze gentrification Research

Form-based codes boost tax revenue and construction, don’t catalyze gentrification

New report aligns with other recent research that form-based codes have not translated to gentrification.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 23, 2021
Article image for California zoning reform: Are form-based codes the answer? Codes

California zoning reform: Are form-based codes the answer?

The Golden State’s recent legislation enabling duplexes and small multifamily buildings has important urban design implications for New Urbanism and walkable communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 22, 2021
Article image for New Urbanism on the Moon Design

New Urbanism on the Moon

The architecture of community will be important in space, because you not only have to keep people alive, but happy and healthy—and you do that through sense of community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 20, 2021
Article image for New neighborhood highlights the joy of urban place Town planning

New neighborhood highlights the joy of urban place

The Wheeler District is shaping up as one of Oklahoma City’s landmark neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 15, 2021
Article image for Ten political benefits of walkable places Community

Ten political benefits of walkable places

This is fourth in a series of articles on the advantages of building human-scale cities and towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 14, 2021
Article image for USC Village has street life galore Public space

USC Village has street life galore

A ton of people and a well-designed public realm combine in the alchemy of a happy place in LA.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 10, 2021
Article image for A gridded city of 5 million people proposed for Southwest Region

A gridded city of 5 million people proposed for Southwest

Tech billionaire Marc Lore hired starchitect Bjarke Ingels for a new urban design of a city that would be based upon community ownership of land.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 3, 2021
Article image for Legacy Projects proposed for Oklahoma Equity

Legacy Projects proposed for Oklahoma

CNU is seeking design teams to lead historically and culturally significant projects in Oklahoma City and Tulsa in advance of CNU 30.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 1, 2021
Article image for Ten environmental benefits of walkable places Sustainability

Ten environmental benefits of walkable places

This is third in a series of articles on the advantages of building human-scale cities and towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 31, 2021
Article image for Planning for retrofit of retirement communities Retrofit

Planning for retrofit of retirement communities

Continuing care retirement communities are a huge industry, planned in the suburban model, often with excess land that could be better utilized in a walkable, mixed-use form.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 24, 2021
Article image for Supporting evolving Central Social Districts City life

Supporting evolving Central Social Districts

Main Streets, downtown cores, and neighborhood centers play a vital social role in American communities. The idea of Central Social Districts offers a way for cities to nurture this function to help urban centers thrive.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 23, 2021
Article image for Ten economic benefits of walkable places Research

Ten economic benefits of walkable places

This is second in a series of articles on the advantages of building human-scale cities and towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 18, 2021
Article image for The power of central social districts Community

The power of central social districts

Main Streets, downtown cores, and neighborhood centers play a vital social role in American communities. The argument for Central Social Districts is that this social role should be nurtured distinctly for urban centers to succeed.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 17, 2021
Article image for Historic shopping mall site slated for mixed-use Retrofit

Historic shopping mall site slated for mixed-use

A major shopping mall that influenced 20th Century retail is slated to become a mixed-use urban center after getting key State of Michigan approvals in late July. Designed by Victor Gruen, Northland Center in Southfield, Michigan, predated the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2021
Article image for Ten social benefits of walkable places City life

Ten social benefits of walkable places

We shape our cities and then they shape us.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2021
Article image for Top 10 ‘15-minute city’ list headed by Miami Research

Top 10 ‘15-minute city’ list headed by Miami

Miami has the greatest potential for meeting 15-minute city goals, followed by San Francisco and Pittsburgh, according the first ranking of 15-minute city characteristics among large US cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 9, 2021
Article image for Fifty reasons to love urbanism Research

Fifty reasons to love urbanism

Hop on the bus, Gus. Make an urban plan, Sam. Read the report, sport, on 50 reasons to love urban places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2021
Article image for Why we need Observational Urbanism Streets

Why we need Observational Urbanism

Putting observation first, and theory second, helped to move the planning profession toward more beneficial city building techniques in the late 20th Century. It continues to be an important test and correction to theories, even new urbanist ideas.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 26, 2021
Article image for Turning a neglected site into four-sided mixed-use Development

Turning a neglected site into four-sided mixed-use

A development in Edina, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis, hits a lot of metrics of sustainable planning. Nolan Mains was built on a 2.8-acre site that was previously nearly 100 percent impervious surface—mainly surface parking lots—in a commercial...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 22, 2021
Article image for Vision of a town: Celebration of the physical planner Community

Vision of a town: Celebration of the physical planner

US Route 20, the longest road in the nation, travels through many interesting and historic places in New York State. One that you have probably never heard of is Cazenovia, a town of 7,000 people, founded in 1793. Cazenovia is a kind of place that...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 21, 2021
Article image for A practical ‘landscape urbanism’ in a postwar suburb Retrofit

A practical ‘landscape urbanism’ in a postwar suburb

A centrally located former golf course becomes a new park of regional importance, through strategic development of a portion of the site.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 20, 2021
Article image for Form-based codes haven't translated to gentrification, study reports Research

Form-based codes haven't translated to gentrification, study reports

Form-based codes have significant benefits, the question is whether these benefits are distributed equally.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 19, 2021
Article image for A new model for continuing care Got A Minute

A new model for continuing care

As Baby Boomers enter the market for retirement communities, they are demanding different models from the typical facilities of today, where the most prominent public feature is often a parking lot behind a gated entry. Some continuing care...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 16, 2021
Article image for How downtown Oklahoma City did a 180 Streets

How downtown Oklahoma City did a 180

The city used a bad assessment on walkability, and a skyscraper development, as the impetus and means to transform downtown’s public realm, boosting tourism, the economy, and quality of life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 14, 2021
Article image for Vision for livability along an Interstate Freeway transformation

Vision for livability along an Interstate

I-494 forms the border between two Minnesota suburbs. A CNU Legacy team created a plan to improve life for economically disadvantaged residents of the area.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2021
Article image for A “15-minute city” underway in the Highlands Development

A “15-minute city” underway in the Highlands

Tornagrain in Scotland sets a British example of planning the “15-minute city.” Designed in 2006 and delayed by the 2008 worldwide recession, Tornagrain has been in vertical construction for the last six years near Inverness, the largest city in the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 9, 2021
Article image for A 25-year laboratory of suburban transformation Transit, TOD

A 25-year laboratory of suburban transformation

Orenco Station in Hillsboro, Oregon, is a model for more sustainable suburbs and regions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 8, 2021
Article image for Office park redo is a model for mixed-use Retrofit

Office park redo is a model for mixed-use

Downtown Doral targets families, creates downtown in amorphous suburb, and avoids the blank slate.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 6, 2021
Article image for New Urbanism in America’s heartland Community

New Urbanism in America’s heartland

Uptown Normal is helping to bring a small downtown back to life, providing an economic boost to a town in Central Illinois.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 2, 2021
Article image for Transect-based plan and code for rural community Codes

Transect-based plan and code for rural community

Groveland, a rapidly developing small city 30 miles west of Orlando, Florida, adopted a plan and code that included the beautiful Transect diagram shown above. The mostly still-rural community, which nearly doubled in population last decade, adopted...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2021
Article image for Downtown expansion for Texas suburb guided by vision Development

Downtown expansion for Texas suburb guided by vision

Frisco Square has doubled the size of a historic downtown as the city prepares for regional transit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 29, 2021
Article image for Micro-townhouses designed for flexibility Missing middle

Micro-townhouses designed for flexibility

Twelve-foot-wide townhouses in Utah? They combine transit-oriented density with homeownership, and buyers can cut costs in multiple ways.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 28, 2021
Article image for Tactical Urbanism comes of age Tactical urbanism

Tactical Urbanism comes of age

One clear lesson from the pandemic: Experimentation with streets may yield tremendous benefits with less downside than previously thought.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 23, 2021
Article image for The 15-minute city is the new 5-minute walk Community

The 15-minute city is the new 5-minute walk

Proximity and human-scale are still vitally important for sustainability, and yet the geography of our lives has gotten bigger. That is why we need the 15-minute city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 21, 2021
Article image for Breaking down scale to fit context Got A Minute

Breaking down scale to fit context

The requirements challenged the architect to design a large 8-story building that is harmonious with much smaller scale neighbors.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 18, 2021
Article image for Former psychiatric hospital now affordable housing Equity

Former psychiatric hospital now affordable housing

The redevelopment of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington DC combines historic preservation with affordable housing and opens a large campus to the public realm.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 16, 2021
Article image for Bike commuting and the 15-minute city Got A Minute

Bike commuting and the 15-minute city

Bicycling is important to the 15-minute city, because it extends the range of human-powered transportation to about three miles in that time frame. This range is especially helpful in getting to work. A recent report by Bike Advisor shows that the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 3, 2021
Article image for Transit-oriented development and the American Jobs Act Transit, TOD

Transit-oriented development and the American Jobs Act

American Jobs Act (AJA) provisions that would tear down unnecessary in-city freeways have received significant media attention, but the infrastructure bill could also boost transit-oriented development (TOD). That angle has been less emphasized....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 2, 2021
Article image for The impact of in-city highways Got A Minute

The impact of in-city highways

Dhiru Thadani drew the above cartoon image on the impact of in-city highways, which is a timely topic this week. On Tuesday, June 1, CNU is set to release its biennial report Freeways Without Futures, offering a list of 15 highways most in need of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 28, 2021
Article image for The rise of pedestrian-first streets Streets

The rise of pedestrian-first streets

The woonerf is coming of age as a thoroughfare type, allowing streets to take center stage as public spaces.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 26, 2021
Article image for Climate goals translate to work for new urbanists Sustainability

Climate goals translate to work for new urbanists

A recent report by Brookings sums up the challenge for US climate goals: It can’t be done without moving much more decisively to compact, mixed-use, walkable development. To quote from their report: “Simply put, the United States cannot reach its...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 21, 2021
Article image for A new cultural epicenter for Savannah Mixed-use

A new cultural epicenter for Savannah

The Plant Riverside District in Savannah, Georgia, transformed an abandoned industrial site into the most significant modern expansion of the city’s urban core. Sottile & Sottile and The Kessler Collection won the 2021 CNU Grand Prize Charter Award.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 19, 2021
Article image for The Cayalá effect in Guatemala City Architecture

The Cayalá effect in Guatemala City

The Paseo Cayalá Neighborhood in Guatemala City is a model of open and economically resilient development in a city of gated development. Estudio Urbano and Leon Krier won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 17, 2021
Article image for ‘Green streets,’ gentle density in a new studio town Design

‘Green streets,’ gentle density in a new studio town

Trilith in Fayetteville, Georgia, is built around the idea that well-designed public space contributes to individual happiness and community well-being. Lew Oliver Inc. won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 11, 2021
Article image for Enhancing city life while preparing for climate change Design

Enhancing city life while preparing for climate change

Hammetts Wharf in Newport, Rhode Island, is an urban asset that protects and connects the city at the water’s edge. Union Studio Architecture & Community Design won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 10, 2021
Article image for Elegantly defining the street and public realm Design

Elegantly defining the street and public realm

Bonéval in Washington, DC, perfectly fits the historic neighborhood with lovely and durable details. Torti Gallas + Partners won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 6, 2021
Article image for The Charter, exactly 25 years later Organization

The Charter, exactly 25 years later

A quarter century ago, the Charter of the New Urbanism laid out timeless principles that are the bedrock of an influential movement.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 5, 2021
Article image for A new model for public housing in Music City Design

A new model for public housing in Music City

Kirkpatrick Park in Nashville, Tennessee, is a catalyst for mixed-income, public housing transformation, designed around a “woonerf.” Smith Gee Studio won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 5, 2021
Article image for Growing up, not out Design

Growing up, not out

Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan is reversing late 20th Century growth patterns to support walkable, mixed-use centers. The City of Memphis in collaboration with Opticos Design won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Metropolis, City, and Town category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 3, 2021
Article image for A mixed-use plan for former industrial waterfront Design

A mixed-use plan for former industrial waterfront

The Central Waterfront in San Francisco, California, is an opportunity for sustainable development. A UC-Berkeley team won a student merit award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2021 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 29, 2021
Article image for Parklets jump-start neighborhood main street Design

Parklets jump-start neighborhood main street

The 75th Street Boardwalk in Chicago, Illinois, was created to activate economic and social activity during Covid. Site design group won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2021
Article image for Setting the standard for main street transformation Design

Setting the standard for main street transformation

Lancaster BLVD in Lancaster, California, changed the way we think about creating “sense of place” in a busy downtown thoroughfare. Moule & Polyzoides won a 2021 CNU Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 26, 2021
Article image for Federal and state code reform heats up Codes

Federal and state code reform heats up

Significant programs and legislation may set the stage for local code reform across the US, enabling better places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 22, 2021
Article image for Urban repair through freeway removal Design

Urban repair through freeway removal

Replacing the elevated Central Freeway with a boulevard would reknit the fabric of San Francisco neighborhoods. UC Berkeley student Qingchun Li won a student merit award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of CNU's 2021 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 22, 2021
Article image for Anticipated ‘car-free’ development moves forward Missing middle

Anticipated ‘car-free’ development moves forward

Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona, a model community that combines urbanism with technology, is demonstrating an untapped demand for car-free living. Opticos Design won a merit award in the Emerging Projects category of CNU's 2021 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 20, 2021
Article image for A new kind of church, in a former warehouse Retrofit

A new kind of church, in a former warehouse

Grace Midtown Church in Atlanta, Georgia, shows how underutilized industrial sites can be repurposed into community assets. Kronberg Urbanists + Architects won a merit award in the Block, Street, and Building category of CNU's 2021 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 19, 2021
Article image for Tactical Urbanism on a citywide scale Tactical urbanism

Tactical Urbanism on a citywide scale

The urban planning response to Covid in Norfolk, Virginia, was imaginative and comprehensive. Work Program Architects, Yard & Co, and Team Better Block won a merit award in The Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category of CNU's 2021 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 16, 2021
Article image for Iconic buildings planned as gateway for urban-outdoor living Design

Iconic buildings planned as gateway for urban-outdoor living

The Montgomery Park Master Plan is transforming warehouse and industrial buildings into a mixed-use district in Portland, Oregon. Lake Flato Architects won a merit award in the Emerging Projects category of CNU's 2021 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 15, 2021
Article image for Code tweaks to make walkable neighborhoods legal Codes

Code tweaks to make walkable neighborhoods legal

The Project for Code Reform looks at Michigan municipalities to find the key changes to land-use regulations on the local level.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 13, 2021
Article image for The power of cute, affordable townhouses Design

The power of cute, affordable townhouses

We need more ways to build uncomplicated affordable housing in cities and towns. These 19th Century townhouses in Alexandria, Virginia, offer a great model.  Although the townhouses have nice details, they wouldn’t be expensive to build. Each unit...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 8, 2021
Article image for Syracuse, on White House radar, should oppose highway designation for I-81 teardown Freeway transformation

Syracuse, on White House radar, should oppose highway designation for I-81 teardown

The replacement for Interstate 81 in the heart of Syracuse should be designed and built on the scale of a city street, giving the city an economic shot in the arm.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 7, 2021
Article image for Building melds classical and modern Got A Minute

Building melds classical and modern

In the Shaw neighborhood in DC, a few blocks from downtown, a 71-unit condominium looks like two distinct buildings—a 10-story Classical one facing M Street and a six-story modern one facing 11 Street. In fact, these are the same building “melded...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 2, 2021
Article image for A vision for Syracuse, after the I-81 viaduct Freeway transformation

A vision for Syracuse, after the I-81 viaduct

Syracuse and NYS Department of Transportation face difficult decisions with the replacement of the I-81 elevated highway through downtown, choices that will impact the city for generations to come. The highway, past due for reconstruction, will be...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 31, 2021
Article image for A mosaic of active streets and public space Retrofit

A mosaic of active streets and public space

A former cinema site becomes a haven for a diverse suburban population in Virginia.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 29, 2021
Article image for Plight of the family-owned store Community

Plight of the family-owned store

Philip Langdon’s Common\Edge article, The Precarious State of the Mom-and-Pop Store, highlights the beauty of, and challenges facing, an American tradition. “Mom and pop” stores have been under economic pressure for many decades due to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 25, 2021
Article image for Reduced demand is just as important as induced demand Streets

Reduced demand is just as important as induced demand

It's time to use the idea of reduced demand where it has the potential to improve a city's economy, society, and mobility.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 19, 2021
Article image for Not New Urbanism, nor a ‘small town’ Development

Not New Urbanism, nor a ‘small town’

I was looking through the recent report, The Best Small Towns to Live Across America, published by Stacker. This kind of real estate list attracts attention, sucks you in like an awards show (which places did they pick?), and is based on nothing...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 17, 2021
Article image for Sunbelt leads pedestrian deaths Health

Sunbelt leads pedestrian deaths

Dangerous by Design 2021 highlights the connection between roadway design and the tragic toll on people walking.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2021
Article image for Building rehabs revive main street Development

Building rehabs revive main street

The character of Georgia Avenue, a historic Atlanta main street, was preserved while injecting new life into a neglected neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 10, 2021
Article image for Champs-Elysees transformation going forward Design

Champs-Elysees transformation going forward

The famous Paris artery Champs-Elysees, terminated by the landmark Arc de Triomphe, is due for a major redesign. The legendary avenue lost much of its splendor in recent decades, many Parisians believe, as eight lanes of traffic carry an average of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 25, 2021
Article image for We need both EVs and the 15-minute city Sustainability

We need both EVs and the 15-minute city

Without improvements in the way we plan and build communities, electric vehicles will never deliver on their sustainability promise.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 19, 2021
Article image for Guiding principles of the 15-minute city 15-minute city

Guiding principles of the 15-minute city

On Public Square, a recent article that lays out a design theory for the “15-minute city” is gaining a lot of viewers. Let's look at another influential take on this idea, that of Carlos Moreno, a French-Columbian scientist and university professor...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 16, 2021
Article image for How mixed-use development can raise the tax base Mixed-use

How mixed-use development can raise the tax base

Carmel, Indiana, is building a walkable downtown from scratch—and also planning to have a strong tax base for many years to come.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 11, 2021
Article image for Defining the 15-minute city 15-minute city

Defining the 15-minute city

The “15-minute city” may be defined as an ideal geography where most human needs and many desires are located within a travel distance of 15 minutes. Here’s what that means.
ANDRES DUANY, ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 8, 2021
Article image for A train runs INSIDE your house? Got A Minute

A train runs INSIDE your house?

