New urbanists ponder how they can adapt to the new economic climate and avoid the fate of their predecessors.
"As the economy and the development industry endure the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, new urbanists are worried about suffering the same fate as their heroes. The likes of John Nolen, Raymond Unwin, and the Olmsted brothers were at the top of the planning profession from 1900 through 1930. Then came the Depression. 'After the fiasco of the crash, they never worked again,' said author James Howard Kunstler when he visited Seaside, Florida, to accept the Seaside Prize. 'Andres [Duany] has always been keenly aware of this dynamic. It has haunted me, too.'
The 1920s were a time of bubbles bursting, starting in 1926 with Florida real estate, which wiped out George Merrick, the developer of Coral Gables, said Seaside developer Robert Davis, at an event put on by the Seaside Institute. He noted the similarity to recent years. 'Our bubble [on the Florida panhandle] was burst a couple of years before the national bubble, after the hurricane [Katrina],' he said.
But there are significant differences in what new urbanists face today and what buried the early 20th Century planners and developers."
Thanks to Renee Gayle
FULL STORY: Sustaining the New Urbanism

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions