Rarely a day goes by without a collective crie de coeur regarding the housing affordability crisis. Less visible, perhaps in some respects because it is in some respects a niche subset, is the lodging crisis—a shortage of temporary, leased, overnight accommodations with varying amenities attached to the lodging purchase. This shortfall, no doubt, in part
Yes, this article is a filler; I fully confess. The demands of a November where I was out of the country for one-third, sick for another third, then in full Thanksgiving prep mode for the final third has made it hard for me to reach my quota. So I’m cramming this one at the end
I can’t claim I relish gruesome subjects, but when they’re as salacious as last month’s Exorcist steps, it was hard to resist. (And, I’ll admit, I needed an easy topic right before Halloween as I scrambled to meet my quota of articles before an extended trip overseas.) Most of the time, though, when I approach
All the contextual evidence suggests that Hagerman, Idaho is a minor city of at least a few thousand people. Viewing a map or aerial, the street grid shows at least forty blocks. People in the metropolis of Boise (almost 100 miles to the northwest) seem to know about the place, at least from my passing
It’s been less than a year since my article on the The Block, a small food hall in Annandale, Virginia (part of the affluent Fairfax County suburbs of Washington DC) generated a fair amount of buzz—at least by my blog’s modest standards. At that time I pointed out that The Block had bucked the trends
It’s hard to find an old single-screen move theater that’s thriving, even in affluent urban areas. When it comes to those walkable, revitalizing main street districts—where people collectively demonstrate their affection for old architecture by refurbishing and repurposing old buildings for niche businesses—the vintage movie theaters from the Golden Age of Cinema should ride the
For being a licensed city planner, I’ve avoided using one particular term in this blog common within my profession’s jargon: urban sprawl. Applying the search tool, it has only appeared as content within 72 articles—pretty rare considering that at this point in September 2025, I have produced 956 blog posts. Keep in mind, many of
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me during any previous visit, since I normally sat indoors to avoid the scorching summer sun, but apparently some people opt to eat
Continuing the spirit of the previous blog post—surveying big buildings and extolling those that look good from all angles—I migrate this time for a brief look at a building in my hometown that has always captivated me and certainly achieves minor landmark status. Most other visitors to Indianapolis who have lingered in this neighborhood have
Life at the top can be lonely and bleak…even more if one lives that life on the upper level of a seemingly completely empty parking deck, even while the businesses below it are abuzz. Take the example in this suburban shopping node: The node in question? Springfield, Virginia, which everyone in metro Washington DC knows
Rarely a day goes by without a collective crie de coeur regarding the housing affordability crisis. Less visible, perhaps in some respects because it is in some respects a niche subset, is the
Yes, this article is a filler; I fully confess. The demands of a November where I was out of the country for one-third, sick for another third, then in full Thanksgiving prep mode
I can’t claim I relish gruesome subjects, but when they’re as salacious as last month’s Exorcist steps, it was hard to resist. (And, I’ll admit, I needed an easy topic right before Halloween
All the contextual evidence suggests that Hagerman, Idaho is a minor city of at least a few thousand people. Viewing a map or aerial, the street grid shows at least forty blocks. People
It’s been less than a year since my article on the The Block, a small food hall in Annandale, Virginia (part of the affluent Fairfax County suburbs of Washington DC) generated a fair
It’s hard to find an old single-screen move theater that’s thriving, even in affluent urban areas. When it comes to those walkable, revitalizing main street districts—where people collectively demonstrate their affection for old
For being a licensed city planner, I’ve avoided using one particular term in this blog common within my profession’s jargon: urban sprawl. Applying the search tool, it has only appeared as content within
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me
Continuing the spirit of the previous blog post—surveying big buildings and extolling those that look good from all angles—I migrate this time for a brief look at a building in my hometown that
Life at the top can be lonely and bleak…even more if one lives that life on the upper level of a seemingly completely empty parking deck, even while the businesses below it are