• Urbanist, par excellence

    New urbanists lost a respected and capable leader early this week. Hank Dittmar made a difference in urban planning and transportation on both sides of the Atlantic.
    Few urbanists anywhere could boast the wide-ranging influence and experience of Hank Dittmar, who died during the night Monday in Scotland after a long illness. He advised Prince Charles and the Clinton Administration. He was the third director of the influential Surface Transportation Policy...Read more

  • A philosopher embraces New Urbanism, at home and in the classroom

    “The pattern of post-World War II development I witnessed in Orange County struck me as fundamentally wrong-headed. But others appeared to accept it as inevitable and somehow normal.”
    My flight was scheduled to arrive at LAX at 11:30 in the morning. Perfect, I thought. I could get a rental car and be out of Los Angeles before rush hour, heading up the California coast to visit my father by mid-afternoon. But my plans were spoiled by a thunderstorm in Chicago, which added five...Read more

  • Forget 'smart'—we need 'context cities'

    Cities around the globe wrestle with how to reconcile local vernacular, technological change, and economic growth.
    Since September, I have worked in, or visited, 18 cities in Europe, Australia, and the United States, listening throughout for common messages of harmony or discord. I have been waiting for modern Sirens of the Odyssey to divert me, with some divine melody of urbanism or common thread to make sense...Read more

  • Highlights of a year in New Urbanism

    CNU members, the organization, and allies pushed forward on climate change and neighborhood affordability, published widely, and helped people reclaim their streets,
    At the end of every year, I like to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve done—as an organization and a movement. The work of building great places is hard, and it’s important for us to recognize and reflect on what we’ve accomplished to replenish our will to do more. CNU is both an organization...Read more