All it took in many cities for development in the old days was one man who bought up bunches of land and started building houses on it, which he turned around and put up for sale. One man. Probably white and already wealthy. Several plots of farmland. Land which used to be fields and served […]
As we pass another Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and as I prepare to launch something to help us tell stories better, a small, but necessary rant. Yes, I’m a card-carrying new urbanist. I love pretty buildings, bike lanes, fancy hipster crafts, and restaurants. Yet, I’m still a black American young woman, who is tenuously […]
It’s the holiday season. You went to the mall or the mall-like replacement that’s available in your city or town. You left in one of two ways, both of which made you mad about the mall. The first way, you couldn’t get enough of the mall. You’re enamored with all the presents you were able […]
Lion, Zoo parc de Thoiry, France by Flickr user elPadawan As I sit to write this, we are looking at a March that is coming in more like a lion than a lamb. Yeah, sure, yesterday there was sun and 60 degree weather, but by noon in some accounts and later in others, there could […]
Belk at Four Seasons Mall IHOP on Hillsborough Street Two Guys Pizza on Hillsborough Street Wachovia at Spring Valley Plaza All these things used to be on the corner of something. All these places are places I made memories in. All of these places are gone or soon to be gone in their current forms. […]
Charlotte Blue Line Train arrives at the Archdale station. Photo Credit: Kristen Jeffers Cue John Coltrane’s Blue Train. The news I’m most excited about today is that construction for the Charlotte light-rail Blue Line extension is set to start in March. As you can already guess, I’m a big believer in the benefits of rail. […]
Just in time for the United States Thanksgiving celebration this week, I want to positively but honestly, give thanks to cities for what they do well and right. So why am I thankful for cities? Public Libraries Big Books by Flickr user Tim Samoff You may have seen the above picture on some social media […]
My second full day here in Buffalo was amazing. I really enjoyed the insights expressed in the morning plenary, especially by Harriet Tregoning, former DC Planning Director and working with HUD with their Sustainable Communities grants. Both presentations made it clear that millennials (i.e. the next generation) are here to stay and need to be […]
Good evening from Buffalo! I hope everyone has had a wonderful first day of the Congress. I spent most of my day writing, picking up my badge, running into old friends and I monitored the backchannel of the opening plenary from the Lobby Bar at the Statler while having a great discussion on places and community […]
Dear Greensboro, Hey, it’s Kristen. How are you? Wait, yeah, I know there’s a lot of you to go around, but in my head, the sum of your whole is the skyline buildings and the trains and scrubby trees that I see right outside my window. To be honest, it’s always been like that. When […]
Say the words mall and main street and two very different images come up. I’m going to guess the former image involves neon signs, fountains and Sbarro, while the latter may also include a fountain, but a barber pole and Sheriff Andy Taylor. Well, until recently,when popular acceptance of new urbanist principles created a hybrid […]
As I’m sitting to write this, we are one week away from the activities of the Congress of New Urbanism 22 in Buffalo, NY. Activities begin with tours, and an opening night networking event and end up with one more closing networking event. As you can tell, a lot of this conference is networking and […]
One of the best ways to get a taste of what the CNU is like is to watch one of the many videos produced at congresses over the years produced by First+Main Media. I first came in contact with their work when I watched their first episode of American Makeover TV, Sprawlanta. This was back […]
Yesterday I told you what you should see at CNU 22. This is what I personally hope to see. Vigorous NextGen Debate I’ve just volunteered myself to either do a traditional PK like I did at 2012’s CNU or a debate, on a topic somewhat of my choosing, at our Friday night NextGen gathering. I […]
