Fans of the new urbanism should be aware of Lenox Village in Nashville. I recently completed a case study on Lenox Village for the Urban Land Institute’s online Development Case Studies, and it is one of very few new urbanism projects that both achieves a successful mix of uses while also providing a mix of housing prices, including that which is moderately-priced. The developer, Dave McGowan of Regent Homes, clearly did his homework, and has successfully built and sold a mix of attached and detached homes, including condominiums, to various specific target markets. He takes special pride in the fact…

Easily the year’s most inspiring read for urbanists is “The Great Neighborhood Book – A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking,” by Jay Walljasper. A fellow Minneapolitan, Mr. Walljasper has been active for years finding ways to improve his neighborhood. This book, a Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) publication, provides a broad and effective array of ideas to improve cities. The Great Neighborhood Book is divided in to chapters such as Pride in Your Place and Greening the Neighborhood, but is effectively a series of one- and two-page case studies. It includes everything from a simple potluck with neighbors to turning entire…

Our family took a weeklong vacation to Boston recently, and here are just a few of the highlights of that wonderful city. Flower planters in Beacon Hill. Wandering through the narrow streets of Beacon Hill, I noticed that rowhomes often have flower planters hanging on their ground floor window sills, which happen to be at eye level for most people. This is a welcome splash of color in an already beautiful urban setting. Flowers Brighten the City Beacon Hill Street Scene The Myrtle Street Play Area. Also in Beacon Hill, Ellis and I were headed back to our hotel from…

With all the recent momentum to move “back to the city,” it is well known that those moving back to the urban core are not traditional nuclear families. In fact, they are anything but. Check any gentrifying urban area and you find everyone from young singles and couples to aging baby boomers, but very few children. This presents a conundrum when young singles and couples who want to remain in the city are faced with child rearing and the question “should I stay or should I go?” CEOs for Cities, a Chicago-based non-profit that brings together urban leaders to seek…