New Urbanism
The Health of Cities Depends on Place-Based Development More than Big Projects
Cities take a physical form that either supports or is stressful to people outside of a moving vehicle or building. Witold Rybczynski, in his critique of New Urbanism, forgets that lesson.
How will the Physical Urban Environment be Affected by Obamacare?
Los Angeles County planner Clement Lau discusses what the Affordable Care Act means for hospital construction, design, and expansion.
New Urbanism Gets a New Leader
Lynn Richards, formerly of the U.S. EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities, is set to become President of the Congress for the New Urbanism in July. In this interview, Richards says that forging new alliances will be a key goal for her.
'Lean Urbanism' Explained
“Lean urbanism” is the latest buzz-worthy term to enter the discussion on planning and urbanism. A recent article in Atlantic Cities explains the concept—which appeals to the younger generation as well as those with libertarian leanings.
San Diego Satellite Town Asks: Smart Growth or Trojan Horse?
San Diego County's "most walkable city" is being challenged to identify the real smart growth: what it has or what is being proposed. At issue: a plan amendment for a high density project near transit. But is the project real?
Book Review: Visions of Seaside
A new anthology tells the story of Seaside like we've never heard it before–on its own terms.
Populist Urbanism: Beyond the Creative Class
Smart Growth needs to adopt a more populist message, argues Robert Steuteville, and demonstrate how cities can empower people of all classes. Could "Lean Urbanism" provide the foundation?
The Unbuilt Origins of Seaside
Seaside, Florida is well known as the proving grounds for new urbanism, the place where Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk made a development into a town. Dhiru Thadani documents the early experiments and unbuilt designs in a new book.
What Is a Place Without the People?
In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.
El Paso Officials Spread the Gospel of New Urbanism
Looking to move beyond its history of sprawling development, El Paso turned to New Urbanism. But instead of hiring New Urbanist experts, the city decided to indoctrinate its staff and private sector designers in the movement's principles.
Who'll Fix the Suburbs?
Two new books proffer the end of the suburbs and the salvation of dense urbanity. But the suburbs are "not about to shrivel," says Justin Davidson. So who should be responsible for fixing suburban dysfunction?
Can the World's Largest Office Park Change its Suburban Stripes?
North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park has a problem: the massive business park is woefully outdated, in both economic and architectural terms. Can it regain its status as a cutting-edge center of innovation by taking a page from the New Urbanism?
Density Is the New Fertility Bogeyman
Joel Kotkin's muddle-headed theory on babies and urban living is aimed at blocking housing choice for young families, argues Robert Steuteville.
Is New Urbanism Best Suited to the Suburbs?
25 years after development started on Gaithersburg's model New Urbanist community Kentlands, Dan Malouff surveys the movement's impact on America's development patterns. He argues its products are more necessary in less-urban environments.
Does Seaside Deserve a Rethink?
Often forgotten amid the Truman Show jokes and architectural disdain are the iconic New Urbanist community's contributions to planning history, and its many innovations. Two new works are helping to reframe how the Florida town is understood.
Beyond Zoning: Obstacles to Walkable Neighborhood Development
If the market demand is there, why isn't more mixed-use housing getting built? Follow the money.
New Urbanism's Chief Regret?
In his fifth entry in a lengthy examination of the successes and failures of New Urbanism, Peter Katz looks at one of the movement's key blindspots: the failure to help improve the processes and practices of local governments.
Successional Urbanism: An Interview with Andrés Duany
Architect and town planner Galina Tachieva sits down with New Urbanism innovator Andrés Duany to discuss the big and small topics on his mind today: lean urbanism, successional urbanism and the Transect, the orthodoxy of the small block, and more.
10 Principles for Smart Growth in Existing Communities
Frustrated by what's passing as "smart growth" and "transit oriented development," Bill Adams postulates ten refinements (or less subtly stated clarifications) of the principles of smart growth and new urbanism.
Slow Growth of Albuquerque's Answer to Sprawl Raises Questions
Stan Alcorn checks up on the status of Mesa del Sol, a 12,900-acre public-private project that broke ground outside of Albuquerque in 2006, and was planned to be the largest New Urbanist development in the Southwest.
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
City of Cleburne
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.
