The name game

Providence, Rhode Island, architect Bill Dennis reviewed the names of more than 600 new urban developments across North America and found more repetition than he liked. He identified 10 projects with “Commons” in their name, 30 that were called “Town Centers,” and 97 that were dubbed “Villages.” Historically, it was unusual to call a development a “commons,” even in New England, he said. “Let’s try to come up with something better,” he urged the approximately 65 persons attending a conference on New Urbanism in New England.