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“Pilot Projects”: Ready for the scrap heap of now meaningless buzzspeak? 22 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
Throughout my professional career, whenever a new or innovative approach is taken on a development project, its title automatically defaults to that of ‘Pilot Project.’ It occurs so often that I am ch...
Lessons from the Woods 19 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
Half-way through our family’s relocation to the woods for the month of August, placeshakers have been asking me for town planning lessons learned. It’s challenging to encapsulate a place as extraordin...
Get to Know the Awkwardly-Named “Terminated Vista” 15 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
I enjoyed a serendipitous downtown walk this week that reminded me of just how important this concept is. Seemed like a good opportunity to dust off this oldie-but-goodie. I’ll admit it: I wish there ...
Resilience: It’s who ya know. 12 Aug 2013 | 03:52 pm
If there’s one thing the 20th century gave us, it’s the luxury of not needing each other. It so defines our culture that it’s physically embodied in our sprawling, disconnected landscapes. That alone ...
Informing Excellence (Not Imitation) 8 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
The flurry of social media discussions sparked by my recent series on lessons from great cities has made it apparent that a few things aren’t clear. When I write about a particular square in some insp...
Old School Strategies for Connectivity (Hint: Batteries not required) 5 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
For years, I’ve been jotting down inverse relationships as they crop up in my professional and personal life. Here, for instance, is one from my previous career as a journalist: The quality of reporti...
Sustainability: What’s in a word? 1 Aug 2013 | 09:01 am
The places we inhabit are rarely if ever arbitrary. They’re the products of intention. Personal. Economic. Environmental. Religious. We choose for ourselves, individually and collectively, the kind of...
Cottage Simplicity: Keeping it easy, making it attainable 29 Jul 2013 | 09:56 am
We talk often here on PlaceShakers about cottage living, as well as drilling down into how to make that happen at home, with conversations like Small Y’all: A Cottage Solution to the Housing Problem a...
Extreme Makeover: Zoning Edition 25 Jul 2013 | 09:01 am
Want to get some sleep tonight? How about snuggling up with your local Development Code? Read any section, such as Sign Violations and Enforcement Procedures, and I’m willing to bet you’ll be out befo...
Going Green: What is it you really want? 22 Jul 2013 | 09:01 am
Last week I spent some time in the mountains of southern Virginia visiting my folks. That’s something I not only enjoy but find productive as well, as it affords me opportunity to further explain exac...