The video below, produced by Rob Sanders (Road Guy Rob), a journalist with a degree in civil engineering, provides an overview of transit-oriented development (TOD) that is sophisticated and yet engaging to a mass audience. The video covers projects...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 5, 2021
Article image for How neuroscience informs architecture and urban design Research

How neuroscience informs architecture and urban design

A new book covers an emerging field that provides data on human responses to places, leading to new theories on community design.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 4, 2021
Article image for CNU takes me back to the 1990s Organization

CNU takes me back to the 1990s

The opening of registration for CNU 29.Design for Change got me thinking about past Congresses, especially in the light of the $150 fee available for members through March 7. While tracking exact Congress fees from the early years is elusive, the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 2, 2021
Article image for Preference for walkable communities strong, but young families want a bigger home Research

Preference for walkable communities strong, but young families want a bigger home

Living in a walkable community correlates to a significantly stronger reported quality of life—and that metric rose during the COVID 19 pandemic, according to a biennial poll on housing and transportation by the National Association of Realtors (NAR...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 28, 2021
Article image for How cities and towns can bounce back in the post-pandemic era Policy

How cities and towns can bounce back in the post-pandemic era

A toolkit highlights the power of land-use and transportation policy in recovery from the devastating impacts of COVID.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 26, 2021
Article image for The 15-minute neighborhood gets its 15 minutes of fame 15-minute city

The 15-minute neighborhood gets its 15 minutes of fame

The subject of walkability is getting political attention, thanks to a catchy phrase.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 25, 2021
Article image for Code organizes growth into walkable neighborhoods Codes

Code organizes growth into walkable neighborhoods

A large new development area in Missoula, Montana, will be built out according to new urban principles.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 22, 2021
Article image for The state of the art of suburban retrofit Retrofit

The state of the art of suburban retrofit

Two retrofit experts have a new book that is an essential reference for transforming suburban landscapes.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 21, 2021
Article image for The Princeton roots of New Urbanism Organization

The Princeton roots of New Urbanism

The New Urbanism grew out of an open-minded educational environment, where students were encouraged to read and think for themselves rather than follow a particular design approach.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 14, 2021
Article image for AARP, CNU team up on zoning reform report Retrofit

AARP, CNU team up on zoning reform report

Ten changes are recommended to improve Main Street streetscapes.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 12, 2021
Article image for Top 10 stories of 2020 Headlines

Top 10 stories of 2020

Here's the top 10 stories on Public Square in 2020. While we posted many stories covering COVID, urban unrest, and other tragic events of the year, the most widely read articles centered on urban design, housing, retail, walkability, zoning, and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 5, 2021
Article image for Incremental steps toward pedestrian-friendly suburbs Retrofit

Incremental steps toward pedestrian-friendly suburbs

Note: This list of steps comes from Enabling Better Places: Commercial Corridors and Shopping Malls, a report by CNU and the Michigan Municipal League.  Reforming places in your community that have a suburban, auto-oriented, single-use development...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 4, 2021
Article image for How DOTs can help Main Street Streets

How DOTs can help Main Street

The nation’s more than 7,600 Main Streets are hurting. Nobody knows exactly how much. At some point in 2021, when the vaccine has become available to everybody and the numbers of Covid cases plummet, we will collectively look around American...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 30, 2020
Article image for The most beautiful parking lot in the world Got A Minute

The most beautiful parking lot in the world

Parking is a necessity in cities, whether it involves residents storing cars for days, shoppers and restaurant patrons occupying spaces for hours, or Uber drivers stopping at the curb for minutes. The same holds true whether the car, or other...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 29, 2020
Article image for A timeless alternative for housing the elderly Health

A timeless alternative for housing the elderly

COVID-19 has exposed problems with the US long-term care model of nursing homes. About 40 percent of total COVID deaths in the US have occurred in nursing homes. Residents have been subject to severe isolation in 2020—visiting such facilities has...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 28, 2020
Article image for Agricultural Urbanism takes shape Development

Agricultural Urbanism takes shape

The British Columbia town of Southlands combines New Urbanism with a connection to farming.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 23, 2020
Article image for My Christmas wish: A return to street grids Streets

My Christmas wish: A return to street grids

As an urbanist, I ask Santa to bring America a renewed interest and understanding of the importance of street grids (more precisely, connected networks of streets with relatively small blocks). That may be a tall order for Santa, but I have been...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 22, 2020
Article image for Apply for a Charter Award, and help build a movement Design

Apply for a Charter Award, and help build a movement

CNU is now seeking applications for the 2021 Charter Awards. Going back to 2001, the Charter Awards have highlighted best practices and spread New Urbanism ideas worldwide. More than 300 Charter Awards have been awarded by CNU juries over the last...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 18, 2020
Article image for The New Urbanism influence on Oregon’s pioneering zoning reforms Codes

The New Urbanism influence on Oregon’s pioneering zoning reforms

The State of Oregon adopted significant zoning changes in 2019 that allow two-unit structures across most of the state, and three-unit housing on lots in larger communities. “This doesn’t ‘abolish the suburbs,’ but it does ensure that a wider...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 17, 2020
Article image for New urban plan for Olympic park Public space

New urban plan for Olympic park

A makeover for a central LA park will create a neighborhood and citywide asset, even as the site prepares to host the biggest international event.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 16, 2020
Article image for How to incrementally revitalize the suburbs Retrofit

How to incrementally revitalize the suburbs

CNU releases report on evolving Michigan suburban landscapes, especially commercial corridors and shopping malls. The ideas and techniques can apply to communities nationwide.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 15, 2020
Article image for Regional Transect of Chicago Got A Minute

Regional Transect of Chicago

Today I am driving to the Windy City, shown above in a regional Transect—looking east from leafy suburban areas across city neighborhoods to the downtown Loop. I just finished reading and reviewing Transect Urbanism: Readings in Human Ecology, and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 11, 2020
Article image for Your guide to a unifying urban theory Design

Your guide to a unifying urban theory

Urbanists have been using the Transect to compete with the protocols of sprawl for years, and no book has been written on it—until now.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 10, 2020
Article image for A futuristic report on equitable mobility and investment Mobility

A futuristic report on equitable mobility and investment

The City of Buffalo, Stantec, and CNU have created a roadmap for how mobility can power an equitable future in 21st century cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 9, 2020
Article image for Fitting Florence into an Atlanta interchange Got A Minute

Fitting Florence into an Atlanta interchange

The image above, by architect Steve Mouzon, shows the entirety of renaissance Florence, Italy, fitting on a site comparable in size to a highway interchange in Atlanta. Renaissance Florence produced Michelangelo and da Vinci. The interchange...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 4, 2020
Article image for Small cities and towns: On the verge of a renaissance? Markets

Small cities and towns: On the verge of a renaissance?

Market and demographic trends could lead to revival of smaller American communities, according to a report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 2, 2020
Article image for The grid makes a comeback Research

The grid makes a comeback

An analysis of US street networks since 1940 shows plunging connectivity in the last half of the 20th Century, followed by a sharp reversal of that trend in the new millennium.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 1, 2020
Article image for Thanksgiving and the magic of community Community

Thanksgiving and the magic of community

This holiday is about places and people and memory, and that has an impact on how we build and experience cities and towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 26, 2020
Article image for How suburbs will change after COVID Markets

How suburbs will change after COVID

As people move out of city centers into suburbs, keys policy changes and trends could help to make suburbs more walkable and affordable, according to panelists at a National Press Foundation event.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 25, 2020
Article image for Green Code spurs historic rehab, economic development Codes

Green Code spurs historic rehab, economic development

One of the few form-based codes to be applied citywide in a regional major city, Buffalo’s ordinance is having a positive impact on neighborhoods and downtown.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 23, 2020
Article image for Pacello, rising new urban star, passes away Community

Pacello, rising new urban star, passes away

Tommy Pacello, passionate placemaker and a star of the New Urbanism at the peak of his abilities, died from complications due to pancreatic cancer on Monday. Pacello, 42, was president of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) and an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 18, 2020
Article image for New urban pioneer Dan Camp is gone Community

New urban pioneer Dan Camp is gone

Developer of the Cotton District succumbs to Covid in late October.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 12, 2020
Article image for New urban design in the post-pandemic era Health

New urban design in the post-pandemic era

Cities and towns are facing a new reality, according to one of the founders of CNU. This calls for new designs that violate some of the long-held design doctrines of New Urbanism—but have the same social intention.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 11, 2020
Policy

What will Biden do for urbanism?

The Biden plan mentions code reform, transit, smart growth, underserved communities, and generally big investments in affordable housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2020
Article image for Dallas trail system; infrastructure for health Health

Dallas trail system; infrastructure for health

Dallas is implementing a trail system that could make a big difference in the quality of life and health in this major city. The Loop Trail is a 50-mile trail system that is nearly half built, and the rest is funded or planned, creating a loop...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 6, 2020
Article image for Complete streets: Visible counter to Covid recession? Streets

Complete streets: Visible counter to Covid recession?

The US needs public works investments to help main streets.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 4, 2020
Article image for Addison Circle expanded with TOD Development

Addison Circle expanded with TOD

A $500 million transit-oriented development will connect to the well-known new urban development as DART moves forward with a rail corridor.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 29, 2020
Article image for Visionary planning needed for troubled malls Retrofit

Visionary planning needed for troubled malls

Many malls are going out of business, and a recent report shows that how these sites are redeveloped impacts city finances. Municipalities can influence mall reuse to promote mixed-use redevelopment that provides long-term benefits.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 28, 2020
Article image for A Tactical Urbanism guide for pandemic voting Community

A Tactical Urbanism guide for pandemic voting

Streets for Voting is a useful tool for communities across the US struggling with new requirements for polling sites in a crucial election.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 13, 2020
Article image for Investing in a city health district during the pandemic Health

Investing in a city health district during the pandemic

Memphis, Tennessee, shows the benefits of having community investment and social infrastructure, supported by philanthropy and institutions, in place during a pandemic.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 12, 2020
Article image for New urban revitalization in an underserved community Equity

New urban revitalization in an underserved community

The Atlanta neighborhood of Pittsburgh was the subject of foundation investment to develop in an equitable way.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 2, 2020
Article image for Statewide code reform is a good idea Codes

Statewide code reform is a good idea

Although zoning was adopted locally, state legislation is helping to revise community land-use codes for the 21st Century.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 29, 2020
Article image for Festival spotlights urbanism films from around the world Community

Festival spotlights urbanism films from around the world

Better Cities Film Festival, formerly New Urbanism Film Festival, will screen 81 films on urbanism from 25 countries.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 25, 2020
Article image for Golden State joins code reform movement Codes

Golden State joins code reform movement

Enabling missing middle housing and compact neighborhoods are at the heart of land-use reforms in many states and cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 23, 2020
Article image for Court of Honor, Chicago world's fair Design

Court of Honor, Chicago world's fair

I recently read The Devil in the White City, about the Chicago 1893 World’s Fair. One place that I would like to go back in time to see, just for a day, would be this event. They say that some visitors would break down weeping upon entering the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 18, 2020
Article image for ‘Maker’ districts could spur revitalization Equity

‘Maker’ districts could spur revitalization

Cities are encouraging small manufacturing to promote inclusive economic development and livable wages in downtowns and main streets.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 16, 2020
Article image for The corridor model for more affordable housing Retrofit

The corridor model for more affordable housing

A case study by Peter Calthorpe shows the potential of underutilized suburban strips to help solve America's housing problems.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 15, 2020
Article image for Building community through transportation Streets

Building community through transportation

To meet the challenges of the 21st Century, traffic engineers and transportation planners need to think of streets as places and the foundation for community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 1, 2020
Article image for The collective power of small actions Incremental and lean

The collective power of small actions

In DIY City, the late Hank Dittmar makes the case for why small is beautiful when it comes to urban regeneration.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 25, 2020
Article image for Great Senior Short Sale threatens housing market Markets

Great Senior Short Sale threatens housing market

Arthur C. Nelson, of the University of Arizona, reports that preference for walkable communities and changing demographic needs will impact large-lot single-family housing. Changes in government policy are needed to avert a crisis.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 24, 2020
Article image for CNU takes code reform to New Hampshire Codes

CNU takes code reform to New Hampshire

Following a recent code reform partnership with the State of Vermont culminating in a report and legislative initiatives, CNU has embarked on a similar project in New Hampshire, working with the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. The first...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 19, 2020
Article image for Portland zoning reform is designed to boost affordable housing Affordability

Portland zoning reform is designed to boost affordable housing

The city's Residential Infill Project is designed to promote missing middle and workforce housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 18, 2020
Article image for New Krier-designed town approved Got A Minute

New Krier-designed town approved

Leon Krier, the 74-year-old architect who influenced CNU founders and designed Poundbury, has another major project in Southern England.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 13, 2020
Article image for ‘Missing middle’ is key to housing America Design

‘Missing middle’ is key to housing America

House-scale buildings with more than one living space can affordably shelter a broad range of families, revitalize communities, and profit builders throughout the 2020s and 2030s.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2020
Article image for ‘Traffic Gardens’ teach students to bike safely Mobility

‘Traffic Gardens’ teach students to bike safely

A second-grade bike education program in DC also informs children about street networks and helps them to understand their community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 4, 2020
Article image for State moves forward with zoning reform Codes

State moves forward with zoning reform

A bill moving through Vermont legislature adopts key zoning reform measures for walkable communities, even as the state recently completed a report with CNU on incremental changes to land use laws.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 27, 2020
Article image for How Florida is transforming its streets Streets

How Florida is transforming its streets

The state DOT has a novel model to fix its automobile-oriented, dangerous thoroughfare network and design complete streets.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 23, 2020
Article image for Planning for long-term growth around community anchors Region

Planning for long-term growth around community anchors

Memphis 3.0 establishes neighborhood centers where mixed-use development may occur incrementally, at different speeds, according to the context.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 21, 2020
Article image for Suburban retrofit opportunities rising due to COVID Retrofit

Suburban retrofit opportunities rising due to COVID

A new report makes the case that walkable suburbs are the are the next big development trend.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 14, 2020
Article image for Applying the CNU Charter to large redevelopments Development

Applying the CNU Charter to large redevelopments

The Minnesota capital has major redevelopments underway, using principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 13, 2020
Article image for Urban design pioneer David Lewis dies at 98 Design

Urban design pioneer David Lewis dies at 98

A CNU Athena Medal winner in 2007, David Lewis died last week at the age of 98. Lewis founded Urban Design Associates (UDA) in Pittsburgh with former student Ray Gindroz in 1964, a firm that pioneered concepts that later became known as New Urbanism...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 10, 2020
Article image for How a Manhattan park pioneered Main Street placemaking Community

How a Manhattan park pioneered Main Street placemaking

Learning from Bryant Park: Revitalizing Cities, Towns, and Public Spaces, is an entertaining and important book for urbanists across America.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 2, 2020
Article image for Riverfront visions transforming the Twin Cities Sustainability

Riverfront visions transforming the Twin Cities

The Mississippi River is an armature for economic development and public space in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The future of both cities, and the goal of equitable development, are tied to the riverfront.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2020
Article image for Urban development plan stops freeway Development

Urban development plan stops freeway

A grassroots organization, Reconnecting Pasadena, helped to defeat an in-city freeway by proposing a mixed-use, urban alternative.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 29, 2020
Article image for Shared street is asset for downtown revitalization Design

Shared street is asset for downtown revitalization

The cutting edge design for Clematis Street in West Palm Beach contributes to outdoor seating and programming for the tricky re-opening and post-pandemic recovery.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 23, 2020
Article image for Charter Awards have helped build a movement Design

Charter Awards have helped build a movement

CNU celebrated 20 years of Charter Awards at CNU 28 last week—and the awards have promoted the cause of connected, sustainable, lovable communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 19, 2020
Article image for Mitigation and adaptation: New urban response to climate change Sustainability

Mitigation and adaptation: New urban response to climate change

Urban planning has important contributions to a wide range of climate change responses, from mitigation to adaptation, notes CNU cofounder Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 18, 2020
Article image for Retail types that have survived for centuries Mixed-use

Retail types that have survived for centuries

Walkable urban place types are critical to life in traditional cities and they will thrive in the long run.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 17, 2020
Article image for Making public space with ‘asphalt art’ Design

Making public space with ‘asphalt art’

Transforming streets and vertical infrastructure through art is an important tool for enlivening cities this summer.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 16, 2020
Article image for Housing choice can make cities more affordable and resilient Equity

Housing choice can make cities more affordable and resilient

Durham, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, are part of a nationwide trend of reforming single-family-only zones to allow for a diversity of housing options.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 11, 2020
Article image for Urban center opens waterfront of major city Mixed-use

Urban center opens waterfront of major city

The Wharf has re-established DC as a true waterfront city and added a major destination along with affordable housing. The mixed-use development won the 2020 CNU Grand Prize Charter Award.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 9, 2020
Article image for Preventing displacement from a new transit line Equity

Preventing displacement from a new transit line

Connecting Crossroad explores how to preserve affordable housing while improving the public realm in Langley Park, an immigrant neighborhood in Maryland. The plan won a 2020 CNU Student Charter Award for Sara Ghafer-Samar at the University of Maryland.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 8, 2020
Article image for A Strategic Vision for Panama City Sustainability

A Strategic Vision for Panama City

After being hit by a Category 5 storm in the fall of 2018, Panama City, Florida, is following a vision to rebuild better than before. The plan won a 2020 CNU Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category for Dover, Kohl & Partners.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 5, 2020
Article image for State-of-the-art code for a walkable city Codes

State-of-the-art code for a walkable city

In its new form-based code, Somerville ditches a Model T zoning engine and adopts 21st Century green design. The code won a 2020 CNU Charter Award in the Metropolis, City, and Town category for the City of Somerville.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 4, 2020
Article image for Introducing townhouse living to a city Design

Introducing townhouse living to a city

Beatrice Row brings the classical row house to Coral Gables, Florida, along with zoning guidelines for this type. The project won a 2020 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category for de la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 3, 2020
Article image for Building a knowledge base for sustainable urban habitation Sustainability

Building a knowledge base for sustainable urban habitation

The Center of Territorial Intelligence in Biodiversity in Curridabat, Costa Rica, is a model for studying climate change on an urban environment. The project won a 2020 CNU Charter Award in the Emerging Projects category for Tandem Arquitectura.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 1, 2020
Article image for Civic buildings connect street to park Design

Civic buildings connect street to park

The King Open/Cambridge Street Community Complex provides much-needed public spaces and inclusive facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The project won a 2020 CNU Charter Award in the Block, Street, and Building category for William Rawn Associates.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 29, 2020
Article image for Historic Main Street reclaims identity Design

Historic Main Street reclaims identity

An against-the-odds comeback, launched in the Great Recession, has brought life to a waning Main Street while enhancing the historic character of Senoia, Georgia. The project won a 2020 CNU Charter Award for Historical Concepts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 28, 2020
Article image for Future of mobility in South Walton County Mobility

Future of mobility in South Walton County

A new report looks at autonomous vehicles and other advancing mobility technologies with recommendations on how they can be used to create more livable communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLE, BEN CROWTHERMAY. 27, 2020
Article image for Small industrial city diversifies with new urban district Design

Small industrial city diversifies with new urban district

The River District Implementation Plan is building a new walkable neighborhood across from downtown Elkhart, Indiana. Speck & Associates and Stantec’s Urban Places won a merit award in CNU's 2020 Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 21, 2020
Article image for Cities converting streets to public space in coronavirus crisis Health

Cities converting streets to public space in coronavirus crisis

Underutilzed streets with little traffic are being transformed with temporary pedestrian and bicycle thoroughfares, shared streets, bikeways, expanded sidewalks, and outdoor eating to give citizens more room in a time of social distancing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 19, 2020
Article image for Neighborhood library elevates civic space Design

Neighborhood library elevates civic space

The Cleveland Park Library serves as an inviting beacon of culture for a neighborhood in Washington, DC. The building won a merit award for Perkins Eastman DC in the Block, Street, and Building category of the 2020 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 18, 2020
Article image for Good news on the pandemic: State of Coronavirus in America Health

Good news on the pandemic: State of Coronavirus in America

Cases are down in the face of a big increase in testing. Mortality is also declining. These trends hold in the states that reopened early—as well as in the nation as a whole.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2020
Article image for Influential urbanist Robertson dies Design

Influential urbanist Robertson dies

Jaquelin Robertson, described by The New York Times as a “passionate urbanist,” an influential academic, and one of the designers of Celebration, Florida,  died on last Saturday at the age of 87.  Together with Alexander Cooper, Robertson formed...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 14, 2020
Article image for Bold plan and code map a city's future Design

Bold plan and code map a city's future

The Bastrop, Texas, Building Block Code uses a street grid with the goal of environmental and fiscal sustainability. The plan won a merit award for Simplecity Design in the Emerging Projects category of the 2020 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 13, 2020
Article image for ‘Pattern zone’ enables quality infill development Design

‘Pattern zone’ enables quality infill development

The Midtown Pattern Zone in Bryan, Texas, is designed to raise the level of design for economical infill. The zone won a merit award for the Infill Group and Miller Boskus Lack Architects in the Emerging Projects category of the 2020 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 12, 2020
Article image for Town builders respond to pandemic Town planning

Town builders respond to pandemic

New urbanist developers employ many strategies to survive the current and future economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis. While survival is paramount, downturns also offer opportunities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 11, 2020
Article image for Living in a new urban community in the social distancing era Got A Minute

Living in a new urban community in the social distancing era

Traditional neighborhood development (TND) has offered an alternative model for suburban growth starting in the late 20th Century and continuing today. Kentlands in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is one of the oldest of these developments. Like most TNDs,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 8, 2020
Article image for A model of New Urbanism in Panama Design

A model of New Urbanism in Panama

The La Fontana District, designed by Moule & Polyzoides, contrasts with sprawl and uncontrolled infill that has damaged the historic city of David, Panama. The plan won a merit award in the Emerging Projects category of the 2020 CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 7, 2020
Article image for Testing rises: State of Coronavirus in America Health

Testing rises: State of Coronavirus in America

In the fifth State of Coronavirus in America report, the most encouraging trends are a dramatic rise in testing and declining mortality. But as cases rise in many states, the nation is far from out of the woods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 1, 2020
Article image for Cities don't increase virus risk Health

Cities don't increase virus risk

An analysis indicates that cases of COVID-19 are more related to what metro area you live in, rather than whether you live in the central city or a suburb. Transit also doesn’t correlate as a significant factor.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 29, 2020
Article image for What are the risks in reopening? State of Coronavirus in America Health

What are the risks in reopening? State of Coronavirus in America

At least half of the US population lives in states that are currently reopening, or making near-term plans to reopen, their economies in phases. The risks vary, because different states have higher or lower levels of confirmed cases and mortalities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 26, 2020
Article image for Lessons from the (last) recession Markets

Lessons from the (last) recession

The post-COVID-19 economy will mean hardship for communities and urbanists, but also will create opportunities and innovation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 23, 2020
Article image for The impact of highway removal on cities Freeway transformation

The impact of highway removal on cities

A new report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy examines the highways-to-boulevards trend and how this will impact cities in coming years.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 21, 2020
Article image for New York City needs a ‘quiet streets network’ Streets

New York City needs a ‘quiet streets network’

While New York City is shut down, the city has an opportunity to work on long-term plans to make streets safer, quieter, and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 20, 2020
Article image for Which states are ready to reopen? State of Coronavirus in America Health

Which states are ready to reopen? State of Coronavirus in America

In this third State of Coronavirus in America report, Public Square examines the widely divergent health impacts across the US to look at how soon individual states may reopen their economies according to the new federal guidelines.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 17, 2020
Article image for Millions of small businesses at risk from COVID-19 crisis Community

Millions of small businesses at risk from COVID-19 crisis

A shocking number of American small businesses, employing tens of millions of people, are at imminent risk of permanent closure if the crisis continues much longer, according to a survey of Main Street America.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 13, 2020
Article image for State of Coronavirus in America, update Health

State of Coronavirus in America, update

The virus appears to have peaked or plateaued across much of the US, even as New York and other hotspots bear the worst of the crisis.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 10, 2020
Article image for Urbanists keep planning through crisis Design

Urbanists keep planning through crisis

Using online tools, urban designers conduct virtual charrettes during the coronavirus crisis. Envisioning the future of a city is a great way for all involved to stay productive and connected to the community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 9, 2020
Article image for The State of Coronavirus in America Health

The State of Coronavirus in America

The way the virus has hit states and regions of the country differs greatly. The State of Coronavirus in America looks at divergent health impacts, including varying acceleration and hotspots.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 3, 2020
Article image for First prize: Best pavement art in new streetscape Got A Minute

First prize: Best pavement art in new streetscape

This is Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, a downtown street known for its entertainment and dining. As part of a streetscape improvement project, the pavement was painted in an argyle pattern. Whoever had this idea should get a prize, and it...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 27, 2020
Article image for A comprehensive guide to buildings in walkable neighborhoods Design

A comprehensive guide to buildings in walkable neighborhoods

Here’s what you need to know about a wide range of building types that make up mixed-use cities and towns, how they work, and why they matter.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 26, 2020
Article image for Facts don't support the ‘density is dangerous’ narrative Health

Facts don't support the ‘density is dangerous’ narrative

Ultimately, this crisis will highlight how much we need to come together in the real world, and cities are a big part of that.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 23, 2020
Article image for Building a future in a corona paralysis Development

Building a future in a corona paralysis

How quickly we have gotten used to a world that has seemingly stopped. I was out running yesterday morning, and came across construction workers who were moving and positioning heavy equipment for a development project near the waterfront of my city...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2020
Article image for A strong case for faster trains serving ‘megaregions’ Transit, TOD

A strong case for faster trains serving ‘megaregions’

In a new book, Jonathan Barnett calls for using design thinking to achieve sustainable, functional, and equitable “megaregions.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 17, 2020
Article image for Investment in historic square pays off Got A Minute

Investment in historic square pays off

The pedestrian-friendly redesign of Cleveland’s Public Square spurred $1.2 billion in investment, according to a study. The 10-acre site at the heart of downtown used to be divided into four smaller squares with wide streets of through-traffic. The...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 13, 2020
Article image for Transportation ‘innovation zone’ proposed for Buffalo Mobility

Transportation ‘innovation zone’ proposed for Buffalo

The city is testing new mobility technologies to promote economic development and placemaking for the 21st Century.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 12, 2020
Article image for How a brutalist building is reviving a mid-sized city Development

How a brutalist building is reviving a mid-sized city

A massive skyscraper is being renovated as a mixed-use, walkable urban center in a city that was pronounced dead not too long ago.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 10, 2020
Article image for ‘Induced demand’ calls for smarter transportation policy Got A Minute

‘Induced demand’ calls for smarter transportation policy

Widening of roads usually reduces congestion only for a short period of time, after which the congestion returns—as bad or worse than ever. The above graph shows why the forecast benefits of more roads are almost always a disappointment.  “Induced...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 21, 2020
Article image for Carrying on the work of Christopher Alexander Design

Carrying on the work of Christopher Alexander

A New Pattern Language for Growing Regions provides 80 new patterns, in the format of Alexander’s classic architecture book, and is a worthwhile read for urbanists, planners, and designers of the built environment.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 19, 2020
Article image for How New Urbanism research could build better cities Research

How New Urbanism research could build better cities

What do we need to know about the success, failure, and future prospects of creating walkable, diverse urbanism?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 17, 2020
Article image for Six keys to autonomous transit that fits local communities Mobility

Six keys to autonomous transit that fits local communities

As cities and towns plan for rapidly changing transportation technology, flexible urban design and policy solutions are needed. Here are six considerations based on a workshop in Walton County, Florida.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 12, 2020
Article image for Buffalo explores transportation technology impact on land use and streets Mobility

Buffalo explores transportation technology impact on land use and streets

In partnership with CNU and Stantec Urban Places, the city will host an intensive, four-and-a-half-day workshop on micromobility (e.g. scooters and e-bikes), automated vehicles, and new parking technologies, and how these trends will affect city living.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 5, 2020
Article image for San Francisco makes downtown artery car-free Streets

San Francisco makes downtown artery car-free

Banning of cars is the first step in a streetscape reconstruction of the city’s major thoroughfare.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2020
Article image for Former airport turns into complete community Development

Former airport turns into complete community

The Mueller Airport redevelopment has charted a path to become one of the most livable, walkable places in Austin, Texas, with substantial affordable housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 27, 2020
Article image for Tiny house and Mid-Century Modern trailer for affordable housing Got A Minute

Tiny house and Mid-Century Modern trailer for affordable housing

Back in September I wrote about DPZ CoDESIGN’s innovative new architecture for tiny houses and trailers—affordable housing that can be manufactured and assembled into villages with some of the informal community advantages of “trailer parks,” yet...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 24, 2020
Article image for Freeway teardown restores the grid Development

Freeway teardown restores the grid

Milwaukee's Park East Corridor, on the national stage this summer, ultimately changed how the city views itself.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 23, 2020
Article image for Build an urban sequel to A Christmas Story Got A Minute

Build an urban sequel to A Christmas Story

Note: Hammond, Indiana, is seeking proposals from developers to build in a downtown that has recently ad­opted a new urban plan, is creating a new rail connection to Chicago, and has committed to a transformation of the downtown main street.  When...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 17, 2020
Article image for CNU explores AVs on the Florida Panhandle Transit, TOD

CNU explores AVs on the Florida Panhandle

A national team of experts will work with local and other participants to examine automated vehicle implementation on the 30A beach highway, which goes through Seaside and many other towns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 16, 2020
Article image for Urbanism: 20/20 vision for 2020 Got A Minute

Urbanism: 20/20 vision for 2020

The control tower for the old Stapleton Airport in Denver is a machine for enhanced vision. The tower now has a view of one of the largest new urban developments in the world. Stapleton, Denver, contains nine neighborhoods, nine schools, 50 parks,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 3, 2020
Article image for Gingerbread villages feel right for the holidays Got A Minute

Gingerbread villages feel right for the holidays

This wonderful gingerbread village was made in the holiday spirit recently by David M. Schwarz Architects (DMSAS). The village is based on principles of good urban planning, reports Lauren Landau for the blog DCist. “Gregory Hoss, president of DMSAS...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 23, 2019
Article image for A tale of two neighborhoods Got A Minute

A tale of two neighborhoods

Only two miles apart, the Baltimore neighborhoods of Park Heights and Guilford have radically different health outcomes. These two neighborhoods are divided by an Interstate highway (I-83), and were designated differently by financial (“redlining”)...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 20, 2019
Article image for The Square’s top 10 for 2019 Headlines

The Square’s top 10 for 2019

Good urbanism allows us to look forward and back simultaneously, and the top Public Square articles do that. The most-read pieces cover many aspects of life: architecture, religion, transportation, philosophy, housing, nature, shopping, and even golf (!).
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 19, 2019
Article image for ‘Car-free’ development breaks ground in Arizona Design

‘Car-free’ development breaks ground in Arizona

Large mixed-use apartment complex in the midst of suburbia will be laid out like a European village with architecture appropriate to the southwestern desert.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 16, 2019
Article image for For Brooklyn: Streets instead of a highway Got A Minute

For Brooklyn: Streets instead of a highway

As the City of New York is talking about spending $4-8 billion on rebuilding the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), a pair of new urbanists are proposing that a section of this Interstate be torn down and replaced by city streets.  In a guest column...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 13, 2019
Article image for Designing and building mixed-use centers in the suburbs Mixed-use

Designing and building mixed-use centers in the suburbs

Retail success is tricky in new urban places—so pay attention to fundamental principles because buying and selling are essential activities in a walkable urban center.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 11, 2019
Article image for New Urbanism’s quiet achievement Research

New Urbanism’s quiet achievement

New Urbanism planning principles have been incorporated into comprehensive plans all across Texas, and this has begun to have real impacts on people and places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 6, 2019
Article image for Changes in retail encourage walkable urban designs Design

Changes in retail encourage walkable urban designs

For many years, retailers resisted the architecture of street-facing storefronts, but necessity is the mother of flexibility.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 4, 2019
Article image for Harvard to New Urbanism: A bit of long-due respect Design

Harvard to New Urbanism: A bit of long-due respect

Review of City on a Hill: Urban Idealism in America from the Puritans to the Present, by Alex Krieger, Harvard University Press, 2019.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 26, 2019
Article image for The Charter Awards at 20: Looking back, moving forward Design

The Charter Awards at 20: Looking back, moving forward

The year’s awards will celebrate design that takes New Urbanism to the next level and inspires a new generation of urbanists.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 25, 2019
Article image for Why choose a grid? Streets

Why choose a grid?

The decision of a city in Texas to plan for new growth using a grid of streets has inspired readers and makes a lot of sense.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 20, 2019
Article image for Texas city adopts street grid and code Streets

Texas city adopts street grid and code

New, lean code deals with flooding issues and fiscal sustainability for fast-growing historic city in the Austin area.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 15, 2019
Article image for Seeking Paradise—a year later, town plans to rebuild Community

Seeking Paradise—a year later, town plans to rebuild

An unprecedented public process created a long-term recovery plan for the California municipality leveled by fire—and sets a model for responding to a changing world.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 8, 2019
Article image for Panama City adopts recovery plan in wake of hurricane Sustainability

Panama City adopts recovery plan in wake of hurricane

The Florida Panhandle city survived Category 5 Michael with most of the downtown intact—the plan looks to a more resilient future in the face of potential sea level rise.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 5, 2019
Article image for Placemaking is going places: 20 years of transportation-related award winners Transit, TOD

Placemaking is going places: 20 years of transportation-related award winners

From transit-oriented development to Tactical Urbanism, transportation themes have resounded through the first two decades of the CNU Charter Awards.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 22, 2019
Article image for Tools for Building Local Strength Got A Minute

Tools for Building Local Strength

Earlier this year CNU released a report called Building Local Strength that focused on how to revitalize severely disinvested neighborhoods in ways that minimize displacement of, and maximize opportunity for, legacy residents. This is a complex...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 18, 2019
Article image for Savannah adopts two CNU Legacy projects and a downtown plan Codes

Savannah adopts two CNU Legacy projects and a downtown plan

The city made progress with code reform and is moving forward with street improvements and new public spaces, including the possible transformation of a dead mall.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 17, 2019
Article image for The great suburban Ponzi infrastructure experiment Finance

The great suburban Ponzi infrastructure experiment

Charles Marohn's new book presents a way out for American cities that are trapped in a vicious cycle: Build neighborhoods one small step at a time rather than going straight to utopia.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 15, 2019
Article image for Malls to mixed-use centers and other opportunities Retrofit

Malls to mixed-use centers and other opportunities

While hundreds of malls are declining, they are also being reused for all kinds of purposes—including walkable urban places in communities lacking in this kind of environment.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 8, 2019
Article image for Jargon-free urbanism Got A Minute

Jargon-free urbanism

Clear, jargon-free messages that promote urbanism are to be commended—whether they come from CNU or an aligned organization. Today I highlight a video from The Incremental Development Alliance (IncDev), in which they explain their organization's...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 4, 2019
Article image for Road diet creates people-oriented corridor for suburb Streets

Road diet creates people-oriented corridor for suburb

The city of Oak Park has the density—it needs placemaking, and that is why an automobile-oriented corridor is being transformed with a linear greenway and complete street.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 2, 2019
Article image for Attracting people and jobs to downtown Got A Minute

Attracting people and jobs to downtown

US Downtowns have been recovering in population and jobs for two decades, and research from the International Downtown Association provides further evidence that that this is a nationwide phenomenon. The study looks at 24 cities of a range of sizes...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 27, 2019
Article image for To fix suburbs, first define them Research

To fix suburbs, first define them

Suburbs may be defined in many ways, and a focus on walkability yields robust data aimed toward making better communities and sustainable regions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 25, 2019
Article image for An international vision for cities, inspired by Burning Man Streets

An international vision for cities, inspired by Burning Man

Street grids hold special power to solve problems of massive urbanization, according to Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Romer.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 16, 2019
Article image for Civano: A ‘cool’ community Got A Minute

Civano: A ‘cool’ community

A Tucson neighborhood with new urban/sustainable design outperforms conventional suburban tract housing environmentally—with lower temperatures—socially, and economically.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 13, 2019
Article image for Midwest cities invest in transit Transit, TOD

Midwest cities invest in transit

Three heartland cities are investing to strengthen the downtown core and build a framework for regional multimodal transportation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 12, 2019
Article image for Why downtown retail is coming back Markets

Why downtown retail is coming back

Even as e-commerce takes market share and national chain stores close, demographic shifts have created a growth market for downtown retail and mixed-use.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 10, 2019
Article image for Highway, gutting a town (or not) Got A Minute

Highway, gutting a town (or not)

Urban designer and architect Tom Low recently drew this side-by-side comparison of how a highway can gut, or work in harmony with, a city or town. The cloverleaf option, at left, is ideal for a highway interchange in the country, but creates an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 6, 2019
Article image for Quick Build: Tactical Urbanism on steroids Tactical urbanism

