Archives

Welcome to the archives of Better Cities & Towns, a publication founded by Robert Steuteville as New Urban News in 1996. This archive holds two decades of the best news and analysis on compact, mixed-use growth and development, from 1996 to 2015.
Cities in North Africa, the Saudi Arabian peninsula, and the Levant face unique challenges from the tremendous heat and dusty winds of the surrounding desert and high humidity along coastal areas. These environmental forces along with social and...
Join us for a weekend of stimulating conversation and fun as the Seaside Institute hosts the 23rd annual Seaside Prize honoring Douglas Duany.  In conjunction with the Seaside Prize ceremony, a series of events are being held in Seaside to...
This month, the highly anticipated Liberty Center will open its doors in North Cincinnati. According to co-developers Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties, Liberty Center is not only a market-defining project, it will be a true super...
Over the past decade, the Larkin District in Buffalo, New York, has evolved from an abandoned industrial site to a thriving, mixed-use urban district that is spurring revitalization for blocks in every direction. 
The Hawthorne neighborhood in Philadelphia has come back to life—catalyzed by Martin Luther King Plaza, the redevelopment of a former high-rise public housing project.
"Southside began the renaissance of downtown—There's been lots of changes in downtown since 1990s, but it really started when people saw this project was successful."
Granary Row, a seasonal pop-up festival that has operated for two years, uses old shipping containers to create retail stores and a open-air stage, and a beer garden has been fenced off—all in the middle of the road, along a block-length section an...
The most recent issue of the NAHB's Best in American Living e-magazine features an article entitled “It’s All in the Details: The Front Porch,” written by Carson Looney. The article includes tips on how to design a great porch and highlights...
Small Change is a crowd-sourced real estate financing business with a mission to revitalize urban neighborhoods.
Form-Based Codes for Architects is an intensive one-and-one-half-day class starting at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 and concluding on Saturday, Feb. 6,  at 6:00 p.m., in which architects learn how to work with a FBC. Stay through Sunday and study...
Dublin, Ohio, recently broke ground on its Bridge Street District, an urban and walkable neighborhood that will complement its historic village center.
This week, Opticos is in the middle of a 10 day charrette process in Oakland, California as part of a dynamite team led by Dover Kohl. We kicked off the program on Monday with a hands-on design workshop, and are currently in the midst of the Open...