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

Your view on the urban investment of today may depend on where you crop the storyline.

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...