America’s Shiny Obsession: What the Boom in Car Wash Spending Says About Us
The dramatic rise in the car wash industry tells a story of how the automobile has become a reflection of who we are and how we present ourselves to the world
Why Businesses Evolve To Survive, But Communities Freeze In Time
We expect businesses to innovate, restaurants to create flashy new vibes and menus, and smartphones to have the most novel tech. So why do we resist innovation and change in our communities?
Seeing Our Streets Again: Why Walk Audits Matter More Than We Think
Walk Audits, or purposeful strolls around a community, can be the easiest and most important tool that an individual or group can utilize to identify the strengths and challenges in their community.
Wrigley Field: Baseball’s Urban Unicorn
Wrigley Field in Chicago was built before the automobile was king, and thus has virtually no parking. It is a reminder of how dense urban living and quality urban form can breed something special and unique.
Buffalo’s Metro Rail Steps Forward: The DL&W Extension and the City That’s Ready To Grow With It
A short extension of Buffalo’s NFTA Metro Rail signals an investment in the future of the city’s connectivity
Bryant Park and the Art of Thoughtful Placemaking
How meaningful design and socially conscious programming turned a seedy park into an shining example of what public space can be
A Subway in Buffalo?
Buffalo’s light rail/subway punches above its weight
How Removing a Highway Breathed New Life (and Less Traffic) into NYC
NYC’s West Side Highway project is an example for highway removal projects across the state
The Steel Renaissance: Why Amtrak is Finally Having Its Moment
5 years post-COVID, Amtrak is setting ridership records
The Always Important Marriage Of Placemaking and Programming
We can create the greatest spaces in our city, but programming them can be the difference between their undeniable success and their horrifying under-appreciation
The Heartbeat of Main Street: Saturday Morning Chaos at West Main Lanes
A recent trip to a small town bowling alley invigorated my sense of how important the third space really is to a community
The Myth of the Island: Why “Total Freedom” is a Luxury Good
Freedom and minimalist government intervention are often the product of those who inherently benefit the most from privilege in our communities
The Main Street Mirage: Why We Visit Community but Buy Isolation
Why do we vacation in one reality and live in another?
The Vanishing Neighbor: Is Your Commute Eroding Society?
How our commutes are eroding out sense of community
San Francisco: Day 1
My first full day in San Francisco was truly epic.