With statistics showing that fewer than half of Americans know their neighbors, bringing neighborliness to neighborhoods remains a challenge for urban planners.

Danielle Braff writes in The Chicago Tribune on the continued growth of new urbanist-style neighborhoods as people seek out greater connections with their neighbors. Focusing on Meadow Ridge, a gated community of 130 homes in Chicago’s Northbrook neighborhood, Braff speaks with Patrick Coveny of the Home Builders Association of Greater Association about what attracts people to places like Meadow Brook. "Right now, people are in their own homes, and we're not doing work in their yard, we're not cutting our own lawns like we used to do — and that's how we used to meet our neighbors," Coveny said.
Architects have responded by reintroducing the front porch to homes as a place where neighbors could interact. Sarah Susanka, an architect and author, sees the value of the front porch in building connections.
"We have become so separate from one another," she said. "We get our groceries on our phones without talking, but we have such a desire to interact. There is such a surge for a community, we need to see each other," Susanka said. "The virtual connection is wonderful, but there's something else that happens when we run into each other, and that's what we're longing for right now. There's a movement that's a creation of communities."
FULL STORY: How housing design can make for better neighbors

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont