Author Archive
Blank slate for a CoolTown beta community in Detroit: Some people in Detroit got tired of seeing more strip malls, subdivisions
Is this a bookstore? Ice cream shop? Art gallery? Coffeehouse?: How about a bookstore, ice cream, art gallery coffeehouse. That properly describes
Trading Spaces for Towns?: Trading Spaces Designer Genevieve Gorder to Host New TLC Series That’s right
What are the different types of lofts?: Bi-Level/New York-Style/Artist Lofts These units have lofted bedrooms and no interior walls.
What is a loft and where did it come from?: A loft was originally defined as a small space built above a
Convertible housing in Seattle?: A lot of us enjoy driving or riding in a convertible, feeling
Next generation urban housing: Urban housing for the 75%+ of the country’s households that aren’t married
The next coffeehouse – the teahouse?: Time Magazine wrote, “The old drink is having a comeback, in restaurants,
Darwin’s – A one-stop third place: Just outside Harvard Square, Cambridge, you may happen upon a crowd of
Every neighborhood needs a third place: There’s home, there’s work, then there’s the third place. Just like with
How to do a pedestrian street right: For a vibrant, active, economically successful pedestrian street (paseo), it must have
Is it time for the return of the pedestrian street?: Hundreds of pedestrian malls built in downtowns across the country in the
A Coffeehouse David vs. Goliath: This is the coffeehouse ‘David’ in Athens, Georgia, Blue Sky Cafe, an
Why do small towns and cities prefer independents merchants?: That’s certainly the case in small towns and cities, but not in
Local businesses give 70% more back to you than chains: A new retail study for a Chicago neighborhood discovered that for every
City living holds back aging?: Yes, apparently by 4 to 12 years. News articles are reporting results
See your home near transit rise in value…: A study shows that demand for compact housing near transit is likely
How do you create a great outdoor place?: Think about what makes a great indoor destination – a memorable, well-defined
Want to grow your local businesses? Print your own money: Want to build a stronger sense of community? Print your own money.
Does affordable housing mean less profitability?: Not at all, but we need to make one distinction – there’s
Where’s the heart of entertainment in Ann Arbor?: If there’s only one area to go in Ann Arbor for entertainment,
The creative side of Ann Arbor: Kerrytown: Ann Arbor is the final stop in the CoolTown five-city tour, and
Why some universities charge more than others…: …even though the educational talent is similar? Because they can. Students are
Burlington’s economy-defying pedestrian mall: What’s immediately striking for such a small town of 40,000 people is
Burlington – Best of the big city and small town: If it wasn’t for the unrelenting, frigid winters, Burlington would be too
Athfest – “#1 Campus Scene that Rocks”: That’s according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Ath Fest, a nonprofit annual music
Why does Athens have such a strong sense of community?: The business manager of Athens Weekly News, a popular local political paper,