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On the eve of the twentieth Congress, Part One of a short history of New Urbanism begins by identifying the movement’s many strands.

What urbanists learned from Jacobs

Thanks to Jane Jacobs, “observational urbanism” has steadily gathered momentum for five decades. We need it to grow stronger still.

The origins of the Congress for the New Urbanism

On the cusp of CNU’s twentieth Congress, Part Two recalls a small group of thoughtful, committed urbanists who changed the course of American planning.

A complicated legacy: Just how Jane would like it

Jane Jacobs, Tea Partier? On her birthday and six years after her death, there are many facets to her persona and legacy.

Pub shed: Mapping your five minute stumble distance

Here's a novel use of ped shed analysis for those of us who enjoy throwing back a few pints every now and again.

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News and Opinion Online

Density without high-rises?

Edward McMahon, Better! Cities & Towns

What can cities and towns do to achieve higher-density without sacrificing the aesthetic beauty that accompanies human-scale, walkable neighborhoods?

Wed, May 16th 2012 12:26pm

New Haven mayor butts heads with new urbanists

Better! Cities & Towns

UPDATED: Criticism of a flawed expressway replacement plan fails to sway Mayor John DeStefano. But there may be help from Montreal.

Tue, May 15th 2012 2:30pm

Addressing ‘missing middle’ housing in the Queen City

Dan Parolek, Better! Cities & Towns

A form-based code would bring residents back to depopulated neighborhoods in Cincinnati.

2 Tue, May 15th 2012 11:04am

Uninhabitable high-rises

Steve Mouzon, Better! Cities & Towns

My tweet-cast of Léon Krier's address to the Congress for the New Urbanism Saturday morning created a small firestorm on Twitter.

Tue, May 15th 2012 6:50am

This just in from CNU 20: World not yet saved

Ben Brown, Better! Cities & Towns

As usual, the CNU20 agenda was packed with passion and ambition, with a smidgeon of apocalyptic visioning to dampen out-of-control hopefulness.

Mon, May 14th 2012 3:19pm

CNU 20 recap

Charles Marohn, Better! Cities & Towns

I just got back from spending a week in West Palm Beach, meeting with new urbanists and, together, plotting a makeover and economic revival of America.

Mon, May 14th 2012 8:19am

Mother’s big helper

Petra Spiess, Better! Cities & Towns

It’s true, says a mother who lives in a mixed-use walkable community: Good urban design makes parenting easier.

Fri, May 11th 2012 8:58am

US obesity rates continue to soar, in part because of automobile dependence

Kaid Benfield, Better! Cities & Towns

Obesity is as much a health problem as it is an environmental problem. Reducing automobile dependence is an integral part of building healthier, more environmentally sustainable communities.

Wed, May 9th 2012 2:45pm

The pitfalls of "entertainment districts"

Nathaniel M. Hood, Better! Cities & Towns

Entertainment districts often promise to breath new life into distressed downtowns. So why don't they?

5 Wed, May 9th 2012 12:40pm

When public art disturbs its viewers

Better! Cities & Towns

Artistic expressions painted on the surfaces of a city aren’t always as benign as their advocates think.

5 Tue, May 8th 2012 8:09am

CNU 20 & NextGen

Charles Marohn, Better! Cities & Towns

New urbanists from around the globe are gathering this week in West Palm Beach, Florida for the CNU 20 and NextGen conference.

Mon, May 7th 2012 4:02pm

Wanted: the 'Whole Foods Effect'

Salon

Detroiters are hoping the arrival of a Whole Foods store will spur the revitalization of Midtown.

Mon, May 7th 2012 10:52am

HOPE VI and the inner city

Peter Katz, Better! Cities & Towns

On the cusp of CNU’s twentieth Congress, Part Three of a series on New Urbanism looks at the remaking of America’s failed public housing projects.

1 Mon, May 7th 2012 8:27am

Updating the Charter Book: Same mission, broader scope

Emily Talen, Better! Cities & Towns

On the 16th anniversary of the signing of the 27 principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, many will be pleased to know that a revised edition of the book based on those principles is in process.

Sat, May 5th 2012 8:52am

Headlines

Rising or Falling, Volatile Gas Prices Underscore Importance of Transit

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Germany’s rivertop monorail

BeyondDC

against "sustainability" (the word, not the policy)

CNU

Google-Funded Pundit: Forget Transit, the Future Belongs to Robocars

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Diminishing Returns of Building Height

Walkable Dallas - Fort Worth

A Tollway in Dallas and the Absurdity of Building Duplicative Infrastructure

The Transport Politic

5 strategies for charrettes in the face of smaller budgets

National Charrette Institute

How Baton Rouge Brought Its Transit System Back from the Brink

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Today’s Headlines

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

EACC conference aims to jumpstart region’s skilled labor workforce

UrbanCincy

Premium content

Needed: An expanded campaign to tear down urban freeways

A new report from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy shows freeway removal delivering benefits on three continents.

Big steps for El Paso

On the far west of Texas, officials are showing how to bring back historical patterns of transit-oriented, walkable neighborhoods in a low-density, spread-out city.

Living in sprawl cost throusands extra per year

In 10 years, household transportation costs rose nearly three times as much in heavely car dependent locations as in compact, transit-served neighborhoods.

How a Wisconsin suburb is making itself bike-friendly

Fitchburg revised its SmartCode and then did something extra for cyclists.

Thinking like a farmer boosts tax revenue

On Tax Day, here's an analysis on property taxes, the kind of taxes that cities and towns rely on most. Density and mixed-use — not parking lots — yield the most revenue by far.

A defining moment for gated developments

The recent slaying of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida raises important questions about the safety and benefits of gated communities.

Transit oriented development in Connecticut may rely on 'value capture'

Regional planners envision a finance system in which the state helps municipalities, and vice versa.

New book: Sustainable Transportation Planning

In his new book, Sustainable Transportation Planning, Jeffery Tumlin presents a range of useful tools that communities can use to strengthen their transportation infrastructure.

New book: The Good City

The Good City is a series of short, vivid essays on what Allan Jacobs, former San Francisco planning director and Berkeley professor, has seen or done in locales across the world.

Ohio city approves downtown form-based code

Dublin, Ohio adopts a progressive form-based code to regulate growth along the city's Bridge Street Corridor.

Report on maintaining an affordable place for artists

An artist cooperative in Minneapolis continues to breath new life into the city without displacing local residents.