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A New Pattern Language for Growing Regions

A New Pattern Language for Growing Regions An extension of the work done by Christopher Alexander and team to document successful urban design patterns in the 1970s, this wiki describes 80 patterns applicable to today's problems in urban design, such...

Posted by Michael Bates on December 26, 2023 8:16 PM

One man zoned huge swaths of our region for sprawl, cars, and exclusion - Greater Greater Washington

One man zoned huge swaths of our region for sprawl, cars, and exclusion - Greater Greater Washington Historical sketch of a planner who shaped zoning and urban design in St. Louis, the Metro Washington area, and many other cities. "On...

Posted by Michael Bates on November 8, 2019 11:56 AM

What Should I Read to Understand Zoning? - Market Urbanism

What Should I Read to Understand Zoning? - Market Urbanism Nolan Gray writes: "We are blessed and cursed to live in times in which most smart people are expected to have an opinion on zoning. Blessed, in that zoning is...

Posted by Michael Bates on April 16, 2019 3:28 PM

Why Walkable Streets are More Economically Productive -- Strong Towns

Why Walkable Streets are More Economically Productive -- Strong Towns "Visit the most thriving commercial district in any city -- the one full of shops and restaurants and people -- and I would bet that it's an area where walking...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 24, 2019 8:00 PM

Logic Mag: Model Metropolis

Logic Mag: Model Metropolis Kevin T. Baker writes: "In 1984, the developer Will Wright had just finished work on his first video game, a shoot-em-up called Raid on Bungeling Bay. In it, the player controls a helicopter dropping bombs on...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 16, 2019 3:14 PM

Surprising Approaches To Achieving Density -- Strong Towns

Surprising Approaches To Achieving Density -- Strong Towns Andrew Price writes: "I'm not anti-towers, but building up is not the only way to achieve density. Brickell [in Miami, Florida] achieves a population density of 27,302 people per square mile. In...

Posted by Michael Bates on January 11, 2018 10:02 AM

Making the Garden by Christopher Alexander | Articles | First Things

Making the Garden by Christopher Alexander | Articles | First Things The architect who developed a humane approach to architecture and city planning based on observed patterns of health and flourishing writes on the connection between an apprehension of God...

Posted by Michael Bates on November 7, 2017 2:06 AM

Nolli map as a tool for small developers | CNU

Nolli map as a tool for small developers | CNU "A Nolli Map is a two-dimensional plan drawing used to understand and document the accessibility and flow of space within a city. The first Nolli ever was drawn by the...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 3, 2017 11:45 PM

Enough With the 'Enough with Jane Jacobs' Already! | Planetizen: The independent resource for people passionate about planning and related fields

Enough With the 'Enough with Jane Jacobs' Already! | Planetizen: The independent resource for people passionate about planning and related fields Roberta Brandes Gratz shoots back at detractors of Jane Jacobs and citizen involvement in the planning process. "My favorite...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 5, 2016 6:06 PM

Jane Jacobs and the Death and Life of American Planning

Jane Jacobs and the Death and Life of American Planning Provocative comments from a professor of urban planning, but some of the best ideas are rebuttals in the comments: "...what does it say about our profession when a group of...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 5, 2016 5:59 PM

An Illustrated Guide to Jane Jacobs - Curbed

An Illustrated Guide to Jane Jacobs - Curbed Graphic illustrates key principles of urban design in Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities": Population density, mixed uses, old buildings, short blocks, eyes on the street, cities as organized...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 5, 2016 5:46 PM

The Storefront Index | City Observatory

The Storefront Index | City Observatory "In an effort to begin to quantify this key aspect of neighborhood vitality, we've developed a new statistical indicator--the Storefront Index (click to see the full report)--that measures the number and concentration of customer-facing businesses...

Posted by Michael Bates on April 27, 2016 6:31 AM

A map of San Francisco's subway system that almost was

A map of San Francisco's subway system that almost was As originally conceived in 1956, the system would have served all the counties bordering the bay, reaching from Los Gatos to Santa Rosa and all the way to Fairfield, Brentwood,...

Posted by Michael Bates on November 9, 2015 12:46 PM

Historical Metropolitan Populations of the United States - Peakbagger.com

Historical Metropolitan Populations of the United States - Peakbagger.com A chart showing the top 20 metro areas in population from the first census in 1790 to the most recent census in 2010. The lines show the path of each city....

Posted by Michael Bates on January 18, 2014 9:12 PM

Rethinking Parking | SPUR - San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association

Rethinking Parking | SPUR - San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association From a 1998 report of recommendations on accommodating more cars in San Francisco without destroying its urban advantages: "There is a lot at stake on our decisions about...

Posted by Michael Bates on January 21, 2013 10:11 AM