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.
Study suggests trees are crucial to the future of our cities
EXCERPTS… “The shade of a single tree can provide welcome relief from the hot summer sun. But when that single tree is part of a small forest, it creates a profound cooling effect. According to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, trees play a big role in keeping […]
Summary of Universal Professional Planner Skills.
Every profession has an approach for preparing its in-coming professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary for success. The process for developing the education and training programs designed to produce high quality professionals in any field include a vision of prototypical practitioner, the strategy for producing such a person and the actions necessary to achieve […]
SUPERIOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Towns are Teachers
The Vision of the “City’s Schools”. Schools define a town. Smart kids are the hallmark of a character town. Grass and trees enhancing a well-kept schoolhouse convey the community’s value of education, its honor for children and teachers and its dedication to the future. The character town’s vision is that each child in the city […]
Survey – Encore Careers
Lisa Dilts, founder of Compspring, in conjunction with Diane Trees, Ed.D., Associate Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at the University of Central Florida, have developed the idea that as people reach retirement age, they are looking for the next act of their play; they are looking for an “encore career”, potentially in a new city or […]
Sustainability Considerations for Neighborhoods.
RECOGNIZE CONTEMPORARY CONDITIONS. Twenty-first century American society is starting from a dynamic base of societal norms. Human rights, geopolitics, technology and a changing climate are starting to make impressions on individual lives. Artificial intelligence is creeping into society. However, many historic norms have remained fundamentally sound. Entrepreneurialism, the desire for safe and decent neighborhoods, personal […]
Sustainable Urbanism
The confluence of sustainabilty and urbanism offers a rich framework for planning, designing, building and managing small cities and towns. From sustainability theory we get three ideas: • From Thomas Jefferson we get the aspiration that we should make decisions as though we loved our seventh generation of decendents. • The Rio Earth Summit in […]
Sustainable Urbanism…Social
CharacterTowns.org is devoted to the ideas and ideals of sustainable urbanism and especially the social sphere of the system. Robert Merton is a social scientist who contributed to fulfilling the social sphere of sustainability. “Best known for developing theories of deviance, as well as the concepts of “self-fulfilling prophecy” and “role model,” Robert K. Merton […]
Sustainable Urbanism…Sociology and the Social Sphere of Sustainability.
CharacterTowns.org is devoted to the ideas and ideals of sustainable urbanism and especially the social sphere of the sustainability system. Sociology and thereby sociologists have a great deal to add to the urban planning profession and practice. It is a bit bold to presume that cities can be planned and designed without at least a […]
Sustaining Affordable Housing and Neighborhoods.
THE PROMISE OF A DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOME. Housing the Nation’s people in a decent, safe and sanitary home has been an American priority at least since 1949, that’s seventy years. THE CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME. The promise is not being fulfilled. Providing affordable housing for the town’s residents is the challenge of the […]
Sustaining Affordable Housing and Neighborhoods.
THE PROMISE OF A DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOME. Housing the Nation’s people in a decent, safe and sanitary home has been an American priority at least since 1949, that’s seventy years. THE CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME. The promise is not being fulfilled. Providing affordable housing for the town’s residents is the challenge of the […]
Sustaining Character Neighborhoods.
VISION: NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY. A sustainable neighborhood has its physical, economic and social spheres of activity in balance. The neighborhood’s natural system is preserved and used to provide economic value through enhanced property values. The physical features offer efficiency by using natural systems to collect and dispose of stormwater, improve water quality and enhance community aesthetics. […]
Sustaining Safe Neighborhoods.
THE RANGE OF SAFETY ISSUES. Small cities and towns have experience employing their police, fire and rescue teams to protect their citizens and businesses. The arising array of natural, social, broadband and transportation dangers presents new challenges intellectually and fiscally. PARTNERSHIPS. Small cities and towns usually have limited resources to devote to newly arising issues. […]
Sustaining the Economic Value of Neighborhoods.
INTRODUCTION. Property values are one proxy for the overall quality of a neighborhood. Residents enjoy property value appreciation, excepting of course the resulting higher annual tax bill. Factors that maintain or improve property values are good surrogates for sustaining and enhancing overall neighborhood quality. FACTORS THAT PROTECT AND ENHANCE PROPERTY VALUES. Residential property values depend […]
Sustaining the Neighborhood Sociable.
NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIABILITY AND CIVILITY. Intent and purpose are the key factors in establishing the lifestyle of a neighborhood. People must want to be friendly. Given the proper intent and purpose, sociability almost emerges by itself, unaided by programmed activities, enabling facilities or community services. However, designing places and spaces that accommodate and encourage people to […]
Systematize Everything
Downtown is a System of Systems. Main street businesses and districts have marketing systems, infrastructure systems, regulatory systems and organizational systems, among others. Accepting this reality, the study of systems and the application systems analysis is useful when addressing the plans, programs, facilities and services provided by downtown private, public and institutional organizations. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Systems Thinking; The City is a System of Systems.
Systems Thinking is a learned skill. Systems thinking and creative thinking are the yin and yang of thoughtfulness; apparently conflicting but actually complementary. Systems thinking is about structure and discipline. Creative thinking is about organic free-form exploration and associative ideating. Like the duality of yin and yang, when practiced correctly, systems and creative thought are […]
Systems Thinking.
THE CITY IS A SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS PURPOSE: This is not a tutorial on “systems analysis”; it is notification that systems analysis exists as a refined discipline that should be understood and used by the city-building professions. SYSTEMS THINKING: When advising clients…policy makers and master developers…on a course of action, systems thinking or systems analysis, […]
Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
If you want to see an extensive and well-presented to-do list, check out President Biden’s Executive Order from January 27, 2021 using the link below. Every planner, project manager and administrator can benefit from reviewing this document. It is an object lesson is action planning and getting started quickly on a new job; remember, Inauguration […]
Tactical, High-Impact Improvements for Small Town Main Street
from Opticos Design “Not all planning projects are costly or take years to complete and/or implement. Small, tactical moves can make a big impact in a small amount of time. The Main Street Concept Plan for the City of Colfax, California is an example where simple tactical design concepts were successfully used to improve an […]
Technology Headed for City Hall.
TECHNOLOGY FOR TOWNS. Small cities and towns will evolve beyond the fear of change to accept the benefits of new technologies ranging from social media to autonomous vehicles to robotics to drones to new business models for e-commerce on mainstreet. The blockchain, “smart poles” with sensors and Wi-Fi, microgrids, smart solid waste systems and smart […]