Suburban Orlando is home to what might well be the best example of the absurd development patterns of post-war America. There you'll find two houses with adjoining backyards whose front doors are separated by seven miles of roads.
"Behold: Two houses with adjoining backyards in suburban Orlando," writes Angie Schmitt. "If you want to travel the streets from point A on Anna Catherine Drive to point B on Summer Rain Drive, which are only 50 feet apart, you’ll have to go a minimum of seven miles. The trip would take almost twenty minutes in a car, according to Google Maps."
"Windy street patterns, full of cul-de-sacs and circles, have become such a ubiquitous feature of the suburbs that they mostly escape remark. But disconnected streets have many insidious consequences for the environment, public health, and social equity."
FULL STORY: Sprawl Madness: Two Houses Share Backyard, Separated by 7 Miles of Roads
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.
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Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.
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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.
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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