We created a Google map—and a drawn illustration above—of places in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) that have either shaped or been shaped by our movement that prioritizes walkability, human-scale design, and compact, mixed-use development. The map was...
The Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan turns a multi-city trail into an armature for regional growth. Field Operations and Blockwright won a 2026 CNU Charter Award in the Region: Metropolis, City, and Town category.
Village of Heulebrug, Knokke-Heist, Belgium, challenges the status quo of architecture and affordable housing, influencing City policy. DPZ CoDesign won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2026 CNU Charter...
Northwest Arkansas is hosting CNU 34 this year, and it is not an accidental choice. This is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and one of the few still deciding what that growth should look like.
MidCity District in Huntsville, Alabama, is an exemplary model for suburban retrofit. Urban Design Associates won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2026 CNU Charter Awards.
New mixed-use development at Nansledan, Newquay in Cornwall UK is socially conscious and environmentally sustainable. ADAM Architecture won a Merit Award in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor category of the 2026 CNU Charter Awards.
Features
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.
Transit, TOD Ten steps toward autonomous urbanism
Here's a playbook for municipal leaders and citizens on the road to smart city technology.
Better Cities & Towns Archive
First building under Ventura’s downtown code
Downtown Ventura, California, has its first new Class A office building since the 1920s, and it’s a beauty.
Most walkable neighborhoods have highest premiums
A study of 21,000 single-family house sales in Austin, Texas, found the highest value premiums for walkability in the most walkable neighborhoods.
Woodstock Downtown bounces back
Woodstock Downtown, a CNU Award-winning development that fell into foreclosure, is springing back to life.
Market for smart growth stronger
In the current housing downturn, smart growth appears to be performing better than large-lot suburban sprawl on the metropolitan fringe, according to...
Great Ideas
