• How could Complete Streets policies be more effective?

    The Complete Streets movement has largely failed in practice, but a focus on networks and context could make it more effective.
    In a 2011 planning advisory board meeting for a county where I lived, I delivered the exciting news about New York State’s then-new Complete Streets Act, which “requires state, county and local agencies to consider the convenience and mobility of all users when developing transportation projects...Read more

  • In 2026, let’s resolve to save pedestrian lives

    A relatively small number of locations account for a large share of pedestrian mortality; we know what to do, so let's do something about it.
    Pedestrian deaths are a ghoulish topic; it’s easier to avert our eyes. But they indicate that something has gone seriously wrong with planning and the public realm. Pedestrian deaths have risen steadily for a decade and a half—to 7,314 in 2023, from 4,302 in 2010. The good news is that if we care,...Read more

  • The infrastructure choice

    A postcard sketch competition asked Urban Guild members to draw some ideas in a few minutes during an evening gathering at the Guild Summit in Chattanooga in late October. The members include architects, urban designers, and other urbanists. The winner was Anthony Catania of AMC Architecture &...Read more

  • From edge to epicenter

    How the curb became a key space in modern cities.
    The curb, as we know it, is more than just a parking lane. It’s a dynamic space where the city meets the street, it is a connector and a public resource that should be equitably shared by all. While curbs were originally created to support drainage and sanitation, enhance pedestrian safety, and...Read more