A focus on the public realm is really what distinguishes new urban design from conventional suburban planning. A good definition and full understanding are important.
I was in Virginia Beach, on vacation, visiting the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, when I came across the painting. It is called, simply, Urban Renewal, circa 1960. The New York City artist Lee Loeb was known for cityscape paintings.
Nationwide cell phone data analysis reveals that walkable places cause diverse people to walk more. The authors of a study published in Nature believe that the built environment could yield widespread health benefits.
King Charles’s follow-up to Poundbury gets the Gindroz Award for excellence in affordable housing. Nansledan is a large new urban community on the Northwest coast of Cornwall, England.
A mixed-use center is the best way to maximize value from a vacant mall site, but it requires proactive city leadership, as seen in Huntsville.
Cape Cod boasts many things, including the first conversion of a sterile strip mall to a village center. It’s a model for what to do with thousands of dead and dying malls.
Features
Streets Five scenarios that make street transformation possible
Why street design has not kept pace with automotive safety improvements, and what you can do about it.
Transit, TOD Ten steps toward autonomous urbanism
Here's a playbook for municipal leaders and citizens on the road to smart city technology.
Better Cities & Towns Archive
Dave Mayfield, developer of Afton Village in
Dave Mayfield, developer of Afton Village in Concord, North Carolina, and landscape architect Richard Burck visited cities across the Carolinas and...
Wow! Study says DC Streetcar could add $10-15 billion in value
The Charter-Award-winning DC Streetcar Land-Use Study, which looks at the economic and development impacts of the city's coming streetcar system, is...
Miami-Dade County, Florida, has created an Urban
Miami-Dade County, Florida, has created an Urban Design Center headed by new urbanists. Director Shailendra Singh worked for Correa Valle Valle...
Firms move downtown and change workforce geography
Businesses across the US are relocating downtown to seek talent, find more productive workspace, and be where the action is, according to the study ...
Great Ideas
Washington flips the switch on parking reform
State legislation takes a new approach to removing parking mandates—one that is far more comprehensive.
ROBERT STEUTEVILLE JUL. 25, 2025
