Author archives

I am a mid-twenty something living in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. I am a born and raised Buckeye but have recently moved to Indianapolis for work. As a true blue urbanist, I am interested in seeing our urban cores revitalize in sustainable ways - socially, economically, and physically. I also love urban exploration, taking every chance I have to get out and explore urban ‘hoods throughout the Midwest or where ever I happen to be. Professionally, I am an urban planner and designer working for a small firm in the private consulting world.

Pro-Walkable Communities Non-Profit Gets Its Legs

As part of an ongoing series to promote the non-profit Every Body Walk, I wanted to bring attention to their exciting Campaign Launch Week to be held in Washington D.C. this week from September 19-23, 2011.  As I have covered before, Every Body Walk is an online educational campaign aimed at getting Americans up and …

Non-Profit Spotlight: Every Body Walk

At this point, most Americans have heard of the country’s struggle with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.  No statistic highlights this problem better than America’s increasing obesity rates: in the 1980’s only one state had obesity rates above 20%; today 49 states do.  Time and time again, the blame for this goes to fast food and …

Pre-Conflict: An American in Libya

Considering the current events surrounding the political instability in Libya, I thought I would repost my piece on Tripoli, Libya, a place I had the opportunity to travel to for business in 2010. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Tripoli, Libya for a business trip. I went because I am working on a …

“Sex and the City” Urbanism: Human Scale the Key to Sustainable Development

If you’ve ever watched Sex and the City, you can’t help but take note of the moments when Carrie is walking to and from her Upper East Side apartment.  If you’re like me you might think ‘now that is a neighborhood I would love to live in.’  The intimate narrow streets, beautiful human scaled buildings, and …

It’s Time to Fight for Midwest Rail Transit

By early spring, construction on the fully funded Cincinnati Streetcar will officially begin, starting an exciting chapter in that City’s urban core and charting a new course for urbanism in the Midwest.  You would think this would be a time of celebration for Cincinnati as they have been fighting the good fight to bring rail …

Monument Circle Going Car Free For 2012 Super Bowl

In a fitting turn of events, the decision to pedestrianize Monument Circle has come full circle with the announcement that Indianapolis’s premiere public space will be closed off to auto travel during the week-long run-up to the Super Bowl next February.  According to Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Allison Melangton, the Committee is trying to …

The Midwest’s 21st Century ‘Place