How Allan Jacobs' observation of cities can improve urban design

🍁 Seasonal Transitions and Urban Dynamics in New York As autumn arrives in New York, the changing season brings not only visual beauty but also subtle transformations in the city’s urban dynamics. The shift in temperature and daylight influences how people move through public spaces, how parks and streets are used, and even how energy demand fluctuates across neighborhoods. For those of us studying or working in urban planning, this seasonal change offers valuable insights into the adaptability of cities. Observing patterns of mobility, outdoor activity, and environmental response during this time helps us understand the importance of flexibility and resilience in urban design. New York, with its dense urban fabric and diverse population, becomes a living laboratory for how cities evolve with nature’s rhythm — a reminder that urban systems and ecological systems are deeply interconnected. #UrbanPlanning #SustainableCities #UrbanDesign #Resilience #AutumnInNewYork #CityPlanning

#FoundersFriday "The greenest building is the one already built." 🏛️🌱 Last night, we had the chance to meet and learn from Brett Waterman the force behind #Restored on Magnolia Film Networks and a champion of architectural preservation. Brett reminded us that great design doesn’t need to be reinvented, it needs to be respected, understood, and adapted. As Louis Sullivan once said: "Form follows function." And when that function evolves, preservation offers a way to meet modern needs without erasing our architectural soul. We both agree: with so many underutilized commercial buildings across our cities, this kind of thoughtful reuse must happen at scale. Thank you to Brett and Pasadena Heritage for another conscious and thought-provoking evening. Advocacy + education = better decisions, better urbanism. 🎥 Here is a quick clip from the night. ➡️ Got questions about real estate — from Adaptive Reuse and preservation to leasing, investing, or redevelopment? Whether you are just exploring or ready to move, let us talk strategy. 📩 #PreservationIsProgress #AdaptiveReuse #SustainableDevelopment #PasadenaHeritage #Restored #CommercialRealEstate #HistoricPreservation #UrbanRevitalization #CREStrategy #BetterCities

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 🚶🏻♀️➡️🌳⛲ Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch the movie The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC. Produced in the 1980s by William H. Whyte, an urbanist and city planner, the film is based on his research on human behavior and city dynamics. It shows the basic components that a successful public space should include: seating areas, trees, water, mixed uses, conections with street, food, people, and of course, the triangulation between these elements. The short documentary, recorded in a light, clear, and humorous tone, presents the author’s analysis of human behavior in relation to the shapes of public spaces in NYC and other large U.S. cities. One highlight was how urban planners tried to create public spaces on levels above or below the street, prioritizing automobile circulation. These spaces often failed because, although they included seating, trees, and some of the main components listed above, they were not at street level, meaning they lacked connections. This reinforced one of the central messages of the film: the success of public spaces depends not only on their design features but also on their integration with the street. Without this direct connection, even well-equipped plazas risk becoming isolated and underused. #urbanspaces #publicurbanspaces #streets #nyc

Curious how Tier‑3 cities are being reimagined for modern living and investment? 🌟 Dive into the new wave of urban regeneration—where strategic plot amalgamation unlocks smarter land use, main street redesign breathes life into neighborhoods, and cutting-edge funding models enable ambitious, community-centered projects. This transparent, practical guide reveals how city leaders and architects are combining innovative planning, active street design, and participatory financing to foster vibrant economies and improved quality of life. Case studies and actionable insights show how even small cities can attract footfall, spur local business, and build spaces for everyone. Find out how transformation happens—step by step! Read the full article now: https://lnkd.in/dCSdDsnn #UrbanRegeneration #SmartCities #MainStreetDesign #ArchitectPlusInterior #FutureCities #CommunityDevelopment

Public spaces can help shape human behavior. Landscape architects design public spaces to function physically and empower people psychologically. Safety, amenities, and beauty are all elements of successfully designed places that encourage human connections. Skate parks become natural social hubs for youth and the young at heart, turning individual recreation into shared experiences. Project: Wilkes-Barre West Side Riverfront Parks Master Plan #LandscapeArchitecture #LandscapeDesign

