ARTICLES
The Original Articles archives of CharacterTowns.org presents papers that discuss practical and conceptual ideas for designing, building and managing character towns and small cities that are interesting, pleasant and prosperous places for residents, businesses and visitors.
Urban tissue and the character of towns
From Semantic Scholar This paper is concerned with the question of identifying and describing the general and historical character of human settlements. Beginning with a brief overview of the subject, the paper examines some basic issues concerning the perception of character and its historical dimension, highlighting a number of fundamental principles. The central argument of […]
Urban tissue and the character of towns
CharacterTowns.org is always looking for definitive ways to describe and define community character and its inherent systems. “Urban Tissue” is an interesting approach that draws upon the connective features of the body as an analogy for the urban systems, the tissue, necessary for the city to function socially, economically and physically. Healthy Communities also drew […]
US firm agrees to sell 24 mini nuclear reactors to UK customers
CT.org has long supported the use of Small Modular [Nuclear] Reactors, SMRs, as supplements to primary energy systems based on wind and solar power. SMRs are smaller [read cheaper], 24/7 regardless of weather and daylight, produced in a factory to better control quality, replicable in that each SMR is not a one-off and more maintainable […]
US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty
SUMMARY. Every family should be able to live in a neighborhood that supports well-being and boosts children’s chances to thrive and succeed. Yet today too many low-income families and families of color live in neighborhoods that lack resources and instead amplify the effects of growing up poor. We lay out a proposal for a coordinated […]
Vanishing yet vital: Western U.S. butterflies in decline
When the Edith’s checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha) reaches its next flower, a few of the tiny flecks of pollen stuck to it will be left behind, pollinating the flower. However, Edith’s checkerspot is one of many butterfly species in decline, and some of its subspecies are currently listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species […]
Vibrant Downtowns; Dynamic and Multi-‐Faceted Centers for Social and Commercial Engagement
Vibrant downtowns define character towns. People seem to enjoy life in certain small town downtowns and special places with bigger cities. A vibrant main street is where society, commerce and tourism meet in a rich setting of active engagement. The interactions are enables by the quality of the street itself, the inviting-nature of the sidewalks, […]
Vibrant Downtowns; Dynamic Multi-‐Faceted Centers for Social and Commercial Engagement
Vibrant Downtowns are essential features of character towns. They are the dynamic setting for social and economic discourse with physical settings that facilitate conversations and gathers; places such as cafe’s, restaurants, libraries, post offices, plazas and parks. People seem to enjoy life in certain small town downtowns and special places within bigger cities. Main street is the place where society, commerce and tourism meet and flourish. The features of the […]
The Olmsted Conference
Beginning on American History TV, C-SPAN, aired a conference on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of American landscape architecture. The video presents Laurie Olin discussing FLO’s influence on the landscapes of college campuses across the country including Stanford. Landscape architect Mark Hough discussed Olmsted’s work on the Duke University […]
Vision-Driven Strategy
The Idea of Vision-Driven Strategy. A strategy is the general idea one has about how to implement a vision. Essentially, strategy is the “thinking” aspect of enacting a vision by planning a change, organizing individuals, preparing a campaign, launching a business or managing a city through coordinated and collaborative actions. Strategy is the pivot point […]
Walmart Billionaire Marc Lore Is Planning a $500 Billion “City of the Future”
Called “Telosa,” the urban center could potentially house up to five million residents somewhere in the American Southwest While other billionaires are jockeying to get into space, Marc Lore has his eyes on planet Earth: The former Walmart exec has announced plans to create a new utopian city in the American desert, featuring self-driving cars […]
Washington’s Oil Lobby Pivoted on Climate Change and Made No One Happy.
WASHINGTON—The American Petroleum Institute, Washington’s biggest lobby for the oil-and-gas industry, spent decades leveraging its financial muscle to fight almost every green initiative in its path. Then in March, the group signaled an about-face. It released its “Climate Action Framework,” a set of new policy prescriptions to lower emissions and support cleaner fuels. The core […]
NOAA’s Arctic Program.
The 2020 Report Card: “The sustained transformation to a warmer, less frozen and biologically changed Arctic remains clear.” “Extreme warm air temperatures in the Eurasian Arctic illustrate significant region-wide effects of year-to-year variability and connections across the Arctic environment.” ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION. NOAA Arctic ProgramThe Arctic: As used in this document, the term “Arctic” means […]
Wells Fargo to Donate $1 Billion for Affordable Housing
Three unnamed cities are on a shortlist to score a philanthropic windfall from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the scandal-plagued megabank’s charitable arm. Wells Fargo Bank has been rocked by a series of scandals over its lending in recent years: Since 2017, Oakland, Miami, Philadelphia, and Sacramento have sued the megabank over claims of predatory practices […]
What is a Makerspace?
A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools. These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment including 3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and […]
What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) – and Tips for Building One
From Zillow Accessory dwelling units or ADUs — those separate living units tucked inside a single family home or sharing land with one — are having a rock star moment. Dozens of cities and counties, and at least nine states, including California, have changed or adopted laws that make it easier and more attractive for […]
What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) – and Tips for Building One
Accessory dwelling units or ADUs — those separate living units tucked inside a single family home or sharing land with one — are having a rock star moment. Dozens of cities and counties, and at least nine states, including California, have changed or adopted laws that make it easier and more attractive for homeowners to […]
What is Ocean Acidification?
From…Yale Center for Environmental Communication https://yaleclimateconnections.org/ What is ocean acidification? It’s a problem that threatens entire ecosystems. “In 2007, baby oysters began dying by the millions at the Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery on the Oregon coast. “At first, the owners suspected bacterial contamination was to blame. “Once they partnered with academics and other regional managers, they […]
What is the future of urban life in the post-pandemic city?
“As an update to our previous Gensler City Pulse, we conducted a survey of 10 cities in February 2021 to see how urban residents were doing as the world approached one year of living with COVID-19 and mass vaccinations began in many countries. “Twenty-eight percent of residents surveyed across 10 cities around the world are […]
What Makes a Good Main Street Work?
“Shortly before this essay’s original posting, I participated in a terrific conference called From Main Street to Eco-Districts: Greening Our Communities, hosted by a chapter of the American Institute for Architects in Corning, New York. Held a block off of Corning’s own, magnificent “Main Street” (actually named Market Street), and including many of the people […]
Where Are the Safest Neighborhoods in Boston? by Raleigh Werner
West Roxbury, Allston/ Brighton and Dorchester top the list for “safest” neighborhoods in Boston. “Safe” is always a murky term since you can’t quantify safety purely on the amount of crime in an area — however, a lot of renters who reach out to me asking about safety cite crime as the primary metric they’re […]