• Sansome and Broadway

    Great idea: Architecture that puts the city first

    "The prime ingredient of urbanism is really public space and the public realm. So the urban plan comes first and the building second."
    In celebration of the upcoming CNU 25.Seattle , Public Square is running the series 25 Great Ideas of the New Urbanism. These ideas have been shaped by new urbanists and continue to influence cities, towns, and suburbs. The series is meant to inspire and challenge those working toward complete...Read more

  • What makes a good urban park

    City parks have been endangered by suburban flight, privatization and design overkill. Here’s a short list of basics for planning true public spaces.
    This article first appeared in Land and People, the magazine for the Trust for Public Land, in 1995. It also appeared in Better Cities & Towns in 2011. Everyone has a favorite park, or should. Mine is Washington Square, in the heart of San Francisco, bordering Chinatown and the laid back book...Read more

  • Great storefronts mean vital places

    For storefronts that keep pedestrians entertained, here are the rules of thumb.
    It may come as a surprise, but few things in walkable places are stronger predictors of the vitality of a town or neighborhood center than the quality of its storefronts. Centers in the US normally gather around a Main Street or square. European centers often gather around a plaza, place, piazza,...Read more

  • Great idea: Pedestrian shed and the 5-minute walk

    Pedestrian sheds are a foundational idea of designing cohesive communities, but the challenge is the gap between what planners know and developers are building.
    In celebration of the upcoming CNU 25.Seattle , Public Square is running the series 25 Great Ideas of the New Urbanism. These ideas have been shaped by new urbanists and continue to influence cities, towns, and suburbs. The series is meant to inspire and challenge those working toward complete...Read more