• 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

  • Top 10 Public Square articles in 2025

    The most-read pieces in Public Square: A CNU Journal say a lot about the topics capturing the attention of urbanists today. These include retrofitting suburbs, a proposed new city, density, fighting loneliness, turning a mall into a town center, and Leon Krier. 1) Proposed: A new California city —“...Read more

  • Benefits of urbanism outweigh costs

    An analysis of the Miami 21 zoning code, a bold policy move that bets on urbanism, shows that its focus on walkability drives higher demand for neighborhood living.
    Miami, Florida, was the first major city to adopt a Transect and form-based code (FBC) for the entire City, called Miami 21, in 2010. A study by a West Virginia University economics professor provides evidence that Miami 21 is based on sound principles—that the benefits of urbanism outweigh the...Read more

  • Walkability in high demand, Realtors say

    In other housing news, Oregon’s new model code, a village of tiny homes for the formerly homeless in Austin, and urban cohousing near Chicago.
    A large majority of homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for living in walkable neighborhoods, according to a survey of the National Association of Realtors, Realtor.com reported . “Americans are prioritizing walkability in a way they haven't since the pre-Henry Ford era,” the home-buying...Read more