• How urbanism, density, and spatial enclosure are related

    Dhiru Thadani and Matt Bell, along with the CNU-DC Chapter board, orchestrated the recent Council on “ Density Without Urbanism/Urbanism Without Density. ” They see the event as the beginning of a series of CNU discussions on density and urbanism. “We wanted to understand what others were thinking...Read more

  • When is density good, and when is it harmful to cities?

    Providing density that supports a high quality of life requires a love for cities, putting ‘urbanism’ front and center, according to noted urban designers.
    Seventy-one New Urbanists, including many of the movement’s leading lights, gathered in Washington recently to address a set of increasingly urgent questions: If density is good for a city, how much of it should there be? How tall should the buildings rise? What forms should they take? Everyone...Read more

  • Washington beach town based on Northwest vernacular

    Seabrook, Washington, is the first full-scale beach town built according to the principles of New Urbanism on the West Coast. Founded in 2004, Seabrook is sited on a bluff that offers tremendous ocean views and protects against sea level rise. Seabrook was planned by Laurence Qamar on 88 acres, and...Read more

  • Novel idea: Modular house that’s cute

    Good design is a low priority for houses made in a factory, but some architects and developers are trying to change the industry with a simple cottage that features a nicely detailed porch and roof lines.
    Why do factory-built houses tend to look ugly ? Why can’t they be cute , like a cottage that would fit into a walkable neighborhood? New urbanists have been wrestling with that question for many years. Bruce Tolar, an architect based in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, asks: “Would you rather have a...Read more