Category Archives: spatial design

A BOLD transit-oriented development plan

Posted on January 17, 2020 by

There are transit-oriented developments and then there are BOLD transit-oriented developments. Here is Traverse City, we are fortunate to have a transit agency with a bold vision for a better tomorrow – the Bay Area Transportation Authority or BATA. Being … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, Bus transportation, cities, climate change, economic development, environment, government, health, Housing, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, transit, transportation, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urban Areas within Rift Valleys

Posted on January 2, 2020 by

Many are familiar with the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa. But, it is certainly not the only rift valley on Earth. In fact, there are a number of rift valleys (also sometimes referred to as grabens) located on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, cities, ecosystems, environment, Europe, geography, Geology, history, India, land use, Maps, nature, North America, Oceania, planning, rivers/watersheds, Science, South America, spatial design, topography, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Fictional cities of television commercials

Posted on December 21, 2019 by

While writing this post, I’ve been trying to recall past examples of where imaginary cities were created as a part of a product’s television advertising campaign. Thus far, I have struck out – any help or suggestions would be appreciated. … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, branding, cities, civics, commerce, consumerism, culture, entertainment, geography, history, marketing, place names, placemaking, planning, spatial design, technology, Television, toponymy, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Chicago’s Northside Neighborhoods

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

  Below is my list of top ten planning lessons garnered from visits to nearly all of Northside Chicago neighborhoods over the past few years, especially those located to the north and east of I-90/94 (The Kennedy Expressway). Even with … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, branding, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Cuisine, culture, demographics, density, diversity, entertainment, entrepreneurship, gentrification, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, new urbanism, place names, placemaking, planning, Railroads, shopping, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Problems with Charter Townships

Posted on October 17, 2019 by

If you are not from Michigan you may have never heard of the term “charter township.” They are different from standard “general law” townships, in that: “Charter township status is a special township classification created by the Michigan Legislature in … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, commerce, demographics, diversity, economic development, geography, government, history, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, planning, racism, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, States, Statistics, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Some Like It Hot” – Cities/towns built around natural hot springs

Posted on October 8, 2019 by

  The cities and towns listed below from around the globe are located amidst, around, or near natural hot springs. As a result, many of them have become centers for health spas, retreats, and environmental tourism. Unlike their rural counterparts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative energy, Canada, cities, civics, commerce, culture, economic development, energy, entertainment, environment, geography, Geology, health, Health care, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Mexico, nature, place names, planning, pollution, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Ten Planning Lessons from Ancient Pueblos & Cliff Dwellings

Posted on October 3, 2019 by

After visiting numerous pueblos, cliff dwellings, and ancient ruins in the Southwestern United States, it is clear to this retired urban planner that the Native Americans were the first great community planners in North America. The sites visited thus far … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, architecture, cities, culture, density, environment, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Native Americans, nature, placemaking, planning, spatial design, sustainability, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Albuquerque

Posted on September 18, 2019 by

We have been enjoying an awesome trip to New Mexico. This post about Albuquerque is the first of several that will be written about the state, is residents, and its communities. Paz! The preservation and protection of the original 1706 … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, aviation, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, Bus transportation, cities, civics, colleges, commerce, Cuisine, culture, density, diversity, downtown, economic development, entertainment, fun, geography, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, rail, Railroads, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thriving and Inclusive First-Ring/Inner Suburbs

Posted on September 5, 2019 by

As metropolitan areas grow in population or enlarge their land area by sprawl, gradually, the innermost or first-ring suburbs start to experience some of the same problems that the core city have found challenging. This is particularly true in regions … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, architecture, art, bicycling, cities, civics, colleges, commerce, culture, density, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, fun, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, racism, revitalization, Science, shopping, skylines, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, third places, tourism, traffic, transit, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , | Leave a comment