Category Archives: pictures

India’s five colorful cities as an urban art form

Posted on December 27, 2019 by

Five cities in India are famous for their mesmerizing colorful images. Depending on the city, natural and/or human-made forces helped create their artistic and elegant appearance upon Earth’s canvas. These lovely cities are presented in alphabetical order. All of them … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, cities, culture, environment, geography, historic preservation, history, India, land use, Maps, nature, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, skylines, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Burro Buddies – Just looking for love…and maybe a snack

Posted on October 28, 2019 by

There are certain animals that capture our imagination and hearts. For some folks it may be whales or penguins. For others it may be bison or birds. But for me, it is burros (or donkeys in English). I’m not quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Animal rights, Animals, Burros/Donkeys, deserts, Mexico, pictures | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ten Planning Lessons from Orlando/Winter Park

Posted on September 3, 2019 by

In terms of diversity and inclusiveness, the Orlando region of today is much improved compared to the Orlando of 50 years ago. Unlike much of the Orlando area, Winter Park has successfully maintained/employed new urbanism, walkability, and traffic calming techniques … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, Cars, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, entertainment, geography, government, historic preservation, history, human rights, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, skylines, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, weather | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Towns and Two Death Tales of Billy the Kid

Posted on May 2, 2019 by

Frontier Towns, Chapter 5: Fort Sumner, New Mexico and Hico, Texas Normally, I am skeptical of conspiracy theories. But, I also realize that history tends to be written by the victors. With that, the victors can and will tend to … Continue reading →

Posted in book reviews, books, business, cities, civics, culture, geography, historic preservation, history, literature, Maps, pictures, politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Old West Personified in a Town’s Iconic Name

Posted on March 21, 2019 by

Frontier Towns, Chapter 2: Pecos, Texas Few names portray a better image of the Old West than “Pecos.” The Pecos River is the natural dividing line between central and western Texas, as to the west of this iconic river the … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, books, branding, cartoons, cities, civics, commerce, culture, deserts, downtown, economic development, environment, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Icy Wonders of Nature

Posted on January 26, 2019 by

Living “Up North” in Michigan can present some challenges during the winter months. But, it can also often instill a complete sense of awe and wonder. The beauty of freshly fallen snow, the reflective subtleties created by moonlight on the … Continue reading →

Posted in art, environment, fun, geography, nature, pictures, rivers/watersheds, Science, tourism, Travel, weather | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Delights of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park Home

Posted on November 20, 2018 by

Posted in architecture, art, culture, historic preservation, history, Housing, pictures, spatial design, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

After Hours at Detroit’s Eastern Market

Posted on November 3, 2018 by

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, Cars, Cities, commerce, downtown, entertainment, Food, food systems, fun, historic preservation, history, land use, pictures, placemaking, planning, revitalization, shopping, spatial design, Travel, urban planning | Tagged | Leave a comment

Top Eleven Planning Lessons from Lisbon, Portugal

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

Below are my top eleven (11) planning lessons from a delightful week-long trip to Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal in late September. Many more could be added this list, but for brevity’s sake we’ll stay with these eleven (11) for now. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, architecture, art, cities, civics, civility, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, Europe, Food, fun, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, music, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, Portugal, revitalization, spatial design, topography, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Beauty of the Contrasting-Chaotic City Form

Posted on October 3, 2018 by

As urban planners we have a tendency to emphasize the importance and efficiency of the traditional grid street pattern. Compared to the disconnected neighborhoods and subdivisions constructed over the past 75 years, the traditional street grid is far and away … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Cars, Cities, culture, density, downtown, Europe, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, North America, pictures, placemaking, planning, Portugal, spatial design, sprawl, topography, tourism, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment