Public Square

These articles are posted with permission from the Congress of the New Urbanism (CNU) and originally appeared in CNU's online journal, Public Square. They are posted for information purposes only. CNU is solely responsible for the articles' content.

Displaying Items 1-15 (of 41)

Town Extensions with Urbanism are a Great Idea

Public Square

February 7, 2024

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Towns and cities used to grow by extending their street grids. Sprawl makes it harder, but many opportunities still exist. Why don’t we have more of this kind of development?

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Town Converts Parcel into Downtown Hub

Public Square

January 8, 2024

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

A sold-out concert by soul music legend Gladys Knight opened a new 2-acre park in Douglasville, Georgia, recently—that’s a good sign for the multipurpose public space in the county seat 30 miles west of Atlanta.

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A Blueprint for Small-city Reinvestment

Public Square

November 3, 2023

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

A  city in southern Georgia is redeveloping with the help of a Transect-based, walkable urban plan.

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The Infrastructure of Community

Public Square

September 12, 2023

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Porches and sidewalks are often ignored or dismissed, but they have important roles in building community.

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Shining a Light on Parking Reform

Public Square

July 17, 2023

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Motivated by concerns over housing affordability and climate change, big cities and small towns are eliminating parking requirements. The reform has just begun—especially in the suburbs.

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Parking Reform is Snowballing

Public Square

April 12, 2023

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Parking reform is gaining substantial momentum even in recent months—a policy development that will impact missing middle housing production, reuse of old buildings, and vehicle miles traveled, experts say.

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The 15-Minute City, Why Does it Matter?

Public Square

February 16, 2023

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

In a world where cities and towns are geared to automobile travel, “the 15-minute city” is gaining momentum as a planning and transportation concept that focuses more on human-scale access than mobility.

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How Physical Activity, Land Use, Transportation, and Zoning Intersect

Public Square

December 15, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Zoning rarely gets discussed as directly related to health, but communities that have reformed their codes see health benefits, from reduced rates of cancer to greater physical activity—which in turn lowers disease and improves mental health.

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Eleven Principles for Places Recovering from Disinvestment

Public Square

September 27, 2022

Steve Mouzon, Principal, Mouzon Design

Atlanta's Cabbagetown neighborhood serves as an example of how cities can revitalize those places in their communities that have experienced serious disinvestment. The key? Remain true to the character of the place.

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Restoring a Lost Square

Public Square

August 26, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

What can be done when a historic courthouse town has been robbed of its square? In Clarkesville, GA, input from public officials, citizens, and business owners has resulted in a 75-acre plan to restore the town's public space. 

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Building the Beloved Community in Atlanta

Public Square

July 29, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s home of Westside Atlanta, a nonprofit is partnering with the city and public and private organizations to transform disadvantaged neighborhoods using a new urban design plan.

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Receiver Places: Planning for Climate Migration

Public Square

May 31, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Receiver places, a term coined by urbanists for communities likely to gain migrants as climate problems grow, refers to not just physical places but also a process of preparing for change.

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Shift to the Suburbs Not Your Grandfather’s Sprawl

Public Square

April 5, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Core cities are losing population to the suburbs, but the 2020s will not repeat the last half of the 20th Century. The suburbs are bound to urbanize.

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Five Keys to a Successful Master Plan

Public Square

February 14, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

Macon has been transformed by the Master Plan for Beall’s Hill, which helped tear down the walls between Mercer University and a disadvantaged neighborhood.

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Pre-approved Accessory Units Streamline Small-scale Infill

Public Square

January 19, 2022

Robert Steuteville, Congress for the New Urbanism

The idea of a municipality offering pre-approved plans for small-scale infill development offers potential for revitalization of communities of all sizes.

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Displaying Items 1-15 (of 41)