
Tom Low
Tom Low is director of Civic By Design and a registered architect and certified planner based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has completed more than 150 multiday design charrettes and directed numerous award winning new urbanism neighborhood projects. He is the author of the Light Imprint Handbook.
Build as if there were no air conditioning
“Build as if you had only the sun to warm and the breezes to cool. Entice yourself outside with great outdoor rooms to condition yourself to the local environment so you can throw the windows open most days. On the most extreme days, use small but...
How countryside becomes sprawl in four steps
So many rural places have been incrementally destroyed by rural sprawl. You see it on the outskirts of metro areas and off of Interstates and other highways from coast to coast. Most communities don't see it happening until it is too late. To help...
Retreats, eco-villages, and walkable communities
A retreat is often used in real estate marketing to describe anything from a gated suburban resort subdivision to enclaves and eco-villages. Ideally, a new urbanist neo-traditional version includes the same fundamental principles of villages and...