Quick Build: Tactical Urbanism on steroids

For about a quarter of typical road diet costs, semi-permanent street transformations have been successfully demonstrated in two cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 5, 2019
Article image for Eight policies and programs that Opportunity Zones need Policy

Eight policies and programs that Opportunity Zones need

Urbanists can do lot to help improve outcomes in particular Opportunity Zones. Here’s a checklist based on lessons from real communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 3, 2019
Article image for The troubling rise in pedestrian deaths Streets

The troubling rise in pedestrian deaths

We have made cars safer, but we still are reluctant to make streets safer.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 30, 2019
Article image for Testing new ideas with cottage courts Design

Testing new ideas with cottage courts

This missing middle housing type is a highly adaptable tool for developers and builders in many locations.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 29, 2019
Article image for A brief history of retail and mixed-use Mixed-use

A brief history of retail and mixed-use

From the decimation of downtowns to the “retail apocalypse,” massively changing retail has been the norm for the last seven decades. Urban retail may benefit from the current transformation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 26, 2019
Article image for ‘Missing middle’ neighborhood opens Design

‘Missing middle’ neighborhood opens

Prairie Queen is a re-imagining of a suburban apartment complex in the form of a walkable neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 21, 2019
Article image for Of donuts and chitchat: How people use public spaces Got A Minute

Of donuts and chitchat: How people use public spaces

William H. Whyte was a pioneer on studying the endlessly fascinating ways that people use public spaces. The SWA Group recently conducted an update on Whyte's work in New York City, and the results were published in a Guardian article called From...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2019
Article image for Healing a troubled medical district Community

Healing a troubled medical district

Memphis Medical District demonstrates the power of anchor institutions to improve sense of place and the economy in surrounding neighborhoods, while avoiding displacement.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2019
Article image for Your brain on streets Got A Minute

Your brain on streets

The above images represent an analysis of two residential suburban streets, and answer the question of which one is likely to attract and interest more pedestrians. Aside from the fact that the one on the right has more sidewalks, the immediate...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 9, 2019
Article image for Transforming infrastructure in a dense international city Design

Transforming infrastructure in a dense international city

A vision for a brownfield in Hong Kong could be one answer to its housing shortage.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 6, 2019
Article image for Home Builders report shows housing is changing Development

Home Builders report shows housing is changing

The American housing industry is changing course—and this will transform neighborhoods and communities over time by providing more and different choices in housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 5, 2019
Article image for Problems and solutions for main street retail Markets

Problems and solutions for main street retail

Shopability studies for two Florida cities illustrate the potential and hurdles for many American small-to-midsize downtowns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 29, 2019
Article image for Conventional suburban versus hamlet design Got A Minute

Conventional suburban versus hamlet design

The conventional suburban site plan above left was drawn for a hilltop site in a large development project. Charlotte architect and urban planner Tom Low, director of Civic By Design, created the alternative New Urbanism plan of a hamlet. The idea...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 26, 2019
Article image for Citizen revolt preserves 2,000-year-old waterway Design

Citizen revolt preserves 2,000-year-old waterway

Score one for historic preservation when a canal in use for two millennia was saved from being filled in to create a road and instead planned as a unique public space.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 24, 2019
Article image for Public space is downtown gateway Design

Public space is downtown gateway

A "pop up" park has evolved into a major downtown Detroit square that is anchoring a neighborhood revitalization.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 23, 2019
Article image for Form-based codes rise again Got A Minute

Form-based codes rise again

There are now 738 codes that meet the criteria for form-based codes, according to Emily Talen, Hazel Borys, and Matt Lambert, the team that keeps tracks of these codes on a website called The Codes Study. Of those codes, 439 are adopted. It's been a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 18, 2019
Article image for Hundred-year plan for a gateway city Design

Hundred-year plan for a gateway city

Plan Viva Laredo is making an immediate impact on Laredo, as streets are retrofitted for multimodal transportation and developers are encouraged to use new urban principles.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 15, 2019
Article image for Street trees, a planetary prescription Got A Minute

Street trees, a planetary prescription

“The most effective way to fight global warming is to plant lots of trees, a study says. A trillion of them, maybe,” according to a July 4 article by the Associated Press.  Street trees may be the most effective of all, because of their multiple...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2019
Article image for Cities benefit from restoring two-way traffic Streets

Cities benefit from restoring two-way traffic

Two-way streets prove safer, more walkable, and more supportive of business than one-way streets for Midwestern cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 9, 2019
Article image for Transforming an industrial-warehouse district Finance

Transforming an industrial-warehouse district

Opportunity Zone finance is helping to kickstart development around an underutilized section of the Beltline in Atlanta.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 5, 2019
Article image for Neighborhood additions work against displacement Community

Neighborhood additions work against displacement

Four developments in Deanwood, DC, show the transformative potential of multiple projects that include low-income housing in a single Opportunity Zone.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 2, 2019
Article image for It was the Boomers, in the cul-de-sac, with a stack of zoning laws Codes

It was the Boomers, in the cul-de-sac, with a stack of zoning laws

It doesn't take much digging to find that generational blame for sprawl doesn’t add up and gets us no closer to a solution—for that, we need a more targeted approach.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 1, 2019
Article image for Small industrial city diversifies its economy with urbanism Development

Small industrial city diversifies its economy with urbanism

Elkhart, Indiana, is implementing plans to attract young, talented, workers to start businesses and boost the economy.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 27, 2019
Article image for Converting a shopping mall to a downtown Retrofit

Converting a shopping mall to a downtown

Downtown Westminster, Colorado, is designed as a ‘place’ that grows organically with affordable housing included.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 26, 2019
Article image for The walkable urban trend keeps going Research

The walkable urban trend keeps going

A national study shows strong demand for walkable urban development—cities with high rents perform surprisingly well on social equity measures.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 25, 2019
Article image for  Urbanists, design a better grid Freeway transformation

Urbanists, design a better grid

New York State transportation officials are gathering crucial input to ensure the successful transformation of Route 81 in Syracuse into a Community Grid.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 19, 2019
Article image for Buffalo and Lafayette lead the way in form-based codes Codes

Buffalo and Lafayette lead the way in form-based codes

The cities represent the versatility of recent codes that replace conventional zoning.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 18, 2019
Article image for Innovative townhouse layout promotes community Got A Minute

Innovative townhouse layout promotes community

Daybreak Mews is a prime example of how “missing middle” housing types can expand choices while adding to the urban fabric of a larger neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2019
Article image for Eleven ways to retrofit suburbs Retrofit

Eleven ways to retrofit suburbs

Transforming suburban places is a growing and necessary trend across America. What are the tactics to make it happen?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 13, 2019
Article image for Powerful public space to knit Chicago’s South Side Design

Powerful public space to knit Chicago’s South Side

A new vision for Chicago's grandest boulevard connects two neighborhoods and provides a setting for 4,200 new housing units.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 12, 2019
Article image for Four decades of influential, incremental urbanism Design

Four decades of influential, incremental urbanism

Seaside’s influence on urban redevelopment is profound—it initiated a re-evaluation of the the civic realm in planning and city building. Lessons learned at Seaside have been applied in the revival, redevelopment, and restoration of existing communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 11, 2019
Article image for Celebrating community, creating place Design

Celebrating community, creating place

A Charter Award-winning development in Louisville has challenged conventional models of retail and civic space and provided a model for how the city can grow in the pattern of its historic neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 10, 2019
Article image for Saving the culture of one of China’s oldest settlements Design

Saving the culture of one of China’s oldest settlements

A master plan for Shanghai's oldest district prioritizes preservation while allowing for strategic development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 7, 2019
Article image for Eclectic destination for the Lower East Side Design

Eclectic destination for the Lower East Side

A high-rise development, home to the Essex Street Market, is now providing homes to people who were displaced a half century ago.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 6, 2019
Article image for Sustainable reuse of historic campus Design

Sustainable reuse of historic campus

Urbanism and preservation of a historic landscape and medical buildings add up to a unique redevelopment underway in Washington DC.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 4, 2019
Article image for Bold corridor attracts investment Development

Bold corridor attracts investment

Carmel, Indiana, builds a high-quality public realm at the heart of its new Midtown district.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 30, 2019
Article image for Extending design excellence in a historic city Design

Extending design excellence in a historic city

A large-scale development raises the bar for new design in Charleston, while re-connecting neighborhoods and anchoring a 1.6-mile-long linear park.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 28, 2019
Article image for ‘Geoaccounting’ makes the case for relocating Interstate Got A Minute

‘Geoaccounting’ makes the case for relocating Interstate

The importance of downtown and walkable urbanism is paramount to Syracuse, New York, and other cities, made visible through this graphic.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 24, 2019
Article image for Enabling a diverse Southwestern county to grow and prosper Region

Enabling a diverse Southwestern county to grow and prosper

Doña Ana County, a culturally rich but economically challenged part of New Mexico, is staking its future on walkable communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 23, 2019
Article image for Why cities are the world’s best hope for climate action Sustainability

Why cities are the world’s best hope for climate action

Cities offer breakthrough potential for immediate and effective action on the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and a hotter world, according to a new book, The Urban Fix.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2019
Article image for Ten great public squares Public space

Ten great public squares

Here are ten of the best public spaces at the heart of cities in America, plus honorable mentions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 10, 2019
Article image for Exurbs rising—a challenge for climate policy Development

Exurbs rising—a challenge for climate policy

A big increase in exurban growth is a wake-up call for regional planners, urbanists, and a public trying to rein in carbon emissions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 8, 2019
Article image for Walking now and then Mobility

Walking now and then

A new book on walking makes me think of another book, what America has lost, and what it could regain.​
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 6, 2019
Article image for Design communities so that neighbors can borrow sugar Got A Minute

Design communities so that neighbors can borrow sugar

This image is from an illustrative article called This Is How Borrowing Things From Our Neighbors Strengthens Society, by Sarah Lazarovic in Yes! journal. Here’s the tagline: Research shows that small talk and casual connections create happy...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 3, 2019
Article image for Wheeler District gets rolling Development

Wheeler District gets rolling

A large new urban project on a former airport near downtown Oklahoma City, the Wheeler District is off to a strong start.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 1, 2019
Article image for Poynton video: A tribute to Hamilton-Baillie Got A Minute

Poynton video: A tribute to Hamilton-Baillie

Ben Hamilton-Baillie, a British architect and “shared space” advocate, died of cancer last month at the age of 63. He was a plenary speaker at CNU 22 in Buffalo in 2014, where he urged the audience of a thousand people to “take out all of the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 26, 2019
Article image for New York State DOT picks ‘Community Grid’ in Syracuse Freeway transformation

New York State DOT picks ‘Community Grid’ in Syracuse

Since 2008, CNU has highlighted the advantages of transforming the elevated I-81 through the heart of the city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 23, 2019
Article image for Richards is selected for Skyway panel Design

Richards is selected for Skyway panel

CNU President and CEO Lynn Richards was selected to join a panel to judge a design competition for transforming Buffalo’s Skyway, a segment of freeway that soars over the waterfront. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced the competition to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 17, 2019
Article image for Time to restore the grid Freeway transformation

Time to restore the grid

A costly freeway, feeding a shopping mall, is a poor foundation for a mid-sized city—a better choice is to invest in infrastructure that supports downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 9, 2019
Article image for When freeways have no futures Freeway transformation

When freeways have no futures

CNU releases is biennial report, Freeways Without Futures 2019, telling the tale of ten freeways in cities where the movement has spawned active campaigns for transformation.
BEN CROWTHER, ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 3, 2019
Article image for Good news, the era of sprawl is over Policy

Good news, the era of sprawl is over

That problem we’ve been having with inefficient, spread-out, unsustainable, automobile-dependent development patterns is solved at last.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 1, 2019
Article image for Connecting to a hidden natural asset Sustainability

Connecting to a hidden natural asset

A CNU Legacy Project explores the potential of an underutilized creek corridor that runs through more than dozen neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 26, 2019
Article image for People and placemaking potential of small downtowns Town planning

People and placemaking potential of small downtowns

In the era of "winner take all urbanism," why are many small towns coming back to life—and why might they be good places to invest?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 25, 2019
Article image for Main street as a microcosm of the world Community

Main street as a microcosm of the world

With a stronger identity and coordinated planning for Woodlawn Avenue, Beechmont may be the next hot neighborhood in Louisville.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 21, 2019
Article image for Mixed-use center is next step for revitalization Design

Mixed-use center is next step for revitalization

CNU Legacy project in Russell neighborhood in West Louisville listens to residents, drawing their dreams.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 20, 2019
Article image for Walkable Glenwood Park nears completion Development

Walkable Glenwood Park nears completion

The new neighborhood by the Atlanta Beltline offers a well-designed, robust mix of housing, uses, and public spaces.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2019
Article image for Highway expansion will induce demand, opponents say Freeway transformation

Highway expansion will induce demand, opponents say

A $500 million widening project for Interstate 5 in Portland, Oregon, would lead to 10 to 17 million additional vehicle miles per year, according to a report in City Observatory. The website posted a series of articles opposed to the I-5 expansion...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2019
Article image for Call for the best form-based codes Policy

Call for the best form-based codes

The submission deadline is April 5 for this year’s Driehaus Award, to be announced at CNU 27 in Louisville.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2019
Article image for The map of CNU Congresses Got A Minute

The map of CNU Congresses

CNU created a map (see below for interactive version) of all of the past and upcoming Congresses. The map offers an overview at the history of CNU, the geographic range of the Congresses, and the issues that concerned the Congress attendees in years...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 8, 2019
Article image for Legacy projects kick off in Louisville Design

Legacy projects kick off in Louisville

CNU neighborhood design workshops this week are led by Urban Design Associates, Street Plans Collaborative, Placemakers, and Gresham Smith.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 7, 2019
Article image for Parking reform gains momentum nationwide Parking

Parking reform gains momentum nationwide

More cities are adopting a simple code change that goes a long way to improve the urban environment.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 6, 2019
Article image for Walking to school, three generations Got A Minute

Walking to school, three generations

Urban designer Victor Dover asked an audience of adults at a public event three questions about walking to school that reflect how our built environment has changed over the course of three generations in the US. Above are the results. Children...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 1, 2019
Article image for Real estate markets revealed Markets

Real estate markets revealed

An interactive map by Zimmerman/Volk Associates offers a detailed view of migration and mobility in counties nationwide.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 27, 2019
Article image for Opportunity Zones will help those who help themselves Finance

Opportunity Zones will help those who help themselves

Walkable urban plans in small and mid-sized cities and suburbs are more likely to be financed if the city is prepared.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 25, 2019
Article image for What to do with wasted asphalt Got A Minute

What to do with wasted asphalt

We have so much excess asphalt in America, and we mostly don't even see it. Like an ugly building or a cluttered room—over time, our minds tune it out and take it for granted. But the excess asphalt, like the street on the left, is less safe and ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 22, 2019
Article image for A unified small developer vision for urban revival Development

A unified small developer vision for urban revival

A coalition in Flint, Michigan, works with many hands toward rebuilding a neighborhood from the ground up.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 20, 2019
Article image for New urban ghost town calls forth a different mindset Got A Minute

New urban ghost town calls forth a different mindset

On this gloomy February day, I think back to 2008, the start of the Great Recession, which seems like a lifetime ago. There were many large-scale projects, planned well in advance of the crash, that died. Some of these projects were new urban...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 15, 2019
Article image for A city highway alternative for Brooklyn Freeway transformation

A city highway alternative for Brooklyn

When transportation engineers make problematic city highway proposals, CNU members sometimes offer alternative design solutions that broaden the conversation—and that's the case with the BQE in Brooklyn.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 14, 2019
Article image for Recapturing retail market share for downtown Development

Recapturing retail market share for downtown

One key aspect to Missoula's downtown master plan involves making the city center a retail destination once again.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 13, 2019
Article image for Atlanta zoning update addresses parking, ADUs, missing middle Policy

Atlanta zoning update addresses parking, ADUs, missing middle

Atlanta is growing at an "unprecedented rate" and is trying to become more multimodal and less car-centric.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 11, 2019
Article image for The 5-minute intersection repair Got A Minute

The 5-minute intersection repair

Architect and urban designer Tom Low says that Charlotte, North Carolina, is experiencing a "tidal wave" of infill projects, bringing in more pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter riders that conflict with the city's automobile-oriented street network...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 8, 2019
Article image for Merging Tactical Urbanism with public works Tactical urbanism

Merging Tactical Urbanism with public works

The City of Burlington, Vermont, has initiated an innovative, flexible streetscape improvement program that saves money and time and is more responsive to the community.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 7, 2019
Article image for Good congestion, bad congestion Streets

Good congestion, bad congestion

Our model for traffic congestion is flawed. We need to make the crucial distinction between good and bad congestion and plan our transportation systems accordingly.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 6, 2019
Article image for From busy roadway to public square Got A Minute

From busy roadway to public square

Reducing redundant roadway in cities can be good for people both outside and inside of vehicles.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 1, 2019
Article image for The connected network answer to traffic congestion Streets

The connected network answer to traffic congestion

A hierarchical system of subdivisions branching off of arterial roads is a "perfect recipe for congestion."
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 30, 2019
Article image for The once and future neighborhood Community

The once and future neighborhood

Urban planner Emily Talen tells the history of the neighborhood, why it became a controversial topic, and how the “everyday neighborhood” could help a diverse America come together.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 29, 2019
Article image for Across the US, too many pedestrians are dying Streets

Across the US, too many pedestrians are dying

A new report called Dangerous By Design 2019 once again reminds us that thousands of people on foot are cut down each year in violent, preventable deaths.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 24, 2019
Article image for Embrace your local Opportunity Zones Policy

Embrace your local Opportunity Zones

Even if you are cynical about about how big money will affect low-income communities, the smart move for municipalities and urbanists is to make the most of this big-impact program.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 23, 2019
Article image for Failing golf communities not on par with neighborhoods Markets

Failing golf communities not on par with neighborhoods

When real estate switched from building mixed-use cities, towns, and neighborhoods, the industry adopted less sustainable selling points—like golf.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 22, 2019
Article image for When the parking bubble bursts Got A Minute

When the parking bubble bursts

In the last half of the 20th Century, we added massive quantities of parking to American downtowns, usually by tearing down buildings. This image by urban designer Victor Dover shows parking infrastructure, in pink, in downtown Atlanta. Many cities...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 11, 2019
Article image for Walkability indexes are flawed. Let's find a better method Research

Walkability indexes are flawed. Let's find a better method

Walking is vital to the economy, livability, and environment. Why can't we measure how many people are walking, versus driving, using data from smart phones?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 10, 2019
Article image for Experience is the new buzzword for walkable town centers Mixed-use

Experience is the new buzzword for walkable town centers

As the retail market becomes less certain, mixed-use developers look to other ways to boost foot traffic and create a destination.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 9, 2019
Article image for Better alternatives to Mr. Potato Head architecture Design

Better alternatives to Mr. Potato Head architecture

Background buildings don't need to be ugly or use pointless variety in the “break-up-the-box” style.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 7, 2019
Article image for Terminated view, the old and the new Got A Minute

Terminated view, the old and the new

State Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, designed as part of the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th Century, was refurbished a few years back through a program called City Beautiful 2.0. The building at the end of the street is the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 28, 2018
Article image for Top 10 articles for 2018 Headlines

Top 10 articles for 2018

Street design topics, innovative housing types and policies, and large-scale urban planning patterns made for most-read articles on Public Square this year. Bad architecture and the impact of automated vehicles also were fodder for popular pieces....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 26, 2018
Article image for A social justice case for walking and cycling Got A Minute

A social justice case for walking and cycling

This graph, from Jeff Speck's book Walkable City Rules, tells at a glance why investing in walkable and bike-friendly streets disproportionately helps lower-income workers. Bike lanes are sometimes criticized for benefiting young professionals...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 21, 2018
Article image for How many Opportunity Zones have smart growth potential? Policy

How many Opportunity Zones have smart growth potential?

