Some misguided attempts to enhance the local park in Brainerd, MN, has actually made it a worse place to be.

Podcast, #PlaceIDontWanttoSit, Community, Neighborhoods, Public Space, Urban Design, Top Story, ST PodcastStrong TownsAugust 2, 2021Podcast, neighborhood, Parks, parks, urban design, public space

You Don't Have to Be a Professional to Understand Urban Design

The tools for understanding our places shouldn’t be gatekept in the hands of people with urban planning degrees. That’s why we created this crash course in urban design.

Announcement, Strong Towns Academy, Urban Design, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 27, 2021Strong Towns Academy, announcement

One Billion Bollards

If the federal government wants to fund transportation, skip the megaprojects. Start with a billion bollards.

#SlowtheCars, Marohn, Transportation, Urban Design, Walkability, Top StoryCharles MarohnJuly 26, 2021Safety, Pedestrian Safety, public safety, transportation, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly

Delight per Acre

The same design principles behind Japanese gardens can make the building of resilient and financially strong places into a joy, rather than a burden.

Architecture, Herriges, Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 21, 2021aesthetics, urban design, Value Per Acre, human scale, traditional development pattern, fine-grained, architecture

Miyazaki's Urbanism

Globally beloved animator Hayao Miyazaki has a secret he’s been hiding in plain sight for years: he’s one of the best urban designers and thinkers of our time.

Urban Design, Top StoryMatthew RobareJuly 14, 2021urbanism, urban design, human scale

A Tale of Two Walks: Part 2

Our walk together continues on Fairfax Boulevard, where we encounter a much different (i.e., less friendly) pedestrian experience.

Roads and Streets, Urban Design, Walkability, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJuly 7, 2021walkability, Addison Del Mastro, pedestrians, car culture, Virginia

A Tale of Two Walks: Part 1

Let’s take a walk together down two different streets, and observe what car-oriented places are like from the viewpoint of a pedestrian.

Roads and Streets, Urban Design, Walkability, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJuly 6, 2021walkability, fine-grained, Addison Del Mastro, pedestrians, car culture, Virginia

Shade in the City

Why do some cities make it so hard to find shade…or create your own?

Urban Design, Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Design, Pattison, Race, Roads and Streets, Top StoryJohn PattisonJuly 2, 2021climate, Heat Islands, Los Angeles, street trees, trees, Oregon, Portland OR, redlining, California

How Dutch Cities Restored the “Freedom to Roam”

Five decades ago, Delft made some urban planning decisions that granted children the freedom to freely and safely wander the streets of their city.

Bikeability, Infrastructure, Roads and Streets, Success Story, Transportation, Urban Design, Walkability, #SlowtheCars, Top StoryMelissa Bruntlett & Chris BruntlettJune 29, 2021Netherlands, Delft, bikeability, bike infrastructure, history, #SlowTheCars

Cognitive Comfort and Visual Clutter: Is it Time we Started Regulating Style?

We must start adapting our architectural designs to the instincts of our species, rather than the other way around.

Architecture, Member Post, Urban Design, Top StoryDustin ShaneJune 4, 2021Ann Sussman, Justin Hollander, architecture, cognitive architecture, aesthetics, design, modernism

"Urbanism" Isn't Synonymous with "Big City"

These photos of Staunton, Virginia, serve as a reminder that the benefits of “urbanism” aren’t limited to big cities.

Big Box Stores, Urban Design, Top StoryAddison Del MastroMay 11, 2021Small Towns, Addison Del Mastro, Virginia, Staunton, big box stores

Want to build a strong town? Make it work for people with disabilities.

Significant effort should be dedicated to creating more accessible built environments—because doing so benefits people of all abilities.

Infrastructure, Member Post, Public Space, Urban Design, Walkability, Top StorySteve WrightMay 7, 2021disability, Infrastructure, walkability, Justice, #PedestrianUnfriendly

How to Fight Those "Boxy Buildings"

A guide for making your urban spaces more fine-grained.

Andrew Price, Architecture, Urban Design, Top StoryAndrew PriceApril 26, 2021architecture, urban planning, fine-grained, coarse-grained, zoning

Leaving Value on the Table

Why do large-scale developers bother making cool mockups for their spaces, only to end up with a bland end product?

Herriges, Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 14, 2021urban design, granularity, public space

How People-Centered Is Toronto's "People-Centered" Vision?

Google’s Sidewalk Labs pulled out of Toronto’s Quayside project. But does Toronto’s new vision for the project really put people at the center?

Podcast, Urban Design, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 24, 2021canada, Canada, Toronto, smart cities

In Rhode Island, the pieces are there. Don’t squander them.

Many Rhode Island cities have “good bones” — the infrastructure, walkable neighborhoods, and sturdy buildings that could build resilience and prosperity. So why are so many cities in The Ocean State squandering that inheritance now?