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.
Small Towns as Global Cities
Small Towns as Global Cities is a happening trend. Small cities and towns have many of the attributes that appeal to businesses and entrepreneurs of the New Innovation Economy. The way small cities and towns envision themselves greatly influences their prospects in participation in the global economy. Broadband internet service and access to an international […]
Smart City Hub
Cutting edge intelligence for smart city leaders Smart City Hub is founded in 2016 to provide cutting edge intelligence for professionals and decision makers working in smart cities worldwide. On Smart City Hub, smart city leaders will get the latest news, trends and strategies about all aspects of smart cities, like city management, traffic, security, […]
Smart Growth in Small Towns and Rural Communities
Small towns and rural communities throughout the United States are looking for ways to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life, and build on local assets. Many rural communities and small towns are facing challenges, including rapid growth at metropolitan edges, declining rural populations, and loss of farms and working lands. Slow-growing and shrinking […]
Smart Microgrids for power, water supply and waste disposal
Smart Microgrids offer a small scale solution for providing power to remote areas and for serving as back-up systems for places with dependent populations such as hospitals and adult care communities. Adding modern technologies creates smart microgrids that offer adaptability, lower costs, flexibility and small scale solutions when appropriate. Microgrids also better utilize alternative sources […]
Smart Poles and Microgrids: The bar keeps rising
Smart poles and microgrids are becoming useful to small cities and towns as they improve their security, information and communication systems.The literature, the examples and the case studies of cities across America and the globe leave one with the sense of never being current. Something new is always on-line; the synergy of the many new […]
Smart Poles and Microgrids: The Bar Keeps Rising
THERE IS NO FINISH LINE. The literature, the examples and the case studies of cities across America and the globe leave one with the sense of never being current. Something new is always on-line. The answer is to create a way of life in city hall. Expect constant change; create the skills necessary to […]
So, What’s a Small, Rural Town to Do?
Finding Someone Who Cares is the Place to Start. The Challenge. There are different types of small cities and towns. The smaller, older, free-standing rural towns that are some distance from a metro area offer a unique challenge. They are, by definition, beyond the corona of a big regional city or metro area; beyond the […]
America’s 25 Most Sociable Cities
Sociable cities are generally character towns. The Social Business Report provides data and analysis on the factors that create settings for community sociability. Civility and sociability are the end result desired by city leaders, residents, business owners and visitors and the product of their nurturing work to set values that are commonly accepted, patterns of behavior […]
The Social Infrastructure Plan; An Aspiration of the City’s General Plan
The Social Infrastructure Plan is an important part of The General Plan. It is designed to leverage economic and physical assets to promote civility and sociability throughout the city. Enhancements to the town’s social capital can be programmed and measured. [embeddoc url=”http://www.theamericancity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/The-Social-Infrastructure-Aspiration.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”] FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Social Network Theory and City Planning.
Networks are essential elements of every city and town. The city planning profession does not study, in my experience, the theory and practice of network design and management anymore than it studies systems…to the detriment of ourselves and our clients. Social Network Theory [SNT] can be augmented by Metcalfe’s Law, summarized below. Though not intended […]
Social Network Theory and Metcalfe’s Law
Networks are essential elements of every city and town. The city planning profession, in my experience, does not study the theory and practice of network design and management anymore than it studies systems or sociology…to the detriment of ourselves and our clients. Social Network Theory [SNT] can be augmented by Metcalfe’s Law, summarized below. Though […]
Solar investment outshines oil: IEA
Investment in solar power is expected to overtake oil for the first time this year as clean energy spending outpaces that for fossil fuels, the IEA said in a report Thursday. While that is a welcome development, the International Energy Agency warned that investment in fossil fuels is rising when it should be falling fast […]
SOLSMART
SolSmart is a national designation program designed to recognize communities that have taken key steps to address local barriers to solar energy and foster the growth of mature local solar markets. With over 380 designees nationwide, SolSmart helps local governments and regional organizations bring new business to their community, promote economic growth, and foster the […]
Some Cities Are Pushing Back on Sidewalk Robots. Here Are Some Possible Ideas For Peaceful Coexistence
While sidewalk delivery robots promise to help reduce carbon emissions and car traffic on cluttered city streets, not everyone is excited about them, including one city traffic administrator in the Yaffa municipality of Tel Aviv. Cohen said he believed the robots should be removed from sidewalks because they made them a much less useable public […]
Sorting things out: Go ‘big’ or ‘small’ on climate solutions?
What can we do about climate change? To be effective, do we need to start and stay big? Or is it important and useful to start at home? Here are some excellent discussions of these options, the tensions between them, and ways to move beyond either-or. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Specialty Libraries like The Mercantile Library.
From CT.org…Every small city and town has the opportunity to have a library whether operated by the town, the county or a neighboring city. Libraries are one of the essential building blocks for the social, educational and cultural features of a town with character. General libraries are great; specialty libraries built on a unique feature […]
Specialty Museums and Libraries.
EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL DESTINATIONS. Libraries and museums, and co-located libraries and museums are great economic development assets. They celebrate what is unique about the town, they highlight important industries and businesses; they provide some gravitas to the region and present a strong face to the world. Libraries and museums are important pieces of the town’s […]
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.
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Starting a Village Center in a Greenfield Town
THE VISION is a mixed-use village center in a greenfield community. The idea is to envision a built-out village center with shops, restaurants, cafes, parks, churches and schools along a two-block long main street. Main street connects to a bigger, exterior road and has an intersection with four corners of buildings and open space a […]
Streets frame the town; the “main drag” establishes its character
Vision. Cities are defined in part by their roadways. Most small cities and towns have a framework of four to six important streets that support mobility throughout the community. The quality and functionality of this road network will define the city for the next century. While the network with its aesthetics, reach and functionality is […]