Opportunity Zones offer significant smart growth potential if investors can find the opportunities, but a new report is of limited use, especially when it comes to smaller cities and incremental development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 18, 2018
Article image for The benefits of urban trees Got A Minute

The benefits of urban trees

Trees are miracles of nature—and one of the least expensive, most effective investments that can be made in a neighborhood. According to The Nature Conservancy, urban—particularly street—trees have environment, health, and economic value.  Not...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 14, 2018
Article image for New Urbanism in the Wildland Urban Interface Sustainability

New Urbanism in the Wildland Urban Interface

How urbanism could help to solve problems like the Paradise disaster.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 12, 2018
Article image for Small city invests in downtown Community

Small city invests in downtown

With a new urban vision and context-based street design, Olean has taken a bold step to revive its economy and social life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 11, 2018
Article image for The default style of pointless variety Got A Minute

The default style of pointless variety

This is an Internet image that I recently came across, appearing on various websites, describing a common urban architectural style of our time. The point of this meme is that developers are driving this style, and it's boring. What's sad is that...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2018
Article image for Big questions for Amazon Development

Big questions for Amazon

Amazon chose urbanism for HQ2, but with urbanism comes responsibility.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 28, 2018
Article image for Amazon site is Charter Award winning plan Development

Amazon site is Charter Award winning plan

In Arlington, Virginia, a plan and code for Crystal City entitled the new development capacity that lured Amazon—and also calls for transformation to walkable urban.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 15, 2018
Article image for The beauty of small towns Got A Minute

The beauty of small towns

Galena, Illinois, is often pictured when urbanists want to show the ideal American main street. It was also listed as number 35 in a recent Architectural Digest report on 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America. While this list is subjective, it...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2018
Article image for Why new urbanists generated great ideas Design

Why new urbanists generated great ideas

A multidisciplinary group with potential influence on and understanding of the built environment, new urbanists were uniquely positioned to push back effectively against the status quo.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 8, 2018
Article image for How Pink Zones can help small-scale projects Incremental and lean

How Pink Zones can help small-scale projects

A Pink Zone, an idea of the Project for Lean Urbanism, is an area of lightened red tape for small-scale projects. Pink Zones are designed to allow individuals with little capital to take action.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 6, 2018
Article image for Opportunity for urbanists to help cities and towns Policy

Opportunity for urbanists to help cities and towns

Opportunity Zones, a massive new nationwide community development program, will benefit from the work of urban planning thought leaders.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 5, 2018
Article image for Safetyism, fragility, and community design Community

Safetyism, fragility, and community design

Our built environment separates everything to reduce conflict and make us safe—it may instead do the opposite.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 23, 2018
Article image for A suburban town looks at retrofit options Retrofit

A suburban town looks at retrofit options

With transit on the way, Amherst, New York, reimagines its future.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 22, 2018
Article image for Post office moved, town solid Got A Minute

Post office moved, town solid

A worker October 17 puts the finishing touches on the 33-year-old Seaside, Florida, post office, which was moved to a new location on the town's Central Square. Someone uses the facility later that day. Hurricane Michael landed on the Florida...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 19, 2018
Article image for Mixed-use neighborhood reshapes suburban landscape Community

Mixed-use neighborhood reshapes suburban landscape

Providence in Huntsville introduces a new development pattern that converts an arterial to a main street, provides nightlife and civic spaces, and adds a diverse school.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 9, 2018
Article image for The Arc of Engagement Got A Minute

The Arc of Engagement

CNU recently released the Users' Guide to Zoning Reform, which offers a new path to improving land-use codes.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 5, 2018
Article image for Driving per capita is in a long-term stall Got A Minute

Driving per capita is in a long-term stall

"Normalizing for population, VMT per capita has seen zero net growth since 2002," notes a recent post from the State Smart Transportation Initiative. This reality is at odds with transportation modeling, which consistently overestimates traffic...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 28, 2018
Article image for Mixed-use suburban retrofit in Rockville Retrofit

Mixed-use suburban retrofit in Rockville

Rockville Town Square combines transit and placemaking in a mixed-use retrofit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 24, 2018
Article image for Starchitecture skyline Got A Minute

Starchitecture skyline

You can't make a decent city solely with the kinds of buildings designed by today's big-name architects.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 20, 2018
Article image for Transforming trailers Equity

Transforming trailers

Andres Duany of DPZ CoDESIGN thinks that houses on wheels could be a good answer to America's affordable housing problem, and to housing adapted for climate change.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 17, 2018
Article image for Parking lot designed as an avenue Got A Minute

Parking lot designed as an avenue

Parking lots are among the ugliest and most common features of the American landscape. They cost a lot of money, use tremendous land, and make much of our cities less walkable. Yet as long as we drive, we do need parking.  Parking doesn't have to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 14, 2018
Article image for Revitalizing struggling corridors in a post-industrial city Streets

Revitalizing struggling corridors in a post-industrial city

The City of South Bend focuses on complete streets to spur investment in neglected neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 10, 2018
Article image for Breaking the NIMBY impasse with design Got A Minute

Breaking the NIMBY impasse with design

A recent The New York Times article The Bipartisan Cry of 'Not in My Backyard' reporting on opposition from across the political spectrum to higher-density housing, failed to mention a crucial point, says Nathan Norris, founding principal of the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 7, 2018
Article image for Gentle density: Making neighborhoods transit-ready Missing middle

Gentle density: Making neighborhoods transit-ready

Accessory dwellings can triple the density on a single-family lot while preserving the character of neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 30, 2018
Article image for Maybe we CAN build our way out of an urban housing shortage Markets

Maybe we CAN build our way out of an urban housing shortage

As cities boom, rental rates are easing due to supply.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 29, 2018
Article image for A lucky boy who will be missed Community

A lucky boy who will be missed

CNU co-founder Stefanos Polyzoides said of Bill Dennis: "We lost a brother."
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2018
Article image for Why are fire officials hung up on street widths? Streets

Why are fire officials hung up on street widths?

A focus on one dimension ignores more important geographical aspects to public safety in a walkable city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 14, 2018
Article image for Demand supports the ‘missing middle’ Got A Minute

Demand supports the ‘missing middle’

The demand for multifamily and small-lot single-family housing, especially in walkable locations, will continue to rise over the next two decades, according to Arthur C. "Chris" Nelson, of the University of Arizona. This supply and demand mismatch...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 10, 2018
Article image for The amazing route diversity of street grids Research

The amazing route diversity of street grids

A mathematical equation helps to explain the endless variety of cities and the cookie-cutter sameness of conventional suburbs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 9, 2018
Article image for How density and proximity are transforming retail Mixed-use

How density and proximity are transforming retail

As more retail moves into cities, the suburban boxes fronted by parking lots are giving way to more walkable designs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 7, 2018
Article image for Two kinds of capacity Got A Minute

Two kinds of capacity

Here's a clever Ian Lockwood cartoon that relates to an article that I wrote this week on "Why street grids have more capacity." Traditional street networks also have different capacity. Lockwood, an engineer with Toole Design Group, shows the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 3, 2018
Article image for Why street grids have more capacity Streets

Why street grids have more capacity

The greater choice offered by well-connected street networks leads to more capacity and efficiency, according to pioneering smart growth engineer Walter Kulash.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 31, 2018
Article image for African urbanism made visible Design

African urbanism made visible

Africa Drawn: One Hundred Cities
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 30, 2018
Article image for Recovering urban nature for a healthier city Design

Recovering urban nature for a healthier city

In Curridabat, Costa Rica, new urbanist interventions are combined with park improvements, wetlands, and projects to improve biodiversity.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 23, 2018
Article image for Visionary code protects rural lands Region

Visionary code protects rural lands

Preserving open space in a time of rising development pressure, while fostering equitable development, requires out-of-the-box thinking.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 16, 2018
Article image for Landscape infrastructure shapes future investment Design

Landscape infrastructure shapes future investment

In Charlottesville, Virginia, 12-acre linear park incorporates stormwater systems into community spaces that allow for new development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2018
Article image for Pedestrian village in a natural landscape Design

Pedestrian village in a natural landscape

The project inverts the usual relationship between car and human in land development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2018
Article image for Making the case for New Urbanism Sustainability

Making the case for New Urbanism

Here are some ideas on telling the story of why walkable urbanism matters—from your perspective to a particular audience.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 9, 2018
Article image for Reclaiming space for people Tactical urbanism

Reclaiming space for people

Tactical Urbanism transformed one of the most automobile-oriened thouroughfares in Miami—and street life surged.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 6, 2018
Article image for Shared street connects culture and community Design

Shared street connects culture and community

The three-block Chicago street design creates a plaza-like feel by raising the street and eliminating raised curbs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 3, 2018
Article image for Walkable urban in three cities Got A Minute

Walkable urban in three cities

Here’s a graphic from a terrific article in a terrific issue of D Magazine, the regional publication for Dallas-Fort Worth. The authors of the article, Christopher Leinberger and Tracy Loh of George Washington University, are among the few...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 29, 2018
Article image for The copious capacity of street grids Streets

The copious capacity of street grids

Historic street grids can handle greater traffic of all kinds—so why aren’t we building more of them?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 28, 2018
Article image for A campus opens up to the city Design

A campus opens up to the city

A recent UConn relocation from a leafy suburban campus to downtown Hartford, Connecticut, follows wider urban trends.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 27, 2018
Article image for How sprawl makes walkable places less affordable Equity

How sprawl makes walkable places less affordable

Many cities are growing faster than they have since the 1940s as Americans rediscover the joys of human-scale neighborhoods, but their expansion is constrained by sprawl.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 20, 2018
Article image for Sophisticated insertion of missing middle Design

Sophisticated insertion of missing middle

A transit-accessible infill development includes a variety of housing types geared to improving the economics of urban living.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 19, 2018
Article image for Keys to shared streets by John Massengale Got A Minute

Keys to shared streets by John Massengale

When drivers slow down to 20 mph or below, they are less likely to hit people and much less likely to seriously injure or kill people if they do hit them—that's one insight that Dutch designers and engineers learned when they began to implement...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 15, 2018
Article image for Seamless town extension with affordable housing Design

Seamless town extension with affordable housing

Tregunnel Hill in Cornwall, England, proves that the principles used in Prince Charles's Poundbury are replicable.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2018
Article image for The toughest transformation Design

The toughest transformation

Crosstown Concourse reused a massive blight in the midst of disinvested Memphis neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 7, 2018
Article image for Congestion can be good, study reports Mobility

Congestion can be good, study reports

Despite long-held beliefs of transportation officials, traffic congestion does not slow down economies, productivity, or job growth; and it may spur positive adaptation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 6, 2018
Article image for New urban revival in flyover country Policy

New urban revival in flyover country

Two journalists travel America in a Cirrus plane, reporting on public-private partnerships, "walkable manufacturing," and what makes second-tier cities succeed.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 5, 2018
Article image for Walkable and drivable development Got A Minute

Walkable and drivable development

These two revealing photos show "walkable urban" and "drivable suburban" development near downtown Cincinnati, from a recent report called Catalytic Development: (Re)creating walkable urban places. Amazingly, these photos are taken from a similar...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 1, 2018
Article image for Walk over, Beethoven City life

Walk over, Beethoven

The survival of live classical music depends on many things, not the least of which is the design and urban planning around concert halls.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 29, 2018
Article image for Demographics of CNU Got A Minute

Demographics of CNU

CNU had its biggest Congress ever in Savannah, and the above graphic by Jay Shepley shows how the attendees broke down into various demographic segments. The attendees were highly diverse in terms of professions and ages, spanning a wide range of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 25, 2018
Article image for Gehl highlights biggest Congress ever Design

Gehl highlights biggest Congress ever

CNU resurrects the Athena Medal in Savannah to entice the Danish sage of human-scale cities. Next year: New Bourbonism.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 24, 2018
Article image for Town center links USC and South LA Development

Town center links USC and South LA

University builds a transformative development in an area that hasn't seen much investment in recent decades.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 22, 2018
Article image for Memphis warehouse redevelopment tops Charter Awards Design

Memphis warehouse redevelopment tops Charter Awards

Crosstown Concourse, the redevelopment of a 1.3 million square foot former Sears distribution center that sat empty for decades among run-down Memphis neighborhoods, won the Grand Prize in CNU’s 17th annual Charter Awards, announced in Savannah,...
LISA SCHAMESS, ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 21, 2018
Article image for Catalytic development for walkable urban places Development

Catalytic development for walkable urban places

Catalytic development takes place where strategic, integrated investments are made in a concentrated, walkable urban area.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2018
Article image for New Pioneers: Lean Urbanism in America Equity

New Pioneers: Lean Urbanism in America

An entertaining book outlines how ordinary citizens can rebuild cities without the help or hindrance of big developers, big finance, and government bureaucrats.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 14, 2018
Article image for Educated young adults drive less Got A Minute

Educated young adults drive less

Note: I hope to see you all at CNU 26.Savannah next week. The mid-20s to mid-30s are peak driving years in a person's life. Eyesight and reactions are undiminished, and you have places to go, things to do, and careers and families to pursue....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 11, 2018
Article image for Parking diets for healthier cities Parking

Parking diets for healthier cities

Donald Shoup's new volume shows how better approaches to parking enable affordable housing, the missing middle, economic development, and better living.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 9, 2018
Article image for Suburban segregation by income Got A Minute

Suburban segregation by income

Note: Andres Duany will present core principles of the New Urbanism on May 16 at CNU 26.Savannah. This image from Andres Duany's standard lecture that he gave from the late 1980s to early 2000s illustrates how society is sliced in segments through...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 4, 2018
Article image for A connected and walkable suburb Development

A connected and walkable suburb

After two decades of development, Orenco Station offers urban living at a transit station west of Portland.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 2, 2018
Article image for Seattle transit policy targets affordable housing Affordability

Seattle transit policy targets affordable housing

As Sound Transit expands light rail far into the suburbs around Seattle, a policy allows the disposition of excess land for affordable transit-oriented development—consistent with the goals of a CNU report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 30, 2018
Article image for The ‘Jacobs Curve’ and gentrification Got A Minute

The ‘Jacobs Curve’ and gentrification

While gentrification is sometimes villainized, the "Jacob's Curve" suggests that there is an optimum level of reinvestment in neighborhoods that creates more diversity of place. The drawing, by planner and researcher Michael Mehaffy, is named after...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2018
Article image for An innovative missing middle design Design

An innovative missing middle design

Mews homes are an affordable and flexible model for mid-block family housing.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 25, 2018
Article image for The Swiss Army knife house Design

The Swiss Army knife house

The Side Hustle House has been designed to supplement primary income and evolve as household needs change.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 24, 2018
Article image for Using software to measure the UrbanFootprint Sustainability

Using software to measure the UrbanFootprint

A new urban tool is designed help cities, planners, and developers with scenario planning.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 23, 2018
Article image for Can Nashville truly be an Athens? Transit, TOD

Can Nashville truly be an Athens?

