Seaside, Florida: what’s possible when vision, tradition, creativity, adaptation, and, yes, time converge in ways that allow for careful study and consideration.
"If memory serves, it was twenty years ago this year that Seaside, Florida, first showed up on my radar. That’s fairly early if you use the typical southeastern beach goer as your guide but not so early if your measure is the people who actually made Seaside happen. Their window was considerably different. In fact, by the time I clued in in 1995, they’d been at the task for almost 15 years."
"Over the course of the past two decades, I’ve had the immense good fortune of having met many of those people — the developer, the planners, architects who’ve designed buildings there, and people involved in the ongoing sales and marketing operation. In some cases, these meetings have been fleeting but, in others, they’ve involved walking tours around Seaside, complete with commentary on not just the community’s many successes but also its weaknesses and — dare I say it — even its failures."
"That provides a terrific lens when considering one’s own thoughts on Seaside. Today I’m just coming off a return visit there where I had nothing on my plate but a week’s worth of wandering and pondering. Today’s blog presents a small collection of those thoughts."
FULL STORY: Thoughts on Seaside at 35
The Sidewalk to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
When the vision's all right but the outcomes are all wrong, zoning's often the problem. And the public realm is left holding the bag.
Place Attachment as a Tool for Shaping Change
We fight for what we love. When we’re connected in affection, we’re both more inclined and more empowered to organize.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Here the Day After That
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What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
HUD Cuts Could Derail Mortgage Underwriting Agency
Staffing cuts at the Federal Housing Administration could imperil affordable housing projects and mortgage programs for new homeowners.
University of Hawai‘i Appoints New Architecture School Dean
The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has named Mo Zell as the new dean of its School of Architecture, bringing over two decades of experience in academia, innovative educational programs, and industry partnerships to advance design education.
Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April
Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.
El Paso Wastewater Purification Facility Breaks Ground
As water supplies become strained and technology advances, cities look to wastewater as a viable source of drinking water.
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.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research