Dave Leland and Chris Zahas are contributors to Stephen Coyle and Daniel Dunigan’s new book, Sustainable and Resilient Communities, a comprehensive guidebook that provides urban practitioners and cities with tools and best practices to holistically address the environmental, economic, and planning challenges that every community faces. With a focus on strategies to support downtown revitalization [...]

On November 11, 2010, in a flurry of anticipation, ribbon cutting, and very long lines, Portland welcomed H&M, one of the world’s hottest retailers, to Pioneer Place in downtown.  Throughout the day, between 800 and 1200 people were estimated to have lined the blocks at SW 5th and Taylor to catch a glimpse of low-priced [...]

When one thinks of architectural icons that define their city and are known throughout the world, a handful jump to mind: the Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, and St. Louis Arch. That’s one of the reasons it’s been so exciting for me to serve on the jury for the National Park Service [...]

Sometimes the best things come to those who wait.  Patience, along with tenacity and perseverance, has paid off for Fred Meyer Stores, Gramor Development, and the City of Wilsonville, Oregon. Fred Meyer broke ground on Old Town Square project in August 2010, almost two decades after taking title to the land in the early 1990s.  [...]

For city dwellers, the ability to walk to get a bouquet of flowers, quart of milk, dozen eggs, or bottle of wine is a make-it-or-break-it measure of livability.  Residents of great cities around the world have long taken for granted that good food and groceries will be within easy walking distance.  Yet in the last [...]