In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation
Two people who have never met (Venezuelan architect Ana Maria Manzo, who blogs at the place of dreams, http://anammanzo.wordpress.com/, and American environmental and land use lawyer Chuck Wolfe, founder of myurbanist, http://www.myurbanist.com) merge writing and imagery to create an evocative, interactive story of the evolution of place, blending multiple dimensions and cultures.
Together, in simultaneous postings in English and Spanish, they argue for a "broader, holistic effort" among professionals, mindful of context, "a movement that evokes positive emotions in those who inhabit cities, and a movement which makes us dream."
Through 22 comparative images, the authors emphasize not only history, but a "best practices" effort to achieve a common goal: human life in a better urban landscape premised on, inter alia: sense of place, climate, sound, population density, geographic orientation and neighbor buildings.
They conclude: "When we are collectively able to consider all of these elements to envision the re-creation of urban settings, the evolution of place will take a new and positive direction."
FULL STORY: reading the evolution of places

Planning for Congestion Relief
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New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
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Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
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City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.