Focusing on what connects people to community is one way to navigate the treacherous waters between gentrification and disinvestment.

Writing about successful neighborhood planning, my friend and colleague Howard Blackson used the term “placeshaker” as a catch-all for the grass roots engagement efforts that empower, but don’t necessarily define, placemaking. That got me thinking...

Did the places I once enjoyed change? No, just me. Because I foolishly learned, from a design perspective, how bad they actually were.