by ronb | Jun 28, 2023 | Cities
Ever since Disneyland opened in 1955, the Disney effect has exerted a powerful pull on urban design. Cities and developers have increasingly embraced the notion of controlled environments where everything is color coordinated, meticulously maintained, and programmed...
by ronb | May 31, 2023 | Cities
Housing is by far the number one issue we hear about in cities across the country. Public housing transformation, specifically the challenge of turning around troubled projects into thriving mixed-income communities, is one of the most instructive and consequential...
by ronb | May 31, 2023 | Cities
Most North American cities are laid out on a city grid, and that urban planning decision, made centuries ago, still shapes daily life in ways most residents never think about. We explore the roots of North American city grids in the opening episode of the Saving the...
by ronb | May 17, 2023 | Cities
What is a smart city? The term itself is a marketing moniker created by IBM around 2009 to promote the use of big data to local governments. The phrase has been widely adopted ever since, but the reality of smart city technology is more complicated than the branding...
by ronb | May 3, 2023 | Cities, Solutions
Urban freeway removal is one of the most consequential and quietly exciting movements reshaping North American cities today. As many urban freeways pass the 50-year mark and reach the end of their useful lives, cities across the country are choosing to replace rather...
by ronb | Apr 19, 2023 | Cities
The 15 minute city is one of the hottest concepts in urban planning today, and for good reason. The idea is simple: every resident should have access to work, shopping, recreation, education, entertainment, and health care within a 15 minute walk or bike ride from...
