Better! Cities & Towns

Before I die

What is the New American Dream?

The new American Dream is about place, and that brings people and communities together. The 20th Century American Dream tended to pull cities and towns apart.

May 28, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Continuing the Fire Safety vs. Urban Design Debate

A dense network of streets creates the conditions for faster response times. Better pedestrian and automobile safety and excellent response times is a win-win. So why are fire officials undermining this network with calls for wider streets?

May 24, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Why Aren't Bike and Pedestrian Activists Teaming with Urbanists?

A new benchmarking report on biking and walking reveals a big hole in this growing movement — many ped-bike advocates rarely talk to urbanists, and vice-versa.

May 21, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Albuquerque

New Urbanism's Impact on Mid-Sized and Smaller Cities

Birmingham, Michigan; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Providence, Rhode Island; and others that adopted a new urban approach 15 or 20 years ago have transformed themselves.

May 18, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Roundabouts: A Tool for Placemaking

Designed properly, roundabouts enhance placemaking and the pedestrian experience.

May 7, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

San Francisco Homeless

Do We Need Affordable Housing or Affordable Living?

Two primary strategies will help to achieve affordable living: Reduce household transportation costs and support smaller living spaces.

May 6, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

The Health of Cities Depends on Place-Based Development More than Big Projects

Cities take a physical form that either supports or is stressful to people outside of a moving vehicle or building. Witold Rybczynski, in his critique of New Urbanism, forgets that lesson.

April 28, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Top 10 Reasons for a New American Dream

For three generations, the American Dream was largely defined by continual suburban expansion. A new urban dream has emerged, and it is here to stay.

April 21, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

New Urbanism Gets a New Leader

Lynn Richards, formerly of the U.S. EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities, is set to become President of the Congress for the New Urbanism in July. In this interview, Richards says that forging new alliances will be a key goal for her.

April 17, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Making Multifamily Truly Urban

The multifamily industry is building more in walkable locations, but developers still need instruction on the manners of placemaking. Here are some hints.

April 15, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Multifamily Evolution: From 'Train Wreck' to Urban

In a comprehensive piece called "What's New in New Urbanism," Multi-Housing News reports that new urban ideas have "swept the industry over the past 20 years."

April 14, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

My Kid, the Wikipedia Entry

If you want to be profiled in Wikipedia, it is better to be born in an urban place.

April 9, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

walkable street

Realtors Discover Demand for Walkable Places

After generations of sales focused on conventional suburbia, realtors are discovering the demand for walkable, urban places.

April 7, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

HUD expected to further ease restrictions on mixed-use financing

The administrative change to follow recent successful FHA standards, according to CNU president John Norquist.

April 2, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Come Together Locally for Smarter Growth

Connecting competence to organized support is key to reversing the Sisyphean cycle of urban placemaking.

March 31, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Dearborn Street Bike Lane

The Place for Bike Lanes

Initial attempts at making city streets more encouraging to cyclists have often been marred by poor design.

March 28, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

A New Coalition for Urban Place

Who benefits the most from synergistic growth, where the parts of the built environment are brought together to create a strong community and sense of place?

March 4, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Houston's downtown skyline

Defending Urban Freeways At All Costs Ignores the Potential of Cities

When freeways are dismantled, economic, and social benefits often follow. A mid-20th Century mechanistic view fails to understand such outcomes.

March 1, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

New Urban Math

To forge a coalition for urban places, let’s start by trumpeting an important fact: The value of cities and towns transcends simple arithmetic.

February 27, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Populist Urbanism: Beyond the Creative Class

Smart Growth needs to adopt a more populist message, argues Robert Steuteville, and demonstrate how cities can empower people of all classes. Could "Lean Urbanism" provide the foundation?

November 8, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.