Public Square: A CNU Journal

06/17/2026

Grand boulevards—a reimagining of wide commercial corridors lined with aging retail, parking lots, and underused land—could become powerful engines for affordable housing, transit, and walkable communities.
Urban designer Peter Calthorpe argues that redeveloping these corridors with mixed-use housing and transit-friendly design can add millions of homes without displacing existing neighborhoods. By replacing outdated auto-oriented development and failing retail with compact, connected communities, cities can create more housing choices, improve transit access, and reduce dependence on cars.
The concept is already gaining traction through policies like California’s AB 2011, which streamlines housing development along commercial corridors.
As communities across the country search for housing solutions, grand boulevards offer a practical, scalable path forward.
See the full article by Robert Steuteville:
https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2026/06/16/grand-boulevards-promoted-affordable-housing-transit

06/17/2026

While only comprising an exceedingly small footprint in urban areas, different flavors of alleyways add livelihood and functionality to cities across the world.

Since discussing alleys’ ability to increase residential density and reduce roadway lanes is increasingly common in urbanism, this piece will set out to answer two tangential research questions:
What does a fully fleshed-out alleyway activation look like in practice?
What happens when a city attempts to repair a severed alley network?

Future Lab’s Rebel Blocks suggests nine policy recommendations to address the consequences of deactivated alleys, including “Bigger home businesses,” “Legalize coach houses,” and “No parking.”

However, the most difficult conversation is how to repair fractured city grids with vacated alleys, where private land would have to be eased or reclaimed. Very few documented cases of this exist, but pieces of it like neighborhood “walks” or pedestrian passages do.

Read the full article by Dillon Colbert on Public Square here:
https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2026/06/15/alleys-and-reurbanization-repairing-broken-urban-form

Note: Images 1-4, 7 are property of the author and were taken in 2026 in St. Louis, MO.

06/16/2026

‘Grand Boulevards’ promoted for affordable housing on commercial strips
Two studies show the enormous potential for housing fronting underutilized commercial strip arterials.

Two studies show the enormous potential for housing fronting underutilized commercial strip arterials.

06/15/2026

Discussing the potential of alleys to revive cities:

Alleys and (re)urbanization: Repairing broken urban form
The body of literature is growing, but alleyways remain underresearched and underutilized assets for American reurbanization. Regardless, these latent spaces already complete many of our favorite cities.

The body of literature is growing, but alleyways remain underresearched and underutilized assets for American reurbanization. Regardless, these latent spaces already complete many of our favorite cities.

06/08/2026

This study adds to the growing body of research that connects walkable urban design, social connectivity, and improved health.

New Urbanism boosts social connections and health
An academic survey of a Florida traditional neighborhood development shows higher social engagement and better health outcomes.

A academic survey of a Florida traditional neighborhood development shows higher social engagement and better health outcomes.

06/04/2026

Roundabouts, when used thoughtfully, can be a tool to calm traffic, reform a street network, and kickstart the construction of a mixed-use, walkable downtown. Read my new piece on how roundabouts helped to build a new downtown in Carmel, Indiana.

Carmel, Indiana, has been called the “roundabout city.” It has also built a major downtown from scratch in the last quarter-century. These two facts are related.

06/03/2026

Playa Vista: High density, happy residents
A quarter century after the iconic Los Angeles development was launched, a community survey shows high levels of resident satisfaction.

Twenty-five years after the iconic Los Angeles development was launched, a community survey shows high levels of resident satisfaction.

05/28/2026

Study calls for land use changes to improve road safety
Land use has a profound and largely unacknowledged role in the death and injury of pedestrians and bicyclists, according to researchers. There are two answers—but one is far superior.

Land use has a profound and largely unacknowledged role in the death and injury of pedestrians and bicyclists, according to researchers. There are two answers—but one is far superior.

05/27/2026

Charleston designs the future of affordable housing
Project 3500 pre-designs and pre-permits thousands of affordable housing units on city-owned land.

Project 3500 pre-designs and pre-permits thousands of affordable housing units on city-owned land.

05/26/2026

Applying New Urbanism principles to harness future growth
Here are the remarks of CNU President Mallory Baches at the opening keynote of CNU34 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 13.

Here are the remarks of CNU President Mallory Baches at the opening keynote of CNU34 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 13.