The Town That Hugged New Urbanism

Sharon McMillan explains how her town - Unionville, Ontario - gave New Urbanism "a great big hug" back in the 1970s, and has benefited ever since.

1 minute read

May 28, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Locals saw a need to preserve their historic Main Street and keep the town from sprawling. They responded by launching a street festival, which McMillan says gave the community a first-hand look at the value of their historic buildings and streetscape:

"Bringing the people into the street helped to highlight for them all the things they loved about the notion of the town/village lifestyle. For example: the easy and comfortable connection with people as you pass them in the street ... the conversations had with local vendors ... the easy and manageable strolls to town and home again. It's pretty clear to see why that sense of familiarity and proximity to people and our built environments is so compelling to so many."

Friday, May 27, 2011 in New Urban Network

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A rendering of the California high speed rail Fresno station. Two escalators leading into the station are visible.

California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer

The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.

November 1, 2026 - Railway News

Construction in Dallas. An aerial shot of a wooden frame of an apartment building.

Dallas releases zoning code overhaul to officials

The drafted overhaul is over 400 pages long.

45 minutes ago - Dallas Morning News

Canal street, where pedestrians are packed shoulder to shoulder.

NYC renovations for dangerous, ‘mercilessly crammed’ street delayed until 2027

Construction was supposed to begin this fall.

1 hour ago - Gothamist

A rendering of Midway Rising that shows people mingling in a green space between apartment buildings.

San Diego’s Midway Rising project gets greenlight from city council

The project looks to become the largest affordable housing development in California's history.

2 hours ago - KPBS

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.