The Surprising Stickiness of the “15-Minute City”

I was initially skeptical of the 15 Minute City concept, which seemed like old wine in a new bottle. But I came to a different conclusion after digging into it. Thanks to Martin Pederson at Common Edge for publishing this piece, and to the World Economic Forum for republishing it—reaching tens of thousands of readers. An excerpt: “Indeed, the decentralization of work is not going to kill the city, it’s going to save it. There will be a lot of creative destruction along the way, but that is how the city renews itself: from within. The cities that don’t decentralize work …

New Position with WEF’s Global Centre for Urban Transformation

My consulting days are coming to an end (or maybe just a long pause), as I have accepted a position with the Global Centre for Urban Transformation, a new initiative of the World Economic Forum. (If you’re looking for comms and bd strategy and services, I’m happy to make recommendations.) From the 19 August 2021 announcement: “The World Economic Forum will leverage its global network of leading companies, governments, civil society organizations and academic institutions to support cities as they seek to rebuild their economies and forge more resilient communities. This includes mobilizing the global business community to commit expertise and …

An Original Influencer

I’m thrilled to contribute to a booklet honoring the career of urban planning Professor Susan Fainstein, an influencer extraordinare and pioneer of the Just City framework. I had the honor of taking classes with her at Columbia and we’ve remained friends ever since. The booklet is more than a celebration of her career but also a wide-ranging discussion about planning over the past fifty years. She has greatly influenced the trajectory of the field by teaching thousands of students, advising on at least 40 PhD dissertations, as well as researched and written influential books and articles. The video interview that …

Where Resiliency Hits the Road

I have a new piece in the Fall 2017 issue of Oculus: Should resilience officers focus on preparing for climate change? When it comes to this existential challenge, there’s not even a consensus on this seemingly basic question. “Where Resiliency Hits the Road:  How those at the forefront of adapting to climate change and natural disasters are implementing effective projects at scale.” “No other approach to design encompasses the existential concepts of time and space like resilient design. The response to climate change is necessary at all scales – from the one-acre public plaza to the regional oastline to the multi-state …

Talking Bikes, Street Design and Safety on The Common Edge Podcast

For the second episode of the Common Edge Podcast, I talk to two transportation experts who were at the forefront of remaking New York City’s streets over the past ten years. Janette Sadik-Khan was New York’s transportation commissioner under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She caused some controversy by moving quickly to redesign streets that hadn’t been changed in fifty years, most notably Times Square. In her book, Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, which is now out in paperback, Janette reflects on the conflicts she encountered along the way, including a “bikelash” in Williamsburg and attacks by then mayoral candidate Anthony …

Richard Florida on the inaugural Common Edge Podcast

I interviewed Richard Florida for the inaugural podcast produced by Common Edge Collaborative, a nonprofit established by Martin Pedersen to engage the public in architecture, urban planning and design. Richard Florida’s first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, catapulted him to academic stardom by identifying the trends that were revitalizing American cities. His latest book, The New Urban Crisis, takes a hard look at the dark side of all the trends he identified fifteen years ago, and how cities will have to solve daunting problems on a global scale. http://commonedge.org/the-common-edge-podcast-richard-florida-and-the-new-urban-crisis/  

NDC’s Non-Profit Model for Infrastructure Development

Filling the Funding Gap for Social Infrastructure By Daniel Marsh | March 1, 2017 Across the U.S., communities like Scranton need both low-cost financing and management help to build and repair infrastructure. In his first address to Congress, President Trump received a standing ovation for one of the few issues with bipartisan support: increased spending for infrastructure. As expected, his proposal relies on public-private partnerships to pay for America’s crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels and more. But even if the Trump Administration can move an infrastructure bill forward, it’s safe to say there will still be large gaps to fill. As …

NYC Zoning @ 100

I have a piece in the January, 2017 issue of Planning Magazine about New York City’s rezoning, the most ambitious inclusionary housing code in the country. Will it have a real impact? Only if comprehensive community planning comes first. Click the PDF link below. “We designed a process as much as we developed a plan,” says Adam Lubinsky, PhD, AICP, who is a managing principal at WXY architecture + urban design, which was responsible for facilitating the East Harlem steering committee and developing the plan. “The idea was to get ahead of the city’s rezoning and allow people to look …

WXY op-ed in Crain’s

New car-sharing program could put charge into NYC’s electric-vehicle use Residents of two Manhattan buildings have a fleet of BMWs to share—an amenity other properties should consider By Adam Lubinsky and Paul Lipson December 22, 2016 Electric vehicles would seem to be a natural fit for New York City. They are emission-free, virtually silent and never need to visit gas stations, which have virtually disappeared from Manhattan. EVs are also ideal for short trips. But they have not taken off here because they cost more than conventional vehicles, parking is difficult and there are few publicly accessible charging stations. The …