Welcome to the Block

I'm an urban planner. Don't hate me. Really, I'm not in it to destroy the urban environment as it currently exists. I truly want to make it a better place. And yes, I admit, we planners often attempt to plan large "redevelopment" initiatives with little respect for human scale, existing character, or the residents that inhabit the actual landscape. We do. But that's not all we do, or care about. That said, though large scale planning is often necessary to spark economic development and solve the ever increasing affordable housing crisis, it often doesn't take into account the very essence of what makes cities and urban enviroments remarkable (and nearby suburbs...but not exurbs) - the neighborhoods themselves.

That is what I want to discuss here. I want to start a dialogue. Yes, you can comment at will. In fact, it's encouraged. I want to talk about what I feel makes a great urban environment, block by block. I may even dissect a few neighborhoods as I see them, or talk about a new park, or restaurant, or condo development. How do these uses effect a neighborhood? And what about the dreaded g-word (that's gentrification, not the spot) Is it bad? Let's talk it up. Basically, agree or disagree, but most of all, talk. Ah, and don't yell. Nobody likes to hear screaming a-holes on the streets outside their door. And I don't like it here. It gets people nowhere. Trust me. I know. I've tried it.

Finally, though I've lived in three of the nation's largest cities, New York, Los Angeles and now Boston, it obviously doesn't mean I even remotely know it all. Though I hope my experiences have helped to inform me and my professional choices. I look forward to providing my thoughts, and hearing yours!

Cheers!