ArchUrban
Thoughts on architecture, urbanism, and the built environment
Linear Cities
I think about city design frequently when I’m out running. A while ago I wrote some thoughts on the benefits of longer blocks, or the potential of stringing multiple blocks together to reduce the amount of automobile intersections that pedestrians (and runners) have to deal with. Sometimes I’ll stretch this out further, and think of […]
Read MoreOptimizing Population Density for Scientific Discovery and Technological Advancement
In a previous post, I started playing with thoughts around there being an ideal amount of population density — certainly more than the density of suburban development, but also perhaps less than some of the maximum densities we see in some very isolated pockets in a few North American cities. But there is obviously varying […]
Read MoreWide City Streets
Many low-traffic neighborhood streets are remarkably wide—far wider than necessary given their usage. On the scale of a single street, it already feels like a misallocation of space. Multiplied across an entire city, the inefficiency becomes striking. These broad expanses of asphalt are often encountered on a run, where every step pounds against the hard […]
Read More
Long City Blocks
As I was running through downtown San Diego yesterday, I found that I was very appreciative of the minor streets that allowed me to keep running and not require me to stop and wait for a light to change. I could have longer sections of running, which helps me get in a better workout, and […]
Read MoreCity-Subsidized Parking Garages
When a new apartment building went up in the neighborhood, it didn’t take long for the complaints to start. At the center of the backlash: the building was approved with no parking included. There are plenty of good reasons to remove parking requirements — especially in a city like San Diego, where housing costs have […]
Read MoreSmall Ribbons of Wild in the City
In the far northwest corner of Portland lies one of the largest urban parks in the United States—Forest Park. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to live right on the edge of this tree-covered paradise. Out the back door of our apartment, a trail led straight into the park, where countless other trails branched and […]
Read MoreFurniture
Furniture should play a larger role in homes. It has, for perhap’s it’s entire history, been relegated to being isolated objects to fill our empty living areas, utilized for creating places to sit, store things, to hold other pieces of furniture. It has been used to fill space, when in fact it should be used […]
Read More
Remove I-5 From Portland’s Waterfront
Portland is a beautiful city. From the enormous Forest Park to its views of Mt. Hood and the Cascades, it is a city that is connected to its surroundings and to nature…
Read More