ARTICLES
The Original Articles archives of CharacterTowns.org presents papers that discuss practical and conceptual ideas for designing, building and managing character towns and small cities that are interesting, pleasant and prosperous places for residents, businesses and visitors.
Nine Character Main Streets in Central Florida: Design and Content
Overview of the Towns. Population. Central Florida’s character towns are of a size and age that befits their condition. Their populations range from 20,000 to 75,000 in 2021, a far cry larger than their populations upon founding. Age. Each is a “centennial” town, being over a century old. Most were built in the era of […]
NOAA Annual National Climate Report – September 2022
From CT.org…This report, like all NOAA reports, is chock full of data about temperatures, rainfall and other climate data. Check out the full report at the cited web address below. NOAA issues the National Climate Report every November. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
NOAA will spend $3 billion to fight climate change along the coast.
From CT.org…The 2022 funding cycle just closed, but there are many NOAA grant programs: ck the link below. As an example, the Approximately $11.1 million was available for about 90 new awards, pending budget appropriations, with most awards funded between $50,000 and $300,000 per year. Check out the 90 awards to see what types of […]
NOAA’s Annual Arctic Report Card
Issued annually since 2006, the Arctic Report Card is a timely and peer-reviewed source for clear, reliable and concise environmental information on the current state of different components of the Arctic environmental system relative to historical records. The Report Card is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and the general public […]
NOAA’s Updated U.S. Climate Data Will Establish “New Normal”
“NOAA will soon release a much-anticipated update of U.S. climate data for placing recent weather conditions—such as heat waves and flooding rain—into historical context. “This new 30-year dataset will span from 1991 to 2020 and is scheduled for release in May 2021. Climatologists from NOAA NCEI are currently compiling and reviewing 30 years of weather […]
Not just speed: 7 incredible things you can do with 5G
The next generation of wireless tech is more than just a boost for your phone. Think self-driving cars, telemedicine and VR reaching their true potential. You can’t walk around Mobile World Congress without 5G slapping you in the face. If there’s a phenomenon that’s dominated this week’s trade show besides the return of a 17-year-old […]
Nothing captures a small town’s character, soul and past like its museum
CharacterTowns.org has long said that local history museums are one of the central assets of every small city and town. Towns that have them need to preserve and enhance them; those without need to find a person, event, feature of the town or the thing that authentically represents the town; then celebrate it with a […]
Ocean Health Index
A healthy ocean sustainably delivers a range of benefits to people now and in the future. The Ocean Health Index is the comprehensive framework used to measure ocean health from global to local scales. SEA LEVEL RISE (SLR) is a major global concern and a pressure for several goals of the Ocean Health Index. Its […]
Olmsted Studio
Designing an American Landscape Olmsted Studio Designing an American Landscape is found in Boston. Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture and the nation’s foremost parkmaker. Olmsted moved his home to suburban Boston in 1883 and established the world’s first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design. […]
Organizing Neighborhoods
ORGANIZING NEIGHBORHOODS. The very first step to organizing a collection of homes, parks and streets that has the potential to be a neighborhood is that someone has to care. Someone has to care enough to talk with neighbors, to talk with city officials, to organize conversations and to have a personal vision of what the […]
Orlando City Commons Concept Plan
In 2013, the City of Orlando was completing the Dr. Philips Center in Downtown. The initial idea depended on a financial model that specified the properties in front of the Center along Orange Avenue must be sold for development: one on the northern edge, one on the southern edge creating a small, intimate space between […]
Overlooked No More: Louise Blanchard Bethune, Who Changed the Face of Buffalo.
From the NY Times Louise Blanchard Bethune is widely considered to have been the first American woman to become a certified architect, and she left her stamp throughout western New York and in New England. Among the architectural greats who contributed to the landscape of Buffalo, N.Y. — among them Frederick Law Olmsted, Frank Lloyd […]
Paris Mayor: It’s Time for a ’15-Minute City’
In her re-election campaign, Mayor Anne Hidalgo says that every Paris resident should be able to meet their essential needs within a short walk or bike ride. Paris needs to become a “15-minute city.” That’s the message from the manifesto of Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is seeking re-election this March. Hidalgo has been leading a […]
Paris wants to become a ‘15-minute city’
“For years Paris has been an exemplary city in terms of mobility policies. Initiatives in favor of pedestrianization and public transport led to a drop from 44% to 35% in the use of private vehicles between 1999 and 2016. And that without taking into account the globally-acclaimed pedestrianization of the Seine in 2016. Now, the […]
Paris wants to become a ‘15 minute city’
Author | M. Martínez Euklidiadas “For years Paris has been an exemplary city in terms of mobility policies. Initiatives in favor of pedestrianization and public transport led to a drop from 44% to 35% in the use of private vehicles between 1999 and 2016. And that without taking into account the globally-acclaimed pedestrianization of the […]
Parks, Plazas, Trails and Open Spaces
Citywide Amenities and Connectors The Idea of an “Urban Open Space” System. Character towns have extensive areas and lands devoted to parks and open spaces. When systematically organized, the collection of parks, plazas, school grounds, stormwater ponds, protected wetlands, lakes, streams, private lawns and gardens becomes a holistic, integrated system of lands and waters devoted […]
Partnering for Patrons: Free Rides & Admissions to Civic Venues
Partnering for patrons in small cities and towns is a way to increase ridership in under-utilized buses and to increase patrons at the city’s cultural venues. Cross-leveraging the unused capacities in the transit system and the cultural venues can increase the use of both without incurring an increase in their operating costs. Revenues may in […]
Paul Davidoff, 1930-1984.
Professor Davidoff was an advocacy planner pursuing zoning and approaches that favored people of all classes and incomes. A practitioner whose work should be appreciated today, see the UMass Boston Davidoff Tape Project. The Davidoff Tapes Project is a newly launched initiative of the UMass Boston Master of Science Program in Urban Planning and Community […]
PEARL/BROADWAY CULTURAL CORRIDOR
GOOD TIMES ARE ALWAYS BREWING Head to the river. The northern reach, that is. Leisurely stroll down the River Walk’s Museum Reach and pit stop at Pearl for local food, entertainment and fun. Explore the San Antonio Botanical Garden and parks along South Broadway, or catch a concert on the banks of the river. The […]
Pedestrian Crossings; be all in.
Pedestrian safety is rising in the conscience of everyone. More people are walking in and biking in urban areas and the transportation agencies are becoming more sensitive to their needs. Bike paths, cycle tracts, wider sidewalks and a variety of innovations are being found along public streets and highways. Soon delivery robots will need accommodation. […]