A Placemaking Journal

Something terrible happened in my neighborhood. The specific details of the incident have been covered elsewhere and are not especially relevant to my point here so I’ll spare you the rehash. Suffice it to say that, during what was reportedly a messy divorce, one of my neighbors killed his five year old son rather... Continue Reading

Just when reporters were beginning to buy into the hopefulness of “sprawl repair” and “ag is the new golf,” Andres Duany trips them up with visions of the dark side. Or at least the really hard side, as in the hard work ahead if we’re to reverse the direction of 20th century excesses. "Our wealth as a nation... Continue Reading

When was the last time you heard someone make the case for the “soulfulness” of zoning? Or capture the essence of “third place” theory in a song? Unless you’ve been listening to singer/songwriter Melanie Hammet, you probably haven’t experienced the connection, at least not quite in this way and certainly... Continue Reading

Last week I hurriedly packed for my 10 day New Urbanism adventure in the Southeastern United States. In my rush I was only able to find and pack nine pairs of clean skivvies, but assured myself that I would be able to pick up a new pair while traveling through Georgia, Alabama and Florida. (more…) Continue Reading

The Original Green is all about architecture and urbanism. But it’s also about reflection, living, inspiration, and delight. We can achieve sustainable living only when we “want to” or “love to” instead of feeling that we “have to” or “ought to” balance the needs of our society, economy and environment. Continue Reading

What’s constitutes “best ever” depends on the takeaways, right? And when it comes to conferences, we could be talking takeaways that aren’t products of the event itself. Like maybe you got a job or connected with a soul mate. Let’s call that the upside of unintended consequences. (more…) Continue Reading

Remember when you could empty a room by trying to work zoning philosophy into a conversation? Okay, you can still do that in most places. But the coolness quotient is on the rise, we swear. Consider the adoption late last year of a form-based code in Miami, surely one of the most exotic political environments in North... Continue Reading

What the world definitely does not need are more complicated rules for doing anything. So why are planners imposing a whole new approach to zoning on communities? To planning pros, the question seems unfair. New regulatory approaches grow from necessity. The old ones simply don’t work for getting many communities... Continue Reading

Context is everything. The New York Times reports with unease that the FDA has approved statin drug Crestor’s use in a preventive capacity for those not currently diagnosed with cholesterol problems. The degree to which this represents innovation in medicine is a topic to be debated elsewhere. What matters to me is... Continue Reading

Like any next, big something, placemaking is growing up. And in its role as gawky adolescent, it's beginning to realize something most of us have long since come to accept: You can't skirt by on youthful good looks forever. Today, efforts to create more endearing and enduring surroundings are being subjected to decidedly... Continue Reading