These articles and postings look at different ways in which design and our visual environment can shape the character of our cities and towns.
Available to Order & Download — Our Reprint Collection: Design & Aesthetics (19 articles)
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Rob Rowlson, the Town of West Hartford’s Director of Community Services, makes no bones about it: too often planning can be an obstacle to private investment and development. In Part I of this post, Rowlson talks about efforts to strengthen the core of the town’s downtown: West Hartford Center.
Does your planning commission take a “walkabout approach” to public meetings. PlannersWeb contributing writers Jim Segedy & Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy explain why it can be very helpful to put on your walking shoes and go out for a group walk.
Demographic changes raise questions about what scale of development best fits neighborhoods and commercial districts. Planner and contributing writer Beth Humstone on how to respond to these questions.
A conversation with Ed McMahon about his just-published PCJ article on billboard control.
Why cities and towns benefit when they just say “no” to the continued proliferation of billboards. A report from PCJ contributing writer & ULI Senior Resident Fellow Ed McMahon.
Why fostering a sense of place is key to having a strong, economically vibrant city or town. Observations from PCJ contributing writer & ULI Senior Resident Ed McMahon.
We do it dozens of times a day. During nice weather, we often do it in the park. And we’re careful where we do it, often scouting out a location that seems just right for us to …. sit. But how much do planners and urban designers know about our backsides?
At the Project for Public Spaces our first assignment: spend an hour carefully observing activities in Petrosino Square and noting what we saw.
This post’s title is the question that was at the heart of a fascinating two-day workshop organized by the Project for Public Spaces.
Stop, look, and take the time to observe how people interact with the built environment.
“Walkability is the single most important issue facing cities today,” says planner Troy Russ in this effective short video about doing a “walking audit” in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
There’s been a dramatic change in the mission of a growing number of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities.
High-rise buildings are not necessarily the best answer to promoting denser, more walkable communities, argues Urban Land Institute Senior Resident Fellow & PCJ contributing writer Ed McMahon.
