New Urban News

A professional newsletter for planners, developers, architects, builders, public officials and others who are interested in the creation of human-scale communities.

The online articles below represent a portion of the material available in the printed version of New Urban News. To get the full printed publication, subscribe.

January/February 2009,

Vol. 14, No. 1

Key to safer roads is identified in California study

A review of fatalities in 24 cities shows that safety grows as street networks become denser.

Taking the ‘sub’ out of suburb

New Urban News asked some leading new urbanists to write open letters to President-elect Barack Obama in an effort to identify a new national agenda for urbanism. We received a number of responses.

For effective stimulus,
promote street networks

The new US administration’s economic stimulus plan is sometimes framed as a battle between roads and transit. The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) has a sensible proposal to bridge that divide — if anyone is listening.

Commentary:

Hey, kids, can I borrow a trillion dollars?

The economy’s really lame, and I want to go out and create some jobs. Can I break into your future piggy bank? I know I’ve already borrowed $10 trillion — I’m only asking for one more...

Available in print only:

Salvage malls with garages?

Andres Duany came up with a creative stimulus proposal that ties into the need to retrofit suburbia.

A house that makes a point

In the nation’s capital, Jeff Speck’s new home reconciles Modern architecture and L’Enfant’s street pattern.

Slowing down Davenport

After spending a week last August studying how to improve the downtown of Davenport, Iowa, Jeff Speck presented recommendations aimed at slowing the vehicular traffic and making the place more comfortable for pedestrians.

A ‘boomburb’ adopts New Urbanism

A suburban Texas municipality approves one of the largest applications of the SmartCode and is working on a city-wide form-based code.

Charlotte becomes a transportation leader

Road diets, a streetcar to the airport, and transit-oriented development are all being pursued by North Carolina’s largest city.

Big cloverleaf is out, tighter urban interchange is in

To create an attractive gateway to downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, and to serve the future NASCAR Hall of Fame, a 30-acre Interstate highway interchange near the city’s center is being replaced with a more compact urban interchange.

Turning alleys into neighborhood spaces

Large American cities increasingly are trying to improve the aesthetics, environmental performance, or sociability of their alleys.

Book reviews:

Views of Seaside: Commentaries and Observations on a City of Ideas

By The Seaside Institute with Andres Duany, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Leon Krier, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Witold Rybczynski, Robert A.M. Stern, et al

Self-sufficient Urbanism: A vision of contraction for the non-distant future

By Jaime Correa

The Architectural Tuning of Settlements

By Leon Krier; and

The Place of Dwelling

By Ray Gindroz

Transport and Neighborhoods

By Hank Dittmar

Also: CNU Update

Plus: • Mesa Proving Grounds • NorthWest Crossing •  Blue Back Square • Jamestown Properties • Green Street Properties • Villebois • Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards • Camden • Indian Springs • Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative • F. Barton Harvey • Riverhead • GreenWorks • James Howard Kunstler • Oshara Village • greenhouse gas reductions that included 5 million metric tons from land use and regional transportation sectors • Flora, Mississippi • Cleveland’s West Shoreway • Darrell Mussatto • Charles North Vision Plan • Biloxi, Mississippi • New Haven, Connecticut •