Designing urban environments with the brain in mind Urban change is more effective when it aligns with how people think, feel and act. The short guide 9 Surprising Behavioural Insights to Transform Your City, authored by Josephine Yilan Liu of Transformative Cities, distils nine human tendencies that citymakers can translate into practical design and programme choices. Written for mayors, planners and street level thinkers, it focuses on behaviour driven urban transformation. The insights are clear. Reciprocity and altruism can be made visible through time banks, repair cafes and pay it forward schemes that normalise mutual aid. Predictability reduces stress, so consistent layouts and wayfinding help people navigate with less effort. Group identity shapes belonging and can be channelled with shared rituals and culturally grounded murals. People learn by watching, so transparent recycling and public skill demonstrations show what good practice looks like. Prestige matters, which means recognising local role models and eco friendly businesses in public space and communications. Places anchor meaning by telling shared stories through civic squares, memorials and cultural hubs. Brains need restoration, so micro restoration zones with shade, greenery, water or quiet side streets support daily recovery. Curiosity thrives in environments that invite discovery through hidden paths and rotating art. Joyful engagement matters at every age, from musical benches to interactive sculptures and pop up games. The thread running through the guide is precision. Small, legible moves at the scale of a few metres can nudge behaviour without coercion. The author calls this a three metre shift and uses it to show how targeted interventions can unlock trust, empathy and collective energy in public space. Beyond the practical guidance, the text invites a deeper way of seeing the city. It reminds readers that the urban fabric is not static but layered with human emotion, memory and interaction. These layers give cities depth and reveal how behaviour and environment continuously shape one another. For anyone working on the city, be it alone, with colleagues or in co production processes, it is a timely reminder of how cities can and should be designed to bring out the best in people. #CognitiveUrbanism #UrbanDesign #BehaviouralInsights #CityMaking #PublicSpace #Planning #HealthyUrbanism #PlaceMaking #CommunityResilience

Ever wondered how mixed-use developments can redefine urban living? In Arlington Heights, a new project is doing just that. By blending residential, commercial, and community spaces, it's creating a dynamic neighborhood. From my work in real estate, I've learned that successful mixed-use projects focus on community needs. They offer diverse amenities and encourage social interaction. Key strategies include: 1. Thoughtful design integration. 2. Flexible spaces for evolving needs. 3. Strong place identity and branding. These elements create vibrant, sustainable communities. How do you see mixed-use developments impacting your area? #Sustainability #CommunityBuilding

Why Urbanism Matters Now Urbanism is more than a design philosophy. It is the practice of shaping cities around people instead of cars, and the impact touches every part of daily life. When we invest in walkable neighborhoods, families gain safer routes to schools and parks. With transit access, workers save time and money on their commutes. Add public plazas and local markets, and communities suddenly have spaces that bring people together. This is not just about aesthetics or convenience. It is about equity, resilience, and opportunity. Cities that prioritize urbanism see stronger local economies, healthier residents, and deeper community ties. Birmingham has an opportunity to lead in the Southeast by embracing people-first planning. Every decision about zoning, transit, or housing is a decision about who our city is built for. 👉 What is one change you would make to your neighborhood to make it more people-first? #UrbanDesign #Urbanism #BetterBirmingham #CompleteStreets #MobilityForAll

What if a street could be a forest? In Park Slope, between Middle School 51 and the Old Stone House, a short dead-end street sits quietly between school and park — a space designed for cars that no longer need it. #WhatIf we de-mapped it? What if this stretch of 4th Street became a shaded outdoor classroom — an ecological corridor that captured its stormwater, expanded learning, cooled park and the city, and united communities? #the4eST or #the4eSTon4TH is a vision to transform this single block into Brooklyn’s first urban classroom forest — a prototype for how we can repurpose redundant pavement into civic, ecological, and educational infrastructure. Imagine: 🌳 Trees that teach. 🌧️ Rain that recharges. 🧒 Students who learn by living the landscape. The idea isn’t just to plant trees — it’s to reframe how we value streets as public land, capable of serving life rather than vehicles. Because the future of resilience won’t be built — it will be grown. A vision by WhatIfstudio 📍 4th Street between 4th & 5th Avenues, Park Slope 🌿 Reforest the streetscape. Reimagine the city. #the4eSTon4TH #UrbanForest #DemapToReforest #GreenInfrastructure #ClimatePositiveDesign #LandscapeArchitecture #DesignWithNature #PublicRealm #CivicDesign #ParkSlope #Brooklyn #EducationDesign #CommunityDriven #ResilientCities #WhatIfstud_io Shahana Hanif Brad Lander David Vega-Barachowitz Andrew S. Gounardes Zellnor Y. Myrie New York City Department of Transportation Denis de Verteuil, AICP, LEED-AP WXY NYC Department of City Planning NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Transportation Alternatives Kathy P. American Society of Landscape Architects ASLA-NY

How can design impact the housing crisis in the US? Gerhard Mayer collects many ways into one compelling read. I especially love the call to rethink procurement, away from business development strategies that favor repetition, in favor of competitions (with fee transparency) that call for innovation! “The housing crisis reveals the limits of a system that confuses market efficiency with civic progress. To fix it, the U.S. must restore design’s role as a force for imagination, inclusion, and the public good, so that our cities reflect our highest aspirations.”