Lowell

In Lowell, Massachusetts, planner Jeff Speck painted a picture for locals of a transformed city that capitalizes on the strengths of the city to move forward with a greater vision.

New Urbanist Jeff Speck has moved his family to Lowell, Massachusetts without a car in order to experience the perspective of a carless household.

Lowell, Mass. has one of the largest populations of Cambodian immigrants in the country. City officials want to create a "Little Cambodia" neighborhood to capitalize on that strength without exploiting it.

Planner and author Jeff Speck pays a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts, and tells an audience to tear down their civic center. "If you don't tear it down now, it will become protected in 10 years," says Speck. "Tear it down now."

To conduct a real life experiment with the theory, 17 of Lowell, MA's crime "hot spots" were cleaned up while another 17 were left alone. Researchers found a 20% dip in crime where conditions were improved.