Published inGeek Culture·Jun 3, 2021Member-onlyPlan For Bikes As You Would For CarsA shift in perspective delivered big results in a Midwestern suburb. — Cycling makes economic sense if you design for it as comprehensively as you design for cars. If you were to imagine the person who said that last sentence, what would you see? Probably not a suburban Republican mayor, right? Yet, that quote came from James Brainard, the mayor of firmly-red…Urban Planning4 min readUrban Planning4 min read
May 26, 2021Member-onlySeize The Moment To Take Streets Back From CarsIt will never be easier than it is right now. “For cities to return to the pre-pandemic status quo would be a historic blunder,” Janette Sadik-Khan wrote last month in The Atlantic. …Cities4 min readCities4 min read
May 19, 2021Member-onlySix Principles For City BuildingA few ideas that have guided my career as an urban planner for more than a dozen years. — I’m fast approaching the 13th anniversary of starting my career as an urban planner. That milestone, coupled with the disruptions and changes to daily life we’ve experienced over the past year-plus, has me getting introspective about what city building could be all about in a post-pandemic world. Below are six…Cities7 min readCities7 min read
Oct 2, 2020Member-onlySlowing Down For AutumnSome reading to help the shift to a slower time of year. — The calendar page has turned to October. Here in the Great Lakes region, overnight temperatures are dipping into the 40s (or even the 30s in some places), leaves are beginning to change colors, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. …Seasons5 min readSeasons5 min read
Jun 30, 2020Member-onlyWhat Does The Future Hold For American Cities?What might help the places we live, work, and play rebound in these uncertain times? — It’s been a little while since I published anything here on Medium dot com. …Cities6 min readCities6 min read
Mar 31, 2020Member-onlyWhy America Must Rethink Public GoodsThe COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the folly of four decades of disinvestment in shared resources. — I didn’t write last week, and I was barely able to write this week. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has become so all-pervasive, it’s tough to think about anything else. It’s especially tough to think about the future of cities when we have no idea what sort of future we will…Cities4 min readCities4 min read
Mar 17, 2020Member-onlyWhat COVID-19 Can Teach Us About Investing In The CommunityAs disruptions spread, it’s plain to see we need to invest more in community organizations and institutions. — I was debating whether to write anything this week given what the world is encountering in the COVID-19 outbreak. We’ve all seen, in ways both major and minor, disruption to our institutions and lives, and in times such as these, the truly important things tend to come into clearer focus.Cities6 min readCities6 min read
Mar 10, 2020Member-onlySome Simple Ideas For Improving Urban TransportationThese fixes won’t take years and millions of dollars to implement. — I could watch that video of Copenhagen on a loop for hours. It’s like witnessing an urban ballet. But there isn’t a city in the United States that is on a par with Copenhagen when it comes to transportation. In researching this piece, it was infuriating…Cities10 min readCities10 min read
Mar 3, 2020Member-onlyPlan The Most For Those With The Least: Remembering Norman KrumholzThe urban planning luminary, who passed away in December, left a legacy that still impacts the profession today. — Three houses in a row had plywood nailed up over the windows, their early spring yards already showing signs of overgrowth. …Urban Planning5 min readUrban Planning5 min read
Feb 25, 2020Member-onlyMissed Connection: Killing The 3C Corridor Rail Project Was ShortsightedOhio’s urban centers are economically vital, why aren’t they better connected? — The popular narrative of the Rust Belt is one of decline, one of yesterday’s thinking and hollowed-out cities. The idea of economic vitality is regularly dismissed out of hand, and the region must struggle to change the minds of people who are not paying close attention. Challenges still exist throughout…Transportation6 min readTransportation6 min read
