How a community planned in the 1920s has gracefully navigated change, offering a model for other places.

In a piece for Governing, William Fulton describes the growth of Venice, Florida, a planned community dating back to the 1920s designed by John Nolen. The community, as Fulton explains, “is one of the most famous and important town plans in American history” for urban planners and designers.
But for Fulton, the magic of Venice isn’t in its original plan; it’s in how the community has evolved and grown through the last century. “It helped me remember that the best places are those that evolve and reinvent themselves over time — a lesson that’s extremely important as we try to figure out the role of places, communities and downtowns in the wake of the pandemic.”
After the Great Depression, the town moved away from Nolen’s original Italianate architecture, adding more Modernist buildings. Since then, the community has embraced its diverse architectural history. Fulton concludes that “Sometimes it’s more valuable to lay down the pattern of public streets and public spaces upfront rather than trying to micromanage private development as today’s planners so often try to do.”
Fulton asks readers to keep Venice’s flexibility in mind as we navigate shifting urban patterns and make decisions about how to build and organize our cities.
FULL STORY: What a Century-Old Planned Community Can Teach Us About Growth

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland