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Where it All Began – New Urbanism

An interesting video about the beginnings of the New Urbanism movement. The first community developed according to new urbanism concepts was a community in Florida called Seaside. This community includes things like “incubator retail.” This is a concept whereby new businesses can set-up shop in temporary buildings.  There’s no air conditioning, etc. but it’s an

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Neighborhood Impressions

Think about your childhood, your college years, your first apartment…your first love. Of course people make the memory but wouldn’t you say the “place”…the neighborhood in which these hings occurred is integral to your experience and memories? That warm sense of “place” is a vital aspect of new urbanism that for me resonates most with

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Food, Flowers and a Football Game

As I continue planning for a 25th wedding anniversary celebration in a great American city I can’t stop thinking about “family oriented” activities. Maybe that’s because over the course of our 25-year marriage most of our fun-time decisions have been driven by the desire to choose activities that would be great fun for the kids.

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Our Cities and the Romance Factor

As my 25th wedding anniversary draws closer I’m getting a lot of pressure from online and offline friends to ensure that I consider “all” my top favorite cities before I finalize plans for our anniversary trip. At least that’s their polite way of saying “you can’t be serious about choosing a rust-belt city like Cleveland

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Local Entertainment in the City

Lots of green space, walkable streets, a variety of local amenities and places to work – these are all elements of a great new urban center. There is, however, another key factor that makes an OK city a great one and that is vibrant and diverse local entertainment. Too often over the years I’ve listened

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Designed for Human Activity

When it comes down to it, one of the easiest ways to define new urbanism is the creation of places designed for human activity. Take Cleveland for example and its attempts to revitalize an economically and socially depressed corner of the city. One of it’s main corridors, Euclid Ave., empties out on the east side

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Curb Appeal

This house looks like it might be located in a rural community when actually it’s located in my suburban city – a city that has embraced new urbanism. The home is a heritage home that was renovated by someone I know to reflect the entire Main St. neighborhood which celebrates the region’s heritage. Interestingly enough this heritage area

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New Urbanism in Pictures

There are thousands documents online and in print that explain, clarify, and defend new urbanism.  I’ve always put forward the notion that the best way to promote new urbanism is to engage the very people who are meant to “buy into” this way of living. Homeowners and renters like you and I. Today’s post is

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Market Cities to Graduates

Hey there grand (but struggling) U.S. city with multiple colleges and universities in your midst, what are you doing to help keep in your cities those smart young people graduating from your schools? My daughter Hannah is about to graduate from a school in Cleveland, Ohio and then she’ll be leaving the state to return

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Plan Your Garden

Last week Trish Lindemood responded to my questions about my garden bed by posing a few of her own on HomeFarmAndGarden.com as part of our cross-blog conversation. Her questions were the kind of fundamental questions that we all should ask and answer for ourselves. The answers will hopefully help you to plan your garden for

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