While I agree with Tim Davis about the importance of comparative study, it’s hard to beat the Portland/Vancouver region as a laboratory for exploring the possibilities in city building. I’m anxious to read about what you see happening out there. Have fun covering this beat.

I hope you share insights from other cities, as welll; we learn the most by far when we travel.

The one thing that planners need to realize is that there is only ONE common element shared by every single great neighborhood or public space on Earth. It’s not a certain type of architecture, high density, low density, transit, or any number of other factors often cited. The one common element shared by ALL great public spaces is: pedestrian-friendliness. Simply put, if you approach an area that’s nothing but cars, you want to either avoid it or speed right through it along with everyone else. If, however, you approach an area that’s full of pedestrians, you are naturally drawn to it.

Let’s try to figure out ways to get people out of their cars as often as possible; it will ALWAYS have a huge positive effect on every place in which this occurs.

I’d also love to read about SMALL detached homes; it’s a massive untapped market. Not everyone wants a condo or an apartment. We can’t expect to keep building 3000-square-foot homes 30 miles away from where we work; this model is guaranteed to fail extremely soon, and we need to, well, PLAN for a far different future. 🙂