Switchboard

Kaid Benfield takes a moment to reflect on the changing nature of the American household and how it will shape our cities in the coming years.

November 22, 2012 - Switchboard

On Veterans Day, Kaid Benfield reports on efforts underway to house and serve America's veterans sustainably.

November 12, 2012 - Switchboard

Despite significant investment in transit infrastructure, and renewed interest in downtowns and walkable neighborhoods, new data shows that gains in transit commute mode share have been hard to come by in America’s largest cities, says Kaid Benfield.

October 27, 2012 - Switchboard

Chicago's backyards may turn into oases of sustainability with a new program aimed at creating incentives for 'greener' practices in the city's private gardens.

October 5, 2012 - Switchboard

A new report from the NRDC and Move LA documents the implementation of California's landmark SB 375, the nation’s first law to link transportation and land use planning with greenhouse gas emissions.

September 25, 2012 - Switchboard

Decaying and disused buildings litter many American inner-city neighborhoods. In Houston, one imaginative project turns potential into pride and empowerment by creating unique, new uses for old homes.

September 23, 2012 - Switchboard

On this sombre anniversary, we bring you an article that was published last year by Kaid Benfield, looking at the legacy of 9/11 for community & the built environment.

September 11, 2012 - Switchboard

Using examples of exceptional streets from diverse settings across the world, Kaid Benfield tries to tease out what makes a great city street.

September 7, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield returns to his popular blog at the NRDC's Switchboard site after a three-week hiatus, with thoughts on the purpose of his writings and how "overly familiar vocabulary can lead to overly familiar thinking."

September 5, 2012 - Switchboard

Located adjacent to the nation's 3rd busiest train station, Philly's new multi-use plaza - dubbed The Porch - provides a welcoming entryway to the city and a model for a "lighter, quicker, cheaper" approach to urban improvements.

August 10, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield wades into the density debate by pointing out that density and sprawl can go hand in hand.

August 6, 2012 - Switchboard

As the U.S. experiences its worst drought in over half a century, Kaid Benfield questions the connection with the country's suburban growth patterns over that same period.

July 20, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield directs our attention to "a terrific, poster-sized graphic highlighting the benefits of public transportation" that was created by an unlikely source - a credit card comparison website.

July 18, 2012 - Switchboard

Championed for over a decade, the LEED certification program has given notoriety to many newly constructed 'green' buildings, but new measures are helping us measure sustainability at the community scale, writes Kaid Benfield.

June 22, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield looks at a groundbreaking new report compiled by Reconnecting America and the equity coalition Mile High Connects, that suggests how the expansion of Denver's transit system could reach traditionally underserved populations.

May 7, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield looks at shortcomings of the dominant national apparatus for regional planning - the Metropolitan Planning Organization - through the lens of transportation, and pines for new mechanisms for regional cooperation.

May 1, 2012 - Switchboard

Real estate's favorite tool for gauging neighborhood walkability now has a companion for transit, Kaid Benfield reports.

April 26, 2012 - Switchboard

After a decade in ascendance, smart growth is showing its age. As its agenda becomes "formulaic and even clinical," Kaid Benfield argues for the need to reinvigorate, or move beyond, smart growth with more attention paid to the quality of a place.

April 24, 2012 - Switchboard

Kaid Benfield laments the capital's "blah"-inspiring National Mall, and discusses three design competitions underway that could give it a second life.

April 20, 2012 - Switchboard

Big changes loom large over Little Tokyo, Kaid Benfield reports. The question is whether higher land values will steal away its character and cultural significance.

April 12, 2012 - Switchboard