In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the balancing act of building density in a place without wasting natural resources like mature trees.
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In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the professional silos that often form between the disciplines that help shape the built environment and how those barriers could be broken down.
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Hoboken, NJ, has gained fame online for its safe streets. But does this urbanist’s paradise live up to the hype, in person? We sent Strong Towns Staff Writer Asia Mieleszko to do some on-the-ground investigating to find out.
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This Netflix documentary about regions of the world with higher-than-average life expectancies holds some key insights for anyone who wants to see North American cities become thriving, healthy places for people.
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Urban planning involves a lot of jargon that can be obscure or confusing. Here’s one term you might not have heard, but that can make a big difference in the design of your city.
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The best time to influence a development proposal so that it fits well into its urban context is early, not late, in the process.
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Sometimes even the most well-meaning features of our cities present challenges to different people. What struggles would you observe in your community if you pictured it from someone else’s perspective?
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Transit-oriented development suggests that homes, shops, and services should all be located within 400 meters of transit. The actual distance to create vibrant streets may be much shorter.
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We need more than escapist technology to cope with high temperatures.
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A university campus in Norman, OK, presents a good case study in why transportation engineers must take care when designing streets adjacent to important civic institutions.
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As the Americans With Disabilities Act turns 33 years old this week, let’s debunk some myths that are commonly used as excuses for not making our built environment more accessible.
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In Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, children are invited to share their input on how public spaces should be designed, using a popular video game.
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Design doesn’t necessarily make a community, but, as this neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, shows, it does matter.
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Earlier this year, a man was killed in a car crash while crossing the street in Amarillo, TX. The driver didn’t see him—and when you look at his surroundings, it’s not hard to understand why.
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A cautionary tale on rain gardens.
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If cities strive to meet the basic physiological human need to move our bodies, they may be pleasantly surprised at how everything else just falls into place.
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In walkable cities, it’s not hard to find a solution if you find yourself stranded. But what about in a car-dependent place?
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It’s not difficult to have good urban design, the kind that respects neighbors and the neighborhoods they live in. It’s actually a lot less work than the processes we use to administer the suburban zoning codes we have today.
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What does it take to spark bottom-up hospitality? In this first of a two-part essay, Tiffany Owens Reed explores the hospitality she enjoyed from strangers while on a six-month, somewhat unpredictable Europe trip.
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Developers and builders often ask the same question: “What can I build on x lot?” But what is it that they’re actually looking for, and how can the urban planners they work with help them make the most of a given space?
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