Archive | Urbanism
EPA: Smart Growth Developments Enjoy Stronger Resale Appreciation
By Tracy Taylor, Triple Pundit Not only are smart growth communities good for your quality of life, they are good for your pocketbook as well. According to Market Acceptance of Smart Growth, a recent report by the EPA, smart growth communities not only see stable market prices over time, but they often see greater retail appreciation [...]
O Brother (Yahya) Where Art Thou?
by Yahya E. B. Henry This summer has been a blur and seemingly, far from over. Over the past 3 months, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the Southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and South Florida. Some work, some play but overall an education. My summer started out by having to go to Gulfport, [...]
Rebuilding Haiti: Innovation & Sustainability
by Christi Elfein Andres Duany, famed architect for the firm DPZ and co-founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), is becoming part of the solution to the crisis in Haiti. He has designed a basic cabin concept that can be pre-fabricated and built within days to house Haitians that remain homeless from January’s earthquake. The [...]
Americans Rebuild for the ‘New Urban Century’
Many point to Charlotte has an example of good urbanism and city vision. Charlotte’s leadership understood decades ago that the city could not sustain it’s suburban growth and made proactive steps to create the economic engine it is today. Aribra seeks to engage smaller to medium sized cities who can benefit from embracing more sustainable, urban [...]
The American Poor Spread to Suburbia, but We’re not Ready
Demographics are shifting and our current land use policies are not prepared to handle a significant shift in migration. With the poor having such a large presence in suburban America, retailers will face some challenges moving forward. If these trends continue, we can expect to see higher vacancy and crime rates in an area once [...]
A Not So Obvious Urbanistic Perspective of Haiti
by Christi Elflein My husband, Bill, works for the Department of Defense as a civilian federal agent where his current day to day responsibilities involve protecting U.S. naval assets travelling throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America. When the 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti on January 12th, he unpacked his bags for a scheduled trip to [...]
Crisis, Sustainability, Values and “American Exceptionalism”
by Timothy Hughes The current economic crisis offers a chance for a paradigm shift. We should not waste this opportunity by returning to the status quo that existed before the downturn or even pining for that unsustainable state. Instead, we should embrace rethinking our economy, and in particular our land use, development and construction policies. [...]
No Urban America Without Rural America
by Tommy Manuel I live a double life. Most recently that life has been spent amid a cacophony of rumbling trains on the elevated subway line outside my window, the din of car horns from the drive-through fast food restaurant below my building, shrieks from emergency vehicles, bangs and clashes from the construction work on [...]
The Design of Place
by Christi Elflein Why do you prefer to shop and eat at certain places more than others? Why do people in one neighborhood seem to all know each other while people in another neighborhood keep to themselves? Why will you walk down main street, but drive from one end of the strip mall to the [...]
comments