Category Archives: new urbanism

Building a peaceful community with good planning

Posted on July 22, 2016 by

Building a peaceful community does not just result from how we treat one another (see previous post), but can be literally develop based on how we design our communities and allocate funding. The days of the “wrong side of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, Bus transportation, Cars, cities, civics, civility, climate change, commerce, culture, diversity, economic development, environment, gentrification, geography, health, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, Love, new urbanism, peace, placemaking, planning, pollution, poverty, rail, revitalization, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, third places, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Portland Conundrum 

Posted on June 20, 2016 by

Below is an eye-opening summary of the housing market in Portland, Oregon from the perspective of a new resident to the region, who also happens to be an urban planner and a friend of mine. The parallels to what we … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, civility, climate change, culture, demographics, diversity, economic development, economics, environment, fitness, food systems, futurism, gentrification, geography, health, holiday, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Maps, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, revitalization, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, sustainability, transit, transportation, urban planning, walking, zoning | Leave a comment

Raising the High Line’s influence to new heights 

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

  It’s not often that you see a skyscraper design that thinks outside the box here in the United States, but I must admit the proposed Spiral in New York City is an eye-catcher. This handsome tower incorporates a stunning … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, cities, downtown, economic development, environment, Green roofs, land use, new urbanism, planning, skylines, skyscrapers, Statistics, sustainability, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urban planning portrayed through art

Posted on March 12, 2016 by

As urban planners we most often tend to think of our profession being depicted to the outside world in fairly basic textual and geographic terms. Either it is the written word in somewhat legalistic prose, or it is maps representing … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, books, cartoons, cities, civics, Communications, culture, film, history, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, literature, movies, music, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, Poem, spatial design, sustainability, Television, theaters, tourism, Travel, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TC’s totally cool downtown “Art Banner Project”

Posted on March 2, 2016 by

Walk, bike, or drive around downtown Traverse City and you will soon see one of the enormous art banners hanging from the walls of some of the buildings. Brainchild of retired Art Department Chair of Northwestern Michigan College, Paul Welch, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, branding, cities, civics, Communications, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, fun, history, land use, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, revitalization, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Acts of DIS-placemaking

Posted on February 26, 2016 by

Just when you think society in general is starting to “get it” on the numerous benefits of placemaking, a couple of state legislators propose bills that could potentially wipe out one of the best tools for successful placemaking in Michigan … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Advocacy, architecture, art, business, cities, civics, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, economics, entrepreneurship, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, revitalization, Statistics, third places, Uncategorized, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

From institutional to inspirational

Posted on January 15, 2016 by

Unlike this amazing aerial shot, photographs taken from the ground can hardly depict the enormous size and impressive setting of Grand Traverse Commons (formally Traverse City State Hospital or Northern Michigan Asylum). Once an imposing (and probably intimidating) institutional facility, … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, business, cities, civics, commerce, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, health, Health care, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, revitalization, shopping, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment