New restaurants are striving to look like (and to be) community institutions, reflecting old-style pubs, meeting halls and marketplaces.
From Metropolis Magazine:
"Seattle's Corson Building, as much a social experiment as an eating establishment (the Web site describes it as 'a home, a restaurant, and a community'), may represent the height of the trend. The chef dishes up shared platters in a 1910 house with three communal tables and a garden and chicken coop out-side."
Writers Kristi Cameron, Belinda Lanks & Martin C. Pedersen also look at restaurants following this trend in San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Fort Worth.
FULL STORY: Great Good Places

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.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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