Let’s Move Nashville is a transformative transit initiative that is now in front of the electorate—alternative futures for the city are at stake.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 11, 2018
Article image for Parks and other enhancements proposed for city neighborhoods Equity

Parks and other enhancements proposed for city neighborhoods

Eastside Savannah, a less affluent area adjacent to Savannah's historic core, was the subject of a CNU Legacy Project.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 9, 2018
Article image for The benefits of bike trails Research

The benefits of bike trails

Bicycling infrastructure is a suburban retrofit strategy in Northwest Arkansas.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 5, 2018
Article image for Urbanist, par excellence Community

Urbanist, par excellence

New urbanists lost a respected and capable leader early this week. Hank Dittmar made a difference in urban planning and transportation on both sides of the Atlantic.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 4, 2018
Article image for Plan to retrofit suburban to mixed-use urban Retrofit

Plan to retrofit suburban to mixed-use urban

CNU Legacy Project shows how Southside Savannah can leverage a growing university campus to improve quality of life.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 2, 2018
Article image for To reduce pedestrian deaths, focus on design Got A Minute

To reduce pedestrian deaths, focus on design

We need a strategy for taming deadly thoroughfares that go through cities and suburbs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 30, 2018
Article image for Comeback planned for commercial corridor Development

Comeback planned for commercial corridor

CNU partnered with a small city and citizens to create a toolbox with immediate practical usefulness for a segment of the old Dixie Highway in Georgia.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 26, 2018
Article image for If houses were designed like car-oriented cities Got A Minute

If houses were designed like car-oriented cities

I found this satirical floor plan on the 21st Century City Twitter feed—illustrating the absurdity of automobile-oriented community design. Just like the heart of many cities and towns built since 1950, there is more space for vehicles than people....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 23, 2018
Article image for ‘Urbanizing the suburbs’ goes big Retrofit

‘Urbanizing the suburbs’ goes big

Suburban Remix, a new book, reports on commercial development of mixed-use, walkable centers as a powerful force in the American landscape.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 20, 2018
Article image for Small apartments in single-family neighborhoods Got A Minute

Small apartments in single-family neighborhoods

A Midwest city considers an affordable option to house more families in walkable neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2018
Article image for Affordability is not a zero-sum game Research

Affordability is not a zero-sum game

A new report by Todd Litman offers a vision for optimal urban growth for affordability and livability—laying down a challenge to Wendell Cox, smart growth critic and author of a widely cited report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 13, 2018
Article image for Scully at Seaside Got A Minute

Scully at Seaside

A four-story-high mural of Vincent Scully, a Yale professor of architectural history over five decades, was unveiled at Seaside, Florida, in late February. The mural, commissioned by Seaside developer Robert Davis and DC-based architect Dhiru...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 9, 2018
Article image for Building a healthier downtown and region Region

Building a healthier downtown and region

Downtown has come back to life while the city is building a transit framework for walkable, mixed-use growth along corridors.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 8, 2018
Article image for A towering proposal for Portland’s Pearl Development

A towering proposal for Portland’s Pearl

I don't often write about skyscrapers, but this proposal includes smart urban design moves.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 7, 2018
Article image for State-of-the-art implementation in a historic town Town planning

State-of-the-art implementation in a historic town

A citywide comprehensive plan joins progressive vision with detailed implementation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 5, 2018
Article image for Public housing at the heart of neighborhood revival Affordability

Public housing at the heart of neighborhood revival

In a half century, a neighborhood was cleared for public housing towers. Then the failing towers gave way to a new neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 2, 2018
Article image for Affordable housing through philanthropy Equity

Affordable housing through philanthropy

Transit-oriented project provides housing for public employees next to public housing in buildings inspired by the District's successful vernacular patterns.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 23, 2018
Article image for Grand plaza highlights history Design

Grand plaza highlights history

A dilapidated former municipal building, embodying decades of history in the historic Mexican city of San Cristobal, has been converted into a civic museum complete with an elegant and dignified new plaza. “Making the City Hall a museum was an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 19, 2018
Article image for Why classical is classic Got A Minute

Why classical is classic

Architecture that is scaled to and reflects the human body is endlessly fascinating.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 16, 2018
Article image for Revitalization rooted in place Equity

Revitalization rooted in place

Plan Westside in Atlanta looks at revitalization of a city sector that has declined economically and socially from its civil rights heyday.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 14, 2018
Article image for They paved paradise, put up a parking lot Sustainability

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

The asphalt-industrial complex—otherwise known as Big Asphalt—took control of our cities and towns. Here's how we can take it back.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 7, 2018
Article image for Better ‘honky tonk’ urbanism Tactical urbanism

Better ‘honky tonk’ urbanism

Nashville uses Tactical Urbanism to test out ideas on public space and street improvements downtown.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 6, 2018
Article image for Context-based redesign solves street problems Streets

Context-based redesign solves street problems

A pedestrian fatality spurred a transformation of a thoroughfare in Raleigh, linking a college campus to neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 5, 2018
Article image for Responding to character of context Design

Responding to character of context

New deco mixed-use building in Pasadena broke a community log jam with distinctive and lovable design that responds to its surroundings.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 1, 2018
Article image for Affordability with flair near downtown Design

Affordability with flair near downtown

In an area that once suffered in-city freeway blight, this mixed-use housing project creates a beautiful urban streetwall with modern sensibility.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 31, 2018
Article image for Bigger is not better for main street Streets

Bigger is not better for main street

Roundabouts and reductions in lane widths helped to restore civic life along a US highway in a western New York village.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 30, 2018
Article image for When the highway hit Buffalo Got A Minute

When the highway hit Buffalo

These photos are taken from the same spot in Buffalo, New York (see highlighted church steeple)—in the early 20th Century and recently. The photo at left captures the city in the early stage of demolishing a beautiful street to make way for a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 26, 2018
Article image for How architecture can enhance a neighborhood Design

How architecture can enhance a neighborhood

The timeless and artful Plaza La Reina, a new hotel in a transit-oriented Los Angeles neighborhood, shows the impact of a building on a city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 24, 2018
Article image for A suburban town revitalizes incrementally Development

A suburban town revitalizes incrementally

Parsons Alley activates abandoned properties, creates a popular and lively new public place, and attracts businesses that appeal to young professionals.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 23, 2018
Article image for Redesigned street leads to better suburb Streets

Redesigned street leads to better suburb

South Miami, Florida, has completely transformed since 2000—largely following the context-sensitive transformation of its main street.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 22, 2018
Article image for Most dangerous intersections Got A Minute

Most dangerous intersections

This is a list of the most dangerous intersections in each state. It is also a list of heavily engineered, "big asphalt" intersections in road networks that are built to modern transportation engineering standards. For many of these intersections,...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 19, 2018
Article image for Five scenarios that make street transformation possible Streets

Five scenarios that make street transformation possible

Why street design has not kept pace with automotive safety improvements, and what you can do about it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 17, 2018
Article image for Vincent Scully, ‘spiritual father of the New Urbanism’ Design

Vincent Scully, ‘spiritual father of the New Urbanism’

The great Yale lecturer had an impact on movements that are changing the face of communities in the US and beyond.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 11, 2018
Article image for Road diet bridges a barrier, boosts safety Streets

Road diet bridges a barrier, boosts safety

A breakthrough design on La Jolla Boulevard in San Diego cuts crashes by 90 percent and gives local business a shot in the arm.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 10, 2018
Article image for Snow-globe urbanism Got A Minute

Snow-globe urbanism

A recent snow captures the beauty of a 1.7-acre cottage development, a new extension of the Village of Cheshire in Black Mountain, North Carolina—near Asheville. Architect and urban designer Tom Low designed the Pocket Court Project around two oval...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 5, 2018
Article image for Reclaiming streets for people Streets

Reclaiming streets for people

In Boston, a Transportation Department guide lays out a vision for streets as shared public spaces.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 2, 2018
Article image for Renovating a multipurpose main street Streets

Renovating a multipurpose main street

Streetscape improvements have helped bring back an 18-hour-a-day character to the corridor. Crime has dropped and property values have risen.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 28, 2017
Article image for Asphalt diet reclaims a neighborhood square Streets

Asphalt diet reclaims a neighborhood square

An esplanade park at the center of a Cincinnati neighborhood had been whittled away. Returned to its former glory, the square has revitalized business and boosted safety.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 26, 2017
Article image for For Grand Rapids, a ‘people first’ development policy Equity

For Grand Rapids, a ‘people first’ development policy

The issue has changed from whether the city will grow to how and for whom the development is taking place.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 21, 2017
Article image for Study supports freeway removal as best option Freeway transformation

Study supports freeway removal as best option

A tunnel would cost nearly three times as much as converting the aging I-81 in Syracuse to a boulevard—as suggested by CNU's Freeways Without Futures report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 18, 2017
Article image for From car-oriented thoroughfare to community center Streets

From car-oriented thoroughfare to community center

Lancaster, California, has lit the local economy and secured a social heart with one transformative street project.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 14, 2017
Article image for Planning for an era of sea level rise Sustainability

Planning for an era of sea level rise

A key goal of the Seven50 plan is to ensure that development along the coastal areas is resilient and sustainable.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 13, 2017
Article image for Seven case studies for complete streets Streets

Seven case studies for complete streets

Here are streets that are more than just conduits for cars—they are places that support social and economic life, walking, bicycling, and transit.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 7, 2017
Article image for Do you know the way, San Jose? Retrofit

Do you know the way, San Jose?

A sprawling land that’s crossed by freeways—put a few thousand down and rent a room. Be a part of the next technology boom.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 5, 2017
Article image for Weaving a ‘weft’ for Anchorage Sustainability

Weaving a ‘weft’ for Anchorage

A horizontal weave brings disparate threads together and creates a fabric—a metaphor for resilience.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2017
Article image for Great Idea: Freeways Without Futures Freeway transformation

Great Idea: Freeways Without Futures

Reducing state and federal infrastructure costs while boosting local economies by strengthening urban places is a win-win from in-city freeway transformation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 27, 2017
Article image for Seeking equitable redevelopment in southeast DC Equity

Seeking equitable redevelopment in southeast DC

The rapid change in the District has fueled concerns that investment will leave existing residents high and dry, so the city is working with the community toward a better result.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 20, 2017
Article image for How Jacobs and Alexander unlock 21st Century problems Design

How Jacobs and Alexander unlock 21st Century problems

Review of Cities Alive: Jane Jacobs, Christopher Alexander, and the Roots of the New Urban Renaissance, a book by Michael Mehaffy.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 16, 2017
Article image for Critical data points for my street City life

Critical data points for my street

One gaggle of girls, 270-plus trick-or-treaters, 20 pies, and one streetwise cat are vital statistics for this urban thoroughfare.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 7, 2017
Article image for Garagescape Got A Minute

Garagescape

The domination of the streetscape by garages is common in drive-only suburbs. There are no "eyes on the street" from inside the houses—so the connection with neighbors is tenuous. What you don't see in this photo—because it is out of the scope of...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 3, 2017
Article image for 25 great ideas of the New Urbanism Design

25 great ideas of the New Urbanism

The New Urbanism is a design movement toward complete, compact, connected communities—but it is also a generator of ideas that transform the landscape. Communities are shaped by the movement and flow of ideas, and the New Urbanism has been a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 31, 2017
Article image for The beauty of 25-foot urbanism Got A Minute

The beauty of 25-foot urbanism

These photos of Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati were taken and assembled by architect Tom Low. These 4- and 5-story masonry buildings were built circa 1900 on 25-wide lots—a standard American system of platting. They all have interesting detail on the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 27, 2017
Article image for Supersized Happy Meal houses Design

Supersized Happy Meal houses

The first step to good design is avoiding the bad, says Kate Wagner. Why not start with shutter crimes, poor proportions, and clashing architectural references?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 25, 2017
Article image for Great idea: The polycentric region Sustainability

Great idea: The polycentric region

Market and local government support for new urbanist values is rising and that is changing the planning mindset in many regions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 23, 2017
Article image for Transect of incremental urbanism Got A Minute

Transect of incremental urbanism

When you have a chicken and egg problem, have a chicken omelette.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 20, 2017
Article image for Dealing with a donkey's view of climate change Sustainability

Dealing with a donkey's view of climate change

Urbanists can contribute mightily to solving the climate problem—got any plans for the next few decades?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 10, 2017
Article image for The death of New Urbanism is greatly exaggerated Design

The death of New Urbanism is greatly exaggerated

Restoring the human-scale to the modern built environment is a long-term task, key to human health and welfare, that has barely begun.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 4, 2017
Article image for The break in the relationship between VMT and GDP Got A Minute

The break in the relationship between VMT and GDP

Chris McCahill of the State Smart Transportation Initiative explains how vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has become decoupled with Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While Americans’ driving habits have long been linked to economic activity, this...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 29, 2017
Article image for Why walkability is not a luxury Mobility

Why walkability is not a luxury

Walkable places are vital to health and welfare—and contrary to perceptions, they also reduce household costs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 28, 2017
Article image for A gift of nature and architecture Design

A gift of nature and architecture

Park Van Ness has remarkable details—and opens up a view from a major thoroughfare to a major urban park.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 21, 2017
Article image for Genuine change or lipstick on a pig? Development

Genuine change or lipstick on a pig?

A well-known new urban project has begun to reshape the relentless sprawl around it, but communities shouldn't wait for that to happen.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 19, 2017
Article image for Harnessing civil engineering for placemaking and preservation Sustainability

Harnessing civil engineering for placemaking and preservation

Harvey and Irma point out the need to think deeply about resilience to major storms in the era of climate change.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 18, 2017
Article image for Building on local assets for resilience Sustainability

Building on local assets for resilience

Plan NoBe in the North Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach sets the stage for higher construction standards to withstand sea-level rise—while strengthening defenses like sea walls, mangrove islands, and barrier beaches.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 13, 2017
Article image for From the wreckage, hope and opportunity Sustainability

From the wreckage, hope and opportunity

Citizens have a chance to go beyond business-as-usual to achieve a higher potential through recovery from the historic 2017 hurricane season.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 12, 2017
Article image for Why we should take suburban poverty seriously Equity

Why we should take suburban poverty seriously

As low-income people migrate further out to the suburban fringe, they become more isolated from services and transportation, according to a report by CNU focused on Seattle.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 8, 2017
Article image for Harmony of old and new delivers affordable housing Equity

Harmony of old and new delivers affordable housing

An Oakland redevelopment shows how urban design and historic preservation can support a social agenda.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 6, 2017
Article image for Great Idea: Context-based street design Streets

Great Idea: Context-based street design

Building thoroughfares as places of beauty and social interaction requires a context-based approach to design.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 29, 2017
Article image for Transforming a distressed Long Island community Equity

Transforming a distressed Long Island community

Two mixed-use buildings face a new square with fountains and activities like ice skating and concerts, forming the core of Long Island's first major transit-oriented development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 21, 2017
Article image for Parklets transform Southside Chicago street Community

Parklets transform Southside Chicago street

How urbanism can bring hope and change to a working-class African American neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2017
Article image for Innovative design for affordable housing Equity

Innovative design for affordable housing

Blue Water workforce housing on Tavernier Key, Florida, created a system that of density that fits into the surrounding one- and two-story fabric.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 10, 2017
Article image for The million-dollar neighborhood Finance

The million-dollar neighborhood

Walkable mixed-use neighborhoods help families build wealth—enough to help fund big-ticket items like college and retirement.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 7, 2017
Article image for Eighty years of false freeway claims Got A Minute

Eighty years of false freeway claims

Urban freeways never deliver the congestion relief that transportation planners promise, according to Norm Marshall of Smart Mobility. Marshall created this map that shows examples from around the country where urban freeways have disappointed...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Public housing that engages the city Equity

Great idea: Public housing that engages the city

Public housing in the form of complete or partial neighborhoods started with HOPE VI and became standard practice, impacting the lives of people in cities and towns across America.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 27, 2017
Article image for Launched with Tactical Urbanism, code reform advances Retrofit

Launched with Tactical Urbanism, code reform advances

Hands-on process is changing the planning and development culture of San Marcos, a suburban Texas municipality.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 24, 2017
Article image for Conventional suburban vs. sustainable urban Got A Minute

Conventional suburban vs. sustainable urban

This diagram [FOOTNOTE:1] explains a key difference between conventional suburban (top) and sustainable urban (bottom) development patterns. The conventional suburban area, governed by conventional zoning codes, separates uses into distinct areas...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 21, 2017
Article image for Great idea: The public realm Design

Great idea: The public realm

More and more people are appreciating that architecture and urban design of streets and public spaces have the power to connect, engage, and inspire all of us.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 20, 2017
Article image for Yesterday a danger zone—today, pure San Francisco Equity

Yesterday a danger zone—today, pure San Francisco

The Choice Neighborhoods development brings order to a city sector laid out in squiggly postwar cul-de-sacs. Newly redesigned streets lead directly to shops, transit, and other services.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 19, 2017
Article image for An industrial shell becomes city's gathering place Development

An industrial shell becomes city's gathering place

At the turn of the millennium, the 26-acre Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was abandoned and desolate—a collection of empty buildings and pavement with only five trees. Now the ambitious Pearl Brewery Redevelopment is an economic and social powerhouse...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 13, 2017
Article image for More transportation choices, better health Research

More transportation choices, better health

A recently released nationwide study strongly correlates greater transportation "modal diversity" with better health for the population as a whole.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 11, 2017
Article image for Freeway fill-in feeds urban revival Development

Freeway fill-in feeds urban revival

The noose around Rochester's downtown has been partly removed, breathing oxygen into the repopulation of the city center.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 6, 2017
Article image for New urban design for an African village Design

New urban design for an African village

The principles of neighborhood structure and buildings that relate positively to public space resonate with traditional Zulu culture and village geography.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 5, 2017
Article image for Community-oriented redesign for brutalist landmark Design

Community-oriented redesign for brutalist landmark

The redo of the Boston Public Library 1970s wing shows how a building can be reform and adapted to today's needs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 3, 2017
Article image for Sprawl: Brought to you by public policy Got A Minute

Sprawl: Brought to you by public policy

For those who are not land-use planning and development geeks, it may seem like communities are built by market forces or just happen randomly. But most development in America is shaped by zoning codes, other land-development regulations, and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 30, 2017
Article image for Orchestrating a cultural revival City life

Orchestrating a cultural revival

The transformation of a New Orleans retail box into a music hall with magnetic street presence is a remarkable urban achievement.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 28, 2017
Article image for A former industrial site pumps life into the city Retrofit

A former industrial site pumps life into the city

One of Buffalo's brightest spots of resurgence, Larkin Square combines adaptive reuse, restoration, and new buildings and public spaces that complement the old.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 26, 2017
Article image for Local innovation makes Main Street a town square Community

Local innovation makes Main Street a town square

The Storefront Theater is a unique and creative use of a vacant space in a small-town Main Street.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 20, 2017
Article image for Postwar neighborhoods are revitalization opportunities Retrofit

Postwar neighborhoods are revitalization opportunities

The nation has a large supply of mid-century neighborhoods that are ripe for changes that will make them more walkable and appealing to new generations of residents.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2017
Article image for This seems like good news: Why are economists anxious? Markets

This seems like good news: Why are economists anxious?

Prices for real estate in many cities have recently stalled, The New York Times reports, yet the development boom continues.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2017
Article image for Small-scale urbanism revitalizes three neighborhoods Design

Small-scale urbanism revitalizes three neighborhoods

Stunning historic rehabilitation provides affordable housing in New Orleans.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 12, 2017
Article image for A model for affordable transit-oriented development Development

A model for affordable transit-oriented development

Once a railway coal siding and more recently a full city block of asphalt surface parking, North Philadelphia’s Paseo Verde now provides affordable, high quality, sustainable housing for a range of income levels. The former 1.9 acre brownfield site...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 7, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Rethinking parking Parking

Great idea: Rethinking parking

From coast to coast and in middle America, more sensible parking policies are taking hold and may be the quickest path to urban revitalization.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 5, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Lean Urbanism Equity

Great idea: Lean Urbanism

Lean Urbanism seeks to bring common sense back into the planning and development process—because great neighborhoods are built with many hands, often in small increments.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 1, 2017
Article image for Investing in a historic green space Design

Investing in a historic green space

Restoring an original square in Savannah revives a neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 31, 2017
Article image for One of the last of the 20th Century ‘freeway battles’ ends Freeway transformation

One of the last of the 20th Century ‘freeway battles’ ends

The 710 Freeway in Pasadena CA has no future, only an ugly past—one of scores of in-city highway struggles that began when many officials thought that traditional cities had no future.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 30, 2017
Article image for Complete communities at all scales, for everyone Development

Complete communities at all scales, for everyone

A new book offers an in-depth report on how public officials, citizens, and developers are working together to create walkable and inclusive communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 25, 2017
Article image for Vehicles miles declining relative to GDP Mobility

Vehicles miles declining relative to GDP

While vehicles miles traveled (VMT) have risen in 2015 in the last three years after nine years of historic lows, the nation is still in a 20-year downward trend relative to economic growth, according to Chris McCahill of the State Smart...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 19, 2017
Article image for Pontiac loop highlights a national infrastructure need Streets

Pontiac loop highlights a national infrastructure need

Streets support commerce, social interaction, physical activity, recreation, and multimodal transportation—yet DOT funding criteria are stuck in the past.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 17, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Light Imprint for walkable green infrastructure Sustainability

Great idea: Light Imprint for walkable green infrastructure

A leaner, lighter approach to infrastucture is more cost-effective, sustainable, and livable—an idea worth considering for America in National Infrastructure Week.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Form-based codes Codes

Great idea: Form-based codes

New urban codes have allowed cities and towns to code for complete neighborhoods and public spaces as shared-use places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 10, 2017
Article image for Charter Awards focus on renovation, revitalization Design

Charter Awards focus on renovation, revitalization

Many winners this year show how history and old buildings lead to richer neighborhoods and communities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 8, 2017
Article image for Band-Aid or coffin? Got A Minute

Band-Aid or coffin?

Speed of automobiles is a critical factor in determining whether a street feels safe and comfortable for people outside of motor vehicles. This graphic illustrates why, in symbols that bring home the point very clearly. People on the street, in the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 5, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Mixed-use urban centers Development

Great idea: Mixed-use urban centers

The market is much more receptive to the benefits of mixed-use today, but it is still easier to talk about main street retail than to effectively build it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2017
Article image for Form-based code with step-backs Got A Minute

Form-based code with step-backs

Architect Laurence Qamar recently created a series of step-back proposals for the Woodstock Corridor In Portland, Oregon, illustrated above. "Instead of the boxy, ungainly 'space invaders' that have bedeviled other parts of the city, Qamar’s step-...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 21, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Charter of the New Urbanism Design

Great idea: Charter of the New Urbanism

A set of principles that are clear and generative provide a solid foundation for the New Urbanism. Those principles have withstood the test of time and empirical research, and they can be implemented in countless ways.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 20, 2017
Article image for The wheel of community—broken and repaired Got A Minute

The wheel of community—broken and repaired

This series of drawings was inspired by the idea that physical communities have enabled nearly every human advancement since the dawn of history. Communities are hubs where people protect themselves, trade, specialize, and share collective memory...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 14, 2017
Article image for Great idea: The rural-to-urban Transect Design

Great idea: The rural-to-urban Transect

The New Urbanism brought the environmental transect methodology into planning and development of human-scale, complete communities. Now the human habitat can be analyzed as a continuum with the natural world.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 13, 2017
Article image for Transforming a commercial strip corridor Retrofit

Transforming a commercial strip corridor

A CNU "Legacy Project" explores how to initiate suburban retrofit in the diverse Seattle suburb of Tukwila.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 10, 2017
Article image for Built-to-last versus throwaway development Got A Minute

Built-to-last versus throwaway development

See how pre-Revolutionary War structures compare to Walmart.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 7, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Incremental development Development

Great idea: Incremental development

Great places are built in small increments, and urbanists are restoring America's know-how and capacity for small-scale development by many individuals in their own communities. Do you want to be a small developer?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 5, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Traditional neighborhood development Development

Great idea: Traditional neighborhood development

Creating holistic neighborhoods from scratch was one of the first and still effective strategies of the New Urbanism.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 30, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Missing middle housing Development

Great idea: Missing middle housing

Increasingly in demand today, missing middle housing forms the backbone of the quintessential American neighborhood.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 22, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Transit-oriented development Design

Great idea: Transit-oriented development

Transit-oriented development links transportation and land use—providing people with maximum choice in how to get around by intensifying activities near transit nodes with high quality public space.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 15, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Architecture that puts the city first Design

Great idea: Architecture that puts the city first

"The prime ingredient of urbanism is really public space and the public realm. So the urban plan comes first and the building second."
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 9, 2017
Article image for Vibrant urban center rebuilt Development

Vibrant urban center rebuilt

Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, is a pioneering example of New Urbanism in a sprawling, Sunbelt city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 8, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Interconnected street networks Streets

Great idea: Interconnected street networks

In order to get good streets, you have to think beyond any single street—an idea that is at the core of New Urbanism. Dendritic networks lead to fragmented and dispersed land uses.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 6, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Cottages for emergency and permanent affordable housing Missing middle

Great idea: Cottages for emergency and permanent affordable housing

The cute Katrina Cottage has proven the versatility and usefulness of cottages that are designed to fit into complete neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 2, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Shock and awe for cities and towns Finance

Great idea: Shock and awe for cities and towns

Charles Marohn of Strong Towns and Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 have been sounding the alarm across America about the financial unsustainability of fragmented development patterns and conventional suburban infrastructure.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 23, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Multidisciplinary design charrette Community

Great idea: Multidisciplinary design charrette

A time-compressed design process that gathers all of the stakeholders and practitioners together has great potential for creating more holistic communities, experts say.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 21, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Tactical urbanism Retrofit

Great idea: Tactical urbanism

The latest trend in urban design and planning gets them off of the paper and out of a big room, testing ideas in the real world. It is fun and hands-on, and making many converts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 16, 2017
Article image for Great Idea: Building better suburbs through retrofit Retrofit

Great Idea: Building better suburbs through retrofit

Suburbs are becoming more diverse and connected to meet the needs of Americans of all ages in the 21st Century.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 15, 2017
Article image for Sprawling cities are becoming more urban Markets

Sprawling cities are becoming more urban

America's most automobile-oriented cities are changing their growth patterns, making room for new urban planning and development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 9, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Pedestrian shed and the 5-minute walk Design

Great idea: Pedestrian shed and the 5-minute walk

Pedestrian sheds are a foundational idea of designing cohesive communities, but the challenge is the gap between what planners know and developers are building.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 7, 2017
Article image for Great idea: Sustainable urbanism Sustainability

Great idea: Sustainable urbanism

The trend toward complete communities shapes the debate on sustainability and environmentalism, and vice-versa.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 2, 2017
Article image for Ten freeways in need of transformation Freeway transformation

Ten freeways in need of transformation

From Pasadena, California, to Buffalo, New York, cities in this report have the chance to remove a blight and improve prosperity, health, and sustainability.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 31, 2017
Article image for Transformative transit this year Got A Minute

Transformative transit this year

New rail and bus rapid transit routes are being built in virtually every large metropolitan area in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Almost 800 route-miles of new transit infrastructure–most of it with dedicated lanes–is now under construction, at a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 20, 2017
Article image for Ten reasons to build community through urban design Community

Ten reasons to build community through urban design

There are two models for development of cities and towns. One, the neighborhood model, founded on thousands of years of trial and error, brings people together.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 17, 2017
Article image for Do Complete Street laws make pedestrians safer? Streets

Do Complete Street laws make pedestrians safer?

The carnage continues. We need to go beyond policies and transform streets themselves, according to a new report.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 12, 2017
Article image for Nashville’s sidewalk deficit and America’s torn civic fabric Policy

Nashville’s sidewalk deficit and America’s torn civic fabric

To bring citizens together is the very purpose of a city. Nashville’s sidewalk deficit emerged for many reasons, but it boils down to this: Planning and development during the Age of Sprawl was designed to keep people apart.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 9, 2017
Article image for Transforming a ‘barracks’ into a neighborhood Equity

Transforming a ‘barracks’ into a neighborhood

Connecting housing by using a neighborhood pattern improves the lives of moderate-income residents.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 5, 2017
Article image for Dynamic urbanism in semi-traditional cities Design

Dynamic urbanism in semi-traditional cities

Cities that blend old and new are helping to define urbanism in the 21st Century.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJAN. 3, 2017
Article image for Green Code will help Buffalo to grow again Policy

Green Code will help Buffalo to grow again

The Great Lakes city needs clear direction in building and revitalization, and the new Unified Development Ordinance can provide it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 28, 2016
Article image for Streets are social and economic engines, not just car routes Streets

Streets are social and economic engines, not just car routes

The transportation engineering toolbox is missing key tools when it comes to traditional cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 22, 2016
Article image for Spokane can avoid a big mistake Freeway transformation

Spokane can avoid a big mistake

There is no compelling reason to build a five-mile freeway through the east side of the city, according to engineer Ian Lockwood. A boulevard would do the job better.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 21, 2016
Article image for Providence freeway has a future Freeway transformation

Providence freeway has a future

The good news: The highway will be improved. The bad news: The boulevard idea is officially dead.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 20, 2016
Article image for 'Urban' is bigger than it appears Markets

'Urban' is bigger than it appears

A "new analytic framework" by the Urban Land Institute ignores walkability and sets back our understanding of cities and suburbs.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 14, 2016
Article image for Rebuilding a victim of urban renewal Development

Rebuilding a victim of urban renewal

The Mercado District takes its urban design and architecture cues from Tucson's historic adobe neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 12, 2016
Article image for Traditional cities are having a big decade Markets

Traditional cities are having a big decade

Strong demand for historic downtowns and neighborhoods brings a surge of population at a level not seen in 70 years.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 5, 2016
Article image for Detroit selects ‘Pink Zone’ partners Incremental and lean

Detroit selects ‘Pink Zone’ partners

City planning department, with funds from the Knight Foundation, hires teams to explore reducing red tape in development projects.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 30, 2016
Article image for New blocks and streets repair a Sunbelt city Development

New blocks and streets repair a Sunbelt city

Here's how Orlando replaced a hole in the city with connective tissue.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 28, 2016
Article image for Portland considers anti-McMansion measures Affordability

Portland considers anti-McMansion measures

Proposed code changes are designed to reduce teardowns and encourage multiple small units in existing neighborhoods.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 23, 2016
Article image for Old buildings are made for you and me Equity

Old buildings are made for you and me

From California to the New York Islands—more business activity, affordability, and diversity can be found in neighborhoods with a range of old and new buildings.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 21, 2016
Article image for Where millennials live Got A Minute

Where millennials live

The often quoted cliche that millennials are moving downtown is not quite accurate. The greatest share of young adults is choosing urban neighborhoods outside of downtown. Just over a third of millennials identified in this 2014 nationwide survey...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 18, 2016
Article image for Reforming the low-income housing tax credit scoring system Finance

Reforming the low-income housing tax credit scoring system

Affordable housing is built in the suburbs in automobile-dependent places, forcing low-income and working-class residents to spend too much on transportation.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 15, 2016
Article image for Where to begin? Target a place Retrofit

Where to begin? Target a place

Many suburbs would like to revitalize infrastructure and assets, but they don’t know what problems to tackle first. Not knowing can lead to paralysis.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 14, 2016
Article image for Sense of place is real Design

Sense of place is real

“Sense of place” is not some nebulous, mystical idea. Sense of place is the emotional or psychological reaction to "place," as shown in the graphic above, created by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Communities and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 11, 2016
Article image for CNU relaunches Build a Better Burb Retrofit

CNU relaunches Build a Better Burb

After a year of work, the Build a Better Burb website has been upgraded, offering an improved platform for suburbs that are rethinking their planning and development.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 10, 2016
Policy

Trump's urban policy: Highways and gentrification?

Urbanists face considerable uncertainty and concerns in a Trump presidency, but there may be silver linings.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 9, 2016
Article image for New Urbanism's impact on small-to-midsize cities Development

New Urbanism's impact on small-to-midsize cities

In small to mid-sized cities, the impact of New Urbanism can be dramatic.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 7, 2016
Article image for Five reasons why downtown revival is great Development

Five reasons why downtown revival is great

Justin Fox of Montgomery, Alabama, has watched downtown return from the dead in the last quarter century. Montgomery has benefited from a form-based code and new urban planning, and, most of all, the nationwide resurgence in urban living. Fox, a...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 4, 2016
Article image for Syracuse I-81 teardown would save money, buildings Freeway transformation

Syracuse I-81 teardown would save money, buildings

The State of New York is nearing a decision on whether to demolish or rebuild the aging elevated I-81 expressway through downtown Syracuse, and the city’s daily newspaper, the Post-Standard, thinks the highway will be replaced by a surface boulevard...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 4, 2016
Article image for Compact development cuts water runoff Got A Minute

Compact development cuts water runoff

Compact development is the best for protecting watersheds because it reduces per capita runoff, according to this graph from the Crabtree Group. Most stormwater narratives state that density is bad because the increased runoff is only considered on...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 4, 2016
Article image for Jane Jacobs was right Design

Jane Jacobs was right

Older and smaller buildings and a wide range in building age offer real economic and social benefits for neighborhoods and urban centers.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLENOV. 3, 2016
Article image for Naturally terminated vista Got A Minute

Naturally terminated vista

Little in this world is more powerful and satisfying to humans than a well-designed human habitat juxtaposed against nature.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 28, 2016
Article image for Preservation and urbanism go hand in hand Community

Preservation and urbanism go hand in hand

Historic buildings create the kind of character and vitality that makes older communities perform well economically, socially, and environmentally—and that is the central thesis of a new book.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 27, 2016
Article image for What is a livable community, anyway? Community

What is a livable community, anyway?

A walkable community is the most common term to describe the alternative to drive-only suburbia. Yet walking is so basic to human life that we often take it for granted. Perhaps a more inspiring term is livability.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 25, 2016
Article image for Target bets big on urban stores Mixed-use

Target bets big on urban stores

Big box retailer evolves; chases customers to walkable urban locations.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 24, 2016
Article image for Millennial 'downshifters' Got A Minute

Millennial 'downshifters'

The movement of millennials toward major city centers has been well reported—but many are locating in smaller, second- and third-tier cities, as noted by Gizmodo. The reason is economics. As the graph shows, some major cities have an affordability...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 21, 2016
Article image for A code transforms a commercial strip corridor Retrofit

A code transforms a commercial strip corridor

“Thanks to skilled designers, a clear, implementable code, and a truly capable client, this plan is getting built, and well.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 19, 2016
Article image for A sidewalk to connect our fractured nation Community

A sidewalk to connect our fractured nation

It's easy to divide the country into those who have sidewalks, and vote one way, and those who do not, and vote another way. Yet sidewalks, and all they symbolize, are gaining political recognition.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 13, 2016
Article image for 'Good bones' are a key to strong communities Design

'Good bones' are a key to strong communities

Grids are easy and inexpensive—they are a natural way to design streets. But the convention for much of the last century is to model streets on sewer systems.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 6, 2016
Article image for Suburbs opt for urban streetscapes Retrofit

Suburbs opt for urban streetscapes

Some suburbs are building an entire urban downtown from scratch to provide a unique identity and appeal.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 4, 2016
Article image for From parking lot to urban tour-de-force Design

From parking lot to urban tour-de-force

Urban design and architecture on a leftover parcel bring a campus and a Los Angeles neighborhood closer together.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEOCT. 3, 2016
Article image for Comparing the neighborhood and sprawl Got A Minute

Comparing the neighborhood and sprawl

An iconic new urban diagram from the 1990s shows a walkable neighborhood, top, compared to conventional suburban development, below. The uses are the same but the organization of the uses are different. This drawing by Thomas Low for DPZ was widely...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 30, 2016
Article image for System A and System B 15-minute city

System A and System B

When the research favors compact, mixed-use neighborhoods, why do our policies often favor sprawl?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 29, 2016
Article image for Zoning reform is national priority, White House says Codes

Zoning reform is national priority, White House says

Administration calls for local laws to allow accessory dwelling units and denser development and eliminate off-street parking requirements, among other changes.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 26, 2016
Article image for Vast white ring conspiracy Got A Minute

Vast white ring conspiracy

As usual, Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles was ahead of his time when he drew this in June of 1998. Toles condensed the history of race and urban demographics in the last half of the 20th Çentury into six panels. Despite a massive recession 10...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 23, 2016
Article image for Ten years of marvelous Porchfest City life

Ten years of marvelous Porchfest

"Porches become stages, yards become venues, and radical generosity and good will rule the day."
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 20, 2016
Article image for The value of walkability and Walk Score inaccuracies Mobility

The value of walkability and Walk Score inaccuracies

A study by Redfin, the owner of Walk Score, shows that true walkability has tremendous economic value—but Walk Score itself has problems.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 19, 2016
Article image for Walmart versus the city Got A Minute

Walmart versus the city

This is what urban economic analyst Joe Minicozzi calls "The Money Shot," comparing a Walmart in Asheville, NC, to a downtown mixed-use building in the same city. He puts all of these economic indicators side by side that show the relative poor...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 16, 2016
Article image for Big safety benefits from transit Transit, TOD

Big safety benefits from transit

Commuters cut crash risk by more than 90 percent when taking public transit instead of driving, and investment in transit may reduce a community’s automobile crash risk in half, according to research.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 14, 2016
Article image for Citizens fight wasteful urban freeway Freeway transformation

Citizens fight wasteful urban freeway

A diverse group is promoting "cost effective," place-creating alternatives to rebuilding an ugly freeway in Providence, Rhode Island. The current 6-10 plan "feels like they are screwing poor people, like it's urban renewal 201," says a Coalition member.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 12, 2016
Article image for When houses go bad Got A Minute

When houses go bad

Do you love to hate the over-the-top residential architecture of outer-ring suburbs?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 9, 2016
Article image for How to fix the damage from in-city highways Freeway transformation

How to fix the damage from in-city highways

Every time an in-city highway has been replaced by more human-scale infrastructure, the city and region has benefitted, according to transportation experts who led workshops for USDOT.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLESEP. 1, 2016
Article image for Rebuilding a block at the heart of the city Community

Rebuilding a block at the heart of the city

Saving historic facades and modernizing buildings were key to revitalizing an important downtown square.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 30, 2016
Article image for The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl Streets

The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl

The ‘elephant in the living room' of rising and preventable US traffic deaths and injuries is government-funded roads in drive-only places.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 26, 2016
Article image for At 50 million riders, time to celebrate the Portland Streetcar Transit, TOD

At 50 million riders, time to celebrate the Portland Streetcar

The Portland Streetcar is one of the most successful and cost-effective economic development drivers anywhere in America in the new millennium.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 24, 2016
Article image for New streetscape spurs downtown turnaround Retrofit

New streetscape spurs downtown turnaround

In Lancaster, California, a simple change in street design was a catalyst for economic and social activity.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 22, 2016
Article image for The struggles of ‘golf course communities’ and the foresight of New Urbanism Sustainability

The struggles of ‘golf course communities’ and the foresight of New Urbanism

Developer Bob Turner talks about Habersham, the future of traditional neighborhood developments, and current development trends.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 16, 2016
Article image for Macy's closings—another bad sign for malls Retrofit

Macy's closings—another bad sign for malls

The announcement creates holes in enclosed shopping malls—meanwhile the department store chain is looking to open downtown locations.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 15, 2016
Article image for Rear-view mirror predictions on US motor travel Got A Minute

Rear-view mirror predictions on US motor travel

For most of the 20th Century, US vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rose relentlessly. At the turn of the new millennium, the pattern changed substantially, but the view of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), did not. Above is a graph that shows...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 12, 2016
Article image for Design solutions suggested for reconnected Spokane neighborhoods Freeway transformation

Design solutions suggested for reconnected Spokane neighborhoods

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation with design assistance from CNU. Learn more at cnu.org/everyplacecounts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 11, 2016
Article image for Rebuilding communities bisected by I-94 in the Twin Cities Freeway transformation

Rebuilding communities bisected by I-94 in the Twin Cities

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) with design assistance from CNU. Learn more at cnu.org/everyplacecounts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 10, 2016
Article image for USDOT seeks to reconnect Philly neighborhoods Freeway transformation

USDOT seeks to reconnect Philly neighborhoods

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) with design assistance from CNU. Learn more at cnu.org/everyplacecounts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 9, 2016
Article image for USDOT explores urban design ideas for Nashville highway and neighborhood Freeway transformation

USDOT explores urban design ideas for Nashville highway and neighborhood

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge, a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) with design assistance from CNU. Learn more at cnu.org/everyplacecounts.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 8, 2016
Article image for FHWA proposal would undermine traffic calming Streets

FHWA proposal would undermine traffic calming

There is still time for public comment on an ill-considered rule tying lower speeds on urban streets to "excessive delay." Please read the article and tell FHWA to drop or change this proposal.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 5, 2016
Article image for Iconic warehouse becomes Beltline hub Development

Iconic warehouse becomes Beltline hub

Ponce City Market in Atlanta unites four neighborhoods and brings high-tech businesses back to the city.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 3, 2016
Article image for Walkable is more affordable, but the rent is still too high Mobility

Walkable is more affordable, but the rent is still too high

People with moderate incomes end up spending less of their hard-earned income in walkable places for two reasons.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAUG. 2, 2016
Article image for Healthier neighborhood is key to healthier community Health

Healthier neighborhood is key to healthier community

A holistic neighborhood plan created with the help of citizens is designed to improve health.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 28, 2016
Article image for Connecting a mountain town to the river Development

Connecting a mountain town to the river

Outside Buena Vista, Colorado, on the site of a former garbage dump, 40 acres of riverfront land sat vacant for years. It took two nature-loving developers—risktakers with a background as competitive kayakers—to see what it could become.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 27, 2016
Article image for New opportunity for Detroit neighborhood Equity

New opportunity for Detroit neighborhood

In Detroit, the neighborhood of Brush Park stands between three of the city’s fastest revitalizing areas: Midtown, Eastern Market, and the Central Business District.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 26, 2016
Article image for A hospital fully embraces urban planning Health

A hospital fully embraces urban planning

“The hospital can be a catalyst to create healthy communities in which walking, social engagement, and positive economic transformation are facilitated.”
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 20, 2016
Article image for A new conversation for USDOT Freeway transformation

A new conversation for USDOT

The "community listening chart" from Nashville, Tennessee, outlines the discussion that is taking place around the I-40 corridor through the city. The discussion is part of US Department of Transportation's Every Place Counts workshop this week—one...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 12, 2016
Article image for US has no peer in traffic death Got A Minute

US has no peer in traffic death

US traffic deaths are way beyond peer nations and the gap is widening, according to a report released this week from the Centers for Disease Control. Traffic deaths in the US have dropped since 2000, due to safer vehicles and declining miles driven...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUL. 8, 2016
Article image for A dead mall becomes a downtown for a sprawling suburb Retrofit

A dead mall becomes a downtown for a sprawling suburb

Although Lakewood, Colorado, is the fifth largest city in the state, until the last decade the city had no true downtown. Instead, the Denver suburb boasted one of the country’s largest indoor shopping malls, built in the 1960s—but by 2000, that...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 27, 2016
Article image for More walkable, more fair Got A Minute

More walkable, more fair

Walkability leads to higher social equity, even in cities that have higher housing costs, according to research in the new report Foot Traffic Ahead. The graph above shows that cities with more office, retail, and multifamily development in walkable...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 17, 2016
Article image for ‘Walkable urban’ dominates US commercial development Finance

‘Walkable urban’ dominates US commercial development

Mixed-use, walkable commercial development is outpacing large-scale conventional suburban construction in every major metro area, according to the new report Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros, 2016. For...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 15, 2016
Article image for Better streets are worth fighting for Streets

Better streets are worth fighting for

Sadik-Khan's approach is both radical and practical. Instead of relying on traffic "models" that are rarely tested against reality, she made changes with temporary materials that could be reversed if the benefits failed to materialize.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 14, 2016
Article image for Detroit's hope in neighborhood revival Equity

Detroit's hope in neighborhood revival

Detroit wrote the history of the motor vehicle age in America, and Detroit is one of the most automobile-oriented cities in America. Yet less than 50 percent of the adults in Detroit own a car. That fact says a lot about how Detroit has failed, and...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 10, 2016
Article image for A great city is a just city

A great city is a just city

The most successful new urbanist politician ever gave CNU attendees a role model for how to transform cities, how to care about character and beauty, and why urbanism is most important for those with the least money and privilege. Joe Riley was the...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 9, 2016
Article image for The first suburban retrofit gets a neighborhood Retrofit

The first suburban retrofit gets a neighborhood

After two decades, Mashpee Commons is moving forward with 300-plus residential units, more shops, and civic spaces with support from the regional planning authority.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 7, 2016
Article image for Choice and the ‘sprawl tax’ Equity

Choice and the ‘sprawl tax’

Daniel Hertz at City Observatory introduced what he called the “Sprawl Tax” last week—defined as the cost associated with excess commuting distance for the top 50 metro areas. This distance adds real costs for gas, depreciation, and wear and tear on...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 6, 2016
Article image for The McMansion is not a town Got A Minute

The McMansion is not a town

How many gables does this house have? I lost count at 11. The fake dormers and complicated roof line are meant to make up for the lack of variety in this Maryland exurb. Every house nearby has a similarly expansive lawn that is rarely used. Need to...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEJUN. 3, 2016
Article image for CNU group seeks to Build a Better Burb Retrofit

CNU group seeks to Build a Better Burb

The Build a Better Burb Sprawl Retrofit Council met in Miami to explore opportunities for promoting land-use diversity and transportation choice in the suburbs—with particular focus on the needs of smaller suburbs with less robust markets. A follow–...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 26, 2016
Article image for Appreciating small-scale New Urbanism Equity

Appreciating small-scale New Urbanism

For those who are concerned that too many big developers dominate urban revitalization, the Naked Philly blog is an antidote.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 25, 2016
Article image for New Urbanism's family values Equity

New Urbanism's family values

Joel Kotkin charges urbanists with being anti-family—but he couldn't be more wrong.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 23, 2016
Article image for Playing field tilted against cities Equity

Playing field tilted against cities

"The public policy environment in Pennsylvania, and in most places in the United States, is absolutely, positively hostile to cities," said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. Wolf said, for example, that the costs of water, sewer, and electric networks...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 15, 2016
Article image for Poverty is a bigger problem than gentrification Equity

Poverty is a bigger problem than gentrification

An infographic from City Observatory makes the case for why concentrated poverty impacts more people in US cities.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 13, 2016
Article image for Comeback city: CNU in Detroit Equity

Comeback city: CNU in Detroit

The Transforming City is the theme of this year’s Congress—and it’s the most inspiring CNU storyline that I can remember.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 11, 2016
Article image for Florida embraces Complete Streets, a colossal task Streets

Florida embraces Complete Streets, a colossal task

A comprehensive implementation guide was written to retool the machinery behind Florida's deadly streets.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 10, 2016
Article image for The Transect: A diagram of diversity Got A Minute

The Transect: A diagram of diversity

The inspiration for this iconic drawing was a walk from the beach over the dunes and into the scrub woodlands in the early days of Seaside, Florida. Douglas Duany, landscape architect, explained the natural transect to architect Andres Duany, who...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 6, 2016
Article image for An ambitious plan to rebuild a neighborhood Equity

An ambitious plan to rebuild a neighborhood

Housing authority begins construction on phase one of 1,200 residences and 400,000 square feet of retail and replacement of two schools in North Philadelphia.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 4, 2016
Article image for The Flower City blooms again Development

The Flower City blooms again

As growing legions of Americans look for urban places, many will be drawn to more affordable mid-sized cities like Rochester, NY.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAY. 2, 2016
Article image for Gold in the streets of Michigan Streets

Gold in the streets of Michigan

CNU recently completed four Legacy Charrettes in advance of CNU 24 in Detroit. On Monday through Thursday we published articles on the fascinating plans by top new urbanists. Two of the charrettes focused on city neighborhoods and other two focused...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 29, 2016
Article image for A tail of woe Got A Minute

A tail of woe

Heinrich Kley was a German illustrator active in the early 20th Century who was noted for darkly humorous pen-and-ink drawings. He sometimes focused on the conflicts of new technologies—such as motor vehicles competing for space on city streets with...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 29, 2016
Article image for For Detroit artery, the future is urban Streets

For Detroit artery, the future is urban

CNU Legacy Charrette team boosts confidence in a neighborhood with a languishing commercial corridor.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 28, 2016
Article image for Downtown Pontiac: 'Nothing looks impossible' Development

Downtown Pontiac: 'Nothing looks impossible'

The Legacy Charrette plan includes both incremental steps to kick-start economic and cultural activity and long-term visions.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 27, 2016
Article image for Spurring investment in an immigrant neighborhood Equity

Spurring investment in an immigrant neighborhood

Southwest Detroit is the kind of neighborhood that few people talk about outside of the Motor City. The community is not one of those that are vacant and dilapidated—the subject of "ruin porn" photos on the web. It's also not booming with...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 26, 2016
Article image for A main street makeover for a first-ring suburb Retrofit

A main street makeover for a first-ring suburb

A CNU charrette led by Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists, focused on how to transform a two-mile stretch of the John R Road that traverses Hazel Park, Michigan. The goal is to promote development of a walkable downtown where none...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 25, 2016
Article image for Ten towns that changed America

Ten towns that changed America

PBS explores urban planning and the New Urbanism.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 19, 2016
Article image for New York State emerges as freeway teardown leader Freeway transformation

New York State emerges as freeway teardown leader

All of a sudden, New York State is the nation’s leader in urban freeway removal, as reported by Streetsblog. Andrew Cuomo is on a bit of a roll when it comes to urban planning and city-based economic development. Cuomo and his administration have...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 18, 2016
Article image for Suburban office park must adapt or die Retrofit

Suburban office park must adapt or die

High vacancy rates and little reason to visit outside of 9 to 5 contrasts with the current success of central business districts. How can office parks be transformed?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 15, 2016
Article image for How green is this Apple? Sustainability

How green is this Apple?

I've been a dedicated user of Apple products for 20 years—but Tim Cook's assertion that Apple's new headquarters will be the "greenest building on the planet" is absurd. To get a sense of scale of Apple's new Cupertino campus, Josh Arcurio...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 15, 2016
Article image for Ten more songs for urbanists City life

Ten more songs for urbanists

When I posted a list of ten songs for urbanists in February, many people posted alternative suggestions—so many that I nearly had enough for another list. I curated those suggestions and added a few more. Enjoy! Where Do the Children Play? Cat...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 13, 2016
Article image for Mixed-use density in a suburban center Development

Mixed-use density in a suburban center

Building density that supports walkable urban centers is a key strategy of new urbanists—but this goal is challenging in already built-out suburbs. Existing conditions, space constraints, zoning restrictions, and long approval processes often...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 11, 2016
Article image for Yes, small-scale development can survive gentrification

Yes, small-scale development can survive gentrification

Oak Cliff, Dallas, went through the typical waves of gentrification. The creative types began to move in during the 1990s, followed by middle class families and young professionals, followed by the current wave of developers. Attached is a photo...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 8, 2016
Article image for A human-centered architecture for our time Sustainability

A human-centered architecture for our time

In The Humanists Versus the Reactionary Avant Garde, Charles Siegel illuminates the question of what progressive, contemporary architecture truly means.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 7, 2016
Article image for A code transforms a commercial strip corridor Retrofit

A code transforms a commercial strip corridor

First built over 200 years ago as a toll road connecting Washington, D.C. to greater Virginia, the Columbia Pike now serves as a direct route to the Pentagon and other capital landmarks. Until recently, this Arlington, Virginia thoroughfare was an...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEAPR. 6, 2016
Article image for A mixed-use center for town and gown Development

A mixed-use center for town and gown

The redevelopment of a suburban commercial strip area across from UConn has made Mansfield, Connecticut, a better place.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 22, 2016
Article image for LA's parking crater Got A Minute

LA's parking crater

A recent study in the Journal of the American Planning Association estimates there are 18.6 million parking spots in Los Angeles County, which would cover an area 16 miles in diameter if combined in a single 200-square-mile parking lot. Even spread...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 18, 2016
Article image for Ten reasons for a new American Dream Policy

Ten reasons for a new American Dream

A older American Dream, that of town, neighborhood, and city living, was submerged by the suburban American Dream—which controlled the regulations, finance, and investment after World War II.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 14, 2016
Article image for The four phases of New Urbanism Development

The four phases of New Urbanism

As revitalization of cities moves forward, urbanists are partway through a multiphase process that is changing America.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 10, 2016
Article image for A small Michigan city embraces walkable urbanism Mixed-use

A small Michigan city embraces walkable urbanism

Detroit has captivated the nation in its decline, bankruptcy, and booming downtown rebirth, but there is more to urbanism in Southeastern Michigan than the Motor City.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 7, 2016
Article image for The story of walking in US cities in one graph Got A Minute

The story of walking in US cities in one graph

This graph, from the 2016 Bicycling & Walking Benchmarking Report, released two days ago, tells you most of what you need to know about walking in US cities. The best 10 cities identified in this graph, where walking is frequent and safe, all...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEMAR. 4, 2016
Article image for Council to study building a 'better burb' Retrofit

Council to study building a 'better burb'

CNU is reviving a tradition of intimate discussions with top experts next month in Miami with the Build a Better Burb Sprawl Retrofit Council.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 26, 2016
Article image for Sprawl madness Got A Minute

Sprawl madness

These two suburban houses near Orlando, Florida, are about 60 feet apart, but to borrow a cup of sugar without trespassing requires a 7.1-mile trip by car—or a two-and-a-half-hour trek on foot (five hours round trip). A similar image was originally...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 26, 2016
Article image for Historic arcade houses young professionals Equity

Historic arcade houses young professionals

One of the nation's most beautiful historic shopping arcades was restored into affordable micro-lofts and small shops in Providence.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 24, 2016
Article image for The new science of street design

The new science of street design

If transportation officials embrace a new approach backed by science, safe and effective mobility no longer need conflict with the multidimensional role of streets as public spaces and with people’s varied modes of travel.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 23, 2016
Article image for Map shows how cities and towns can fight climate change Sustainability

Map shows how cities and towns can fight climate change

The impact of the neighborhood on many sources of climate emissions is clearly visible in this University of California research.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 22, 2016
Article image for Ten songs for urbanists City life

Ten songs for urbanists

I offer a personal selection of music on topics that urbanists care about—I hope you enjoy it.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 16, 2016
Article image for A diverse new neighborhood in the city Equity

A diverse new neighborhood in the city

A beloved amusement park closed in Denver, CO—luckily, Highlands Garden Village was built in its place.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 15, 2016
Article image for Shared space intersections mean less delay Streets

Shared space intersections mean less delay

Mingling of people and cars at slow speeds is efficient and pedestrian-friendly, according to a University of Connecticut study.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 10, 2016
Article image for The missing middle of our social lives City life

The missing middle of our social lives

The social village has withered in the US, according to The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community, by Marc Dunkelman. How do we restore it?
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 8, 2016
Article image for Welcome to Public Square: A CNU Journal

Welcome to Public Square: A CNU Journal

Today marks the launch of CNU’s latest effort, an online journal to illuminate and cultivate best practices in urbanism in the US and beyond.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for Home design: The community is key Development

Home design: The community is key

Good news for architects and urbanists.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Policy

Jane Jacobs: Four ways to improve cities and towns

Influential words from the most influential writer on urban planning in modern times
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for Grass roots culture creates community City life

Grass roots culture creates community

For one warm fall Sunday afternoon, “the most diverse musical lineup of any festival in Georgia” transformed a neighborhood in Decatur, an inner-ring suburb of Atlanta.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for The little house that could Equity

The little house that could

When Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, aid for the region arrived in all shapes and sizes from across the US.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for The economic value of a unique place Finance

The economic value of a unique place

How many times have you heard someone say, dismissively, "Oh, that's just aesthetics," or, defensively, "It's not just aesthetics" to signal that a "real" issue is involved, usually economics. Hogwash, says Urban Land Institute scholar Ed McMahon....
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for Small-scale developers movement gains steam Equity

Small-scale developers movement gains steam

A small developer and builders group associated with CNU is gathering momentum and has the potential to fill a gap in the industry. Resources are available for big urban developers and sprawl builders, but few educational materials and support...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2016
Article image for What traffic engineers can learn from doctors Streets

What traffic engineers can learn from doctors

Traffic engineers as a group have been much slower to recognize their erroneous techniques and replace them with less damaging practices.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 1, 2015
Article image for As traffic deaths rise, blame engineering dogma Streets

As traffic deaths rise, blame engineering dogma

US traffic deaths are rising again—fatalities jumped 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEFEB. 3, 2015
Streets

As evidence mounts, drumbeat for walkable streets grows

The evidence keeps piling up to support reform in street design and traffic engineering. Recent research adds to volumes of studies that say walkable streets will make us safer, healthier, and improve the economy and communities. As BCT reported ...
ROBERT STEUTEVILLEDEC. 23, 2014