The Goldilocks and the Three Bears Approach to Redevelopment

Developers and builders often ask the same question: “What can I build on x lot?” But what is it that they’re actually looking for, and how can the urban planners they work with help them make the most of a given space?

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtMarch 24, 2023urban design, urban planning, developers, development, redevelopment 3 Comments

Lessons From the Forest

Change requires believing in our own ability to adapt.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedMarch 21, 2023design, urban design, parks Be the First to Comment

The 15 Minute City - A Good Life or an Infringement on Freedoms?

Is the hype over 15-minute cities warranted or not?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 8, 2023podcast, urban design, 15-Minute Cities, upzoned 7 Comments

Whose Responsibility Is It To Ensure That Buildings Interact With the Public Realm in a Delightful Way?

It’s important to build safe and productive streets, but how do we ensure those streets are a place people want to be and live in?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 1, 2023podcast, aesthetics, architecture, design, urban design, upzoned, safe and productive streets 1 Comment

Progress Isn't Inevitable

The winds are shifting for cities. Are you paying attention?

Top StoryKevin KlinkenbergFebruary 27, 2023urban design, urbanism, suburban experiment, suburbs, suburban development pattern, suburbanization 9 Comments

Build to the Street

Building to the street can create urban form and character, and increase the productivity of a site—even a site like this airport hotel.

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtFebruary 24, 2023urban design, urban planning, urbanism, traditional development pattern, hotels, productive place, canada, safe and productive streets 3 Comments

What Ever Happened to Beauty?

Being human means being connected to place. So why have we stopped seeing our places as extensions of ourselves, of our homes, and of our values?

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedFebruary 21, 2023architecture, aesthetics, design, urban design, highways 65 Comments

What's Actually Wrong With This Building?

Heated discussion about a new condo in Sarasota, FL, has got locals calling the building an eyesore. But is this a case of misdirected ire?

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 25, 2023architecture, design, density, downtown, zoning, urban design, florida 2 Comments

Designing for Resilience: Policies Are Great, but Design Is What Will Change Your Life

Citizens and city leaders striving to pivot from car-based design to more resilient models of growth and development need to start planning our places with the end in mind—the “end” being everyday life, itself.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJanuary 10, 2023urban design, biking, fragility, texas 2 Comments

Maximum Impact and a Low Price Tag: Putting Paint and Planters to Work in Edmond, OK

Over the course of a Sunday afternoon, this Strong Towns member created a simple and achievable plan to transform a local street—all on a small budget!

Norm Van Eeden PetersmanNorman Van Eeden PetersmanNovember 3, 2022tactical urbanism, urban design, design, member story, oklahoma, success stories, incremental, incrementalism, local business, safe and productive streets 4 Comments

Taco John’s 2.0

Our most famous case study revealed the high cost of auto-oriented development. But what if a little creative rearrangement could make things a whole lot better?

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtOctober 21, 2022urban planning, urban design, traditional development pattern, suburban development pattern, Taco Johns, suburban retrofit, productive place, minnesota, end parking mandates and subsidies 16 Comments

Letting Ugly Things Grow

If you value the end state of a walkable, diverse, dynamic place with a lot of local character, then you must also value the process that gets you there.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesSeptember 7, 2022urban design, urbanism, aesthetics, ecology, incremental growth, incrementalism, incremental 2 Comments

We Often Don’t Think About Design—But It Tells Us How To Think

Design affects us in a multitude of ways, and when we look to nature as inspiration for designing the built environment, the core takeaways are: adaptation and incrementalism.

Top StorySeairra JonesAugust 9, 2022design, urban design, Neighborhood Design, aesthetics, incrementalism, incremental, incremental development, incremental growth, zoning, traditional development pattern Be the First to Comment

Roosevelt Plaza: A Small Space With Big Impact

When designed right, even small patches of public space can bring a lot of charm to a community!

Top StoryArian HorbovetzJuly 29, 2022public space, urban design, design, new york 2 Comments

City Pattern, Life Pattern

Question: “Why don’t people dance in the street today?” Answer: Because the design of our cities shapes the design of our lives.

Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedJuly 28, 2022Street Design, design, urban design, development pattern, public space, community, car culture, neighborhoods 1 Comment

McMain Streets, Gentrification, and the Futility of Authenticity as Urbanism Becomes Mainstream

As people interested in undoing damage caused by the rise of the suburban development pattern, how should we feel about so-called “McMain Streets”?

Top StoryAlex MusicJuly 15, 2022suburbs, suburbanization, suburban experiment, walkability, gentrification, urban planning, urban design, urban renewal 6 Comments

Modern Urban Planning Is Inside Out

Today, city planning departments obsess over what happens inside buildings but pay scant attention to the quality of the space outside them.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 6, 2022urban design, urban planning, parks, public space, Privatization, design, development, florida 9 Comments

The Case for Abolishing Zoning

For the sake of our cities and the people who live in them, it’s time we fundamentally rethink how we regulate land in America. Read about it in this excerpt from Nolan Gray’s new book, Arbitrary Lines.