Design Arrogance
What can go wrong when your community turns the wheels of a major project over to a “Grand Architect.”
Urban Design
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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Most Recent Articles
Walmart Stores Go Small and Urban
Whether you love them or loathe them, Walmart — one of the most recognizable symbols of modern suburbia — is going urban, as senior ULI analyst Edward McMahon explains.
Reflections on Portland: A Sense of Place … and More
Individuality; distinctiveness; sense of place — it’s what makes a city interesting to residents and visitors alike. Plus: creative entrepreneurship in Portland; it’s all in the details; and does Portland work for everyone?
A Tale of Three Parks
Three of Portland’s newest urban parks serve the booming Pearl District, north of downtown. Each park has its own special identity and character — the result of a thoughtful planning process.
Can Intersections Lead to Stronger Neighborhoods & Empowered Residents?
What do street intersections have to do with strong neighborhoods and empowered citizens? Aren’t intersections just for dividing up blocks, and getting traffic through? Take a look at a program that’s turned intersections on their head.
Another Side of Portland
Comparing two neighborhoods: the older, streetcar era neighborhood (discussed in the last two posts) with a newer post World War II area with a low-density, auto-centric, pattern of development.
Making Neighborhoods More Walkable – Part 2
We continue our walk, discussing Portland’s innovative design regulations; the boom in bicycle parking; and the condition of city sidewalks.
Making Neighborhoods More Walkable – Part 1
A look at how Portland has gone beyond “Walk Score” in using a detailed rating system to evaluate neighborhood “walkability” — and why one older neighborhood fares quite well.
The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 6: Pay Attention to Community Aesthetics
The more any community in America comes to look just like every other community the less reason there is to visit. On the other hand, the more a community does to protect and enhance its uniqueness whether natural or architectural, the more people will want to visit.
How Planners Plan for Historic Preservation
Preservation planner Amy Facca provides an overview of the different kinds of plans used to strengthen local historic preservation efforts.
What’s Your Community’s “John Hancock”?
Community planners and economic development professionals are increasingly identifying communities’ signature elements, including location specific historic and related sites, as well as businesses and institutions that are part of the “creative economy.”
“It’s Like Planning in a Big Doll House”
Bath, Maine, is just nine square miles in size, with a population a little under 9,000. But it has a thriving downtown and riverfront. A look at some of the ingredients that have made downtown Bath so strong.
What’s the Market Telling Us?
Ed McMahon, the Urban Land Institute’s Senior Fellow for Sustainable Development, provided a riveting talk focusing on changing trends in economic development, and how they are shaping our communities.
