Urbanization? Keep it in the court...house square, that is.
"At a time when four-lane highways and commercial supercenters dominate the American landscape, many small towns are once again clustering around a Southern tradition: the courthouse square....Meanwhile, local officials and urban planners say the courthouse square is being revived as a center of commerce and a public gathering place."
Under the courthouse square concept, once known as 'publiksquare', land is plotted on a grid with a courthouse serving as the center of the community. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, courthouses often functioned as activity hubs. Many are advocating for the revival of the courthouse hub concept as a strategy for reversing sprawl.
Thanks to Connie Chung
Read the full story: 'Courthouse square' concept making small town comeback
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello