BRINGING SUSTAINABILITY AND URBANISM TOGETHER There are numerous benefits to fusing sustainable development and urban development concepts. Moreover, pedestrian-oriented, urbanist-project approaches have been vigorously embraced by many environmental groups. It is not, however, intuitively obvious to everyone why high-density, extensively hardscaped projects would be good for the environment. — Published 2009.0107
	FIELD GUIDE TO SPRAWL Words such as "city," "suburb," and "countryside" no longer capture the reality of real estate development in the United States. Most Americans inhabit complex metropolitan landscapes layered with tracts, strips, malls, office parks, and highways. Widespread dissatisfaction with speculative building has provoked many critiques, but precise terms to define the physical elements of sprawl are often missing. — Published 2007.0502
	EDGY IN LA In June 2006, downtown Los Angeles was overrun with architects in town for the National AIA Convention. When not exploring the burgeoning city center and notable regional architecture, these visitors were eagerly learning about the "next new thing" for the profession. This year's convention combined big names and varied themes to create a full agenda of educational seminars, architectural tours, trade exposition booths, and business meetings. The event drew a record 25,000 registrants to the Los Angeles Convention Center. — Published 2006.0719
	L.A. URBAN "Downtown L.A." may not be an oxymoron much longer, because when the construction dust finally settles, the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, California will have its own urban center. Ten years ago nobody would have believed it, but since an adaptive reuse ordinance was adopted in 1999 to eliminate many regulatory barriers, construction investment in downtown L.A. has ballooned to $12.2 billion. This according to a study released in February 2006 by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID). — Published 2006.0607
	NEW BACK ALLEYS The urban alley was once a ubiquitous part of the American landscape. Now many of these alleyways have fallen into disrepair or — along with the milkmen who frequented them — disappeared altogether. Over the past few years, however, this unique streetscape has staged something of a comeback. — Published 2005.0720
	SUBURBAN RENEWAL Two years ago I moved into a modest, 1950s-era, one-story house. From the beginning, my intention has been to make better use of on-site resources such as sun, rain, and soil while using the existing house and property as points of departure for my own local suburban renewal project. A primary strategy of "permaculture" central to this work is to develop what I call "chains of benefits," when single actions produce multiple positive outcomes. — Published 2002.0814
	COURTYARD HOUSING REVIVAL If an architect had designed the human hand, William Mitchell told his students at UCLA in the early 1980s, all the fingers would be equally long. Mitchell, now dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT, drew laughs for that joke because its truth was instantly recognizable: there is something standardizing in the architectural instinct. — Published 2002.0724
	RENEWED URBANISM The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) has announced its second annual Charter Awards, honoring 18 projects that represent "best practices" in urban design and planning. Award recipients represent all scales of development from individual buildings to regional plans, mostly within the United States. They illustrate elements of CNU's goal to rein in urban sprawl by promoting "walkable" mixed-use affordable neighborhoods. — Published 2002.0626
	COSTS OF "DUMB GROWTH" The Congress for the New Urbanism aims to change the way the United States builds its cities and towns. We want regions that are made of thriving neighborhoods, connected by efficient, effective public transportation. We want neighborhoods that feel alive, where people from all walks of life can cross each other's paths and meet their needs. We call this form of development "new urbanism," and the policies that support it are called "smart growth." — Published 2002.0508
	LIVABLE PLACES PROJECT The problem of homelessness in the United States remains intractable. A growing population, rising housing prices, and an uneasy economy all contribute to a scarcity of housing affordable for working class Americans. For decades, inner-city conditions of poverty, crime, and under-funded schools have encouraged those who can afford to leave to escape to the sprawling suburbs while the city centers have grown increasingly unlivable. — Published 2002.0501

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