Archives
Welcome to the archives of Better Cities & Towns, a publication founded by Robert Steuteville as New Urban News in 1996. This archive holds two decades of the best news and analysis on compact, mixed-use growth and development, from 1996 to 2015.
The first residential units have opened in Paseo Colorado, the mixed-use project replacing an enclosed mall in downtown Pasadena, California. Of the 387 rental units built by Post Properties, more than 100 are lofts, and the remainder are upscale...
The downturn in the high-tech sector hit hard in Austin, Texas, delaying several residential and mixed-use projects. Since 1997, the city has had a traditional neighborhood development ordinance on the books and later launched an innovative smart...
I. The passage
Category: Circulation
Subcategory: Thoroughfare types
Pedestrian paths come in a wide variety and are anything but simple. To understand their variety and complexity, it is useful to begin by noting their relationship to other...
A new study by Kevin Leyden of West Virginia University explores how neighborhood form influences the generation of social capital, i.e., the level of political and social engagement among residents. Leyden’s analysis of a survey of residents in...
In a move that furthers the New Urbanism’s entry into the mainstream of the planning profession, the Board of Directors of the American Planning Association (APA) recently approved the formation of a New Urbanism (NU) division.
The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative continues to gather momentum for the redevelopment of miles of neglected land along the Anacostia River in Washington, DC. The Initiative, a partnership between the District of Columbia and 19 federal and local...
CNU founder Dan Solomon has joined Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT), a national planning and design firm recognized for its interdisciplinary approach. Solomon’s architecture and urban design firm will retain its name, Solomon ETC, yet become part...
A new resource on energy efficient building practices is available from the Rocky Mountain Institute. The CD-ROM Green Developments 2.0 contains more than 200 case studies of green buildings and projects from around the world. Contact: Ben Shepherd...
Philip von Platen, senior editor at New Urban News, is returning to his native Denmark and other endeavors. Von Platen covered New Urbanism at this publication for nearly three years.
The Brookings Institution Press has released American Metropolitics: The New Suburban Reality, by Myron Orfield. The book combines demographic research with state-of-the-art mapping technology to illustrate trends in the nation’s top 25 metropolitan...
A growing number of universities are taking action to revitalize the neighborhoods that surround campuses. Duke University has financed the development of traditional infill housing for staff and faculty in the Trinity Heights project in Durham,...
Construction has begun on the 80-acre core of New Town, a 300-acre mixed-use, office, retail, and residential development in Williamsburg, Virginia. The town center, designed by RTKL and Cooper Robertson & Partners, will include 300-400 for-sale...