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.
A split-rate property tax that assesses land at a higher rate than buildings can help to encourage infill development and fight sprawl, according to Rick Rybeck, a planner for the District of Columbia Department of Public Works. In a paper, Rybeck...
In Germantown, Tennessee — just east of Memphis — a custom plan book “was a major factor in accelerating sales” in a 22-acre, 90-lot neotraditional project called Rowan Oak, says architect Brad Shapiro of Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK) of Memphis....
The Seaside Prize will be awarded May 30 jointly to Peter Calthorpe, Elizabeth Moule, Stefanos Polyzoides and Daniel Solomon — all of whom are founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). The prize is annually awarded by the Seaside...
The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts and How They Get You Through the Day By Ray Oldenburg Marlowe & Company, New York, 1989, 1997 Second Edition. Softcover, 296 pp...
The Florida Keys, a 150-mile-long chain of tiny islands at the southernmost tip of the state, were under such development pressure in the early 1990s that the county placed strict limits on growth through the year 2002. Developers held vested rights...
American Urban Typologies: Key West, Florida, by Miami architect Erick Valle, explains and dissects the building and street designs of one of America’s best-loved towns. The book is well-researched and beautifully illustrated. Contact: Correa Valle...
Work by John Holtzclaw, as reported in the July/August 1997 issue of New Urban News, demonstrated that vehicle miles traveled per household drops drastically in high-density urban areas. That work has become the basis for the location-efficient...
A real estate market poll sponsored by the Los Angeles Times shows a surprising level of preference for the types of amentities offered by new urbanist projects.
Rosemary Beach, a 105-acre traditional neighborhood development (TND) in Walton County, Florida, continues to rack up impressive sales. Out of 195 lots available so far, 145 have been sold. Lot sale prices have ranged from $70,000 to more than a...
Every year, concepts related to New Urbanism receive greater attention at the International Builders’ Show, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). “A few years ago, the discussion [at our convention] was whether to build...
Canada has at least 24 traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs) underway, 15 of them under construction. Based on New Urban News’ research, Canada appears to be moving ahead with New Urbanism more quickly than any part of the U.S., with the...
Massachusetts
An executive order, “Planning for Growth,” signed in April 1996 directs state agencies to promote the reuse of existing infrastructure and downtown revitalization in permitting, funding and construction decisions. The program also...