The case for compact, vertical, walkable urban neighborhoods In the U.S., we’ve typically defined upward mobility as outward growth: larger properties, bigger homes, more cars. But as we’ve stretched out and claimed more for ourselves, it’s come at the cost of the environment and a comfortable future. Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest report on the state of the warming planet, stating: “It is unequivocal that human influe...

Placemaking can help us identify and attribute certain characteristics to growing neighborhoods. When we imagine urban green spaces, our mind’s eye may conjure up images of major parks — the likes of Central Park in New York City, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Millennium Park in Chicago, or our very own Olympic Sculpture Park here in Seattle. But often, the most beloved green spaces in cities have the smallest footprints: spaces outside our homes where we go to seek ...