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.
Projects will test whether environmentally sensitive building practices are compatible with pedestrian-oriented, human-scale design.
ustainable development” in the U.S. often focuses on reduced environmental impact of buildings by cutting energy...
The Media Store sponsored by World Idea Networks offers videos, books and slides on all aspects of traditional neighborhood development and projects nationwide. Contact: (202) 518-2800.
A split-rate property tax that assesses land at a higher rate than buildings can help to encourage infill development and fight sprawl, according to Rick Rybeck, a planner for the District of Columbia Department of Public Works. In a paper, Rybeck...
In Germantown, Tennessee — just east of Memphis — a custom plan book “was a major factor in accelerating sales” in a 22-acre, 90-lot neotraditional project called Rowan Oak, says architect Brad Shapiro of Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK) of Memphis....
The Seaside Prize will be awarded May 30 jointly to Peter Calthorpe, Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides and Daniel Solomon — all of whom are founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). The prize is annually awarded by the Seaside...
After a slow first year and a better second year, Fairview Village in Fairview, Oregon, is hitting its stride. Home sales are up in the 88-acre traditional neighborhood development (TND): there were 20 in 1996 and more than 40 in 1997. Sixty home...
Well before the master planning of Civano or the conception of Coffee Creek, or even the term “New Urbanism” was coined, developer John Clark dreamed of building Haymount, an environmentally sensitive TND in Caroline County, Virginia. Eight years...
Editor’s note: this is the first of a two part series on how to keep costs down when building a new urbanist project. The first article covers home construction issues. The next will focus on density and infrastructure.
Most of the early,...
Planners for the City of Gainesville, Florida, are preparing a traditional neighborhood development (TND) ordinance to be considered for adoption in 1998. The city has reviewed six TND codes approved by other local governments: Dade County, Florida...
Middletown, Delaware, recently revised its zoning and subdivision ordinances based on their concept of “mobility first.” Complimentary changes were developed for the Delaware Department of Transportation street design standards. The year- long...
Remember to sign-up early to attend CNU VI! For the first time, those that register at least one month in advance of the Congress will receive a price discount. CU@CNU VI!
Board Members meet with new urbanist developers to identify concerns and set an agenda for action.
CNU’s Board of Directors took a major step forward at our last meeting to initiate a working relationship with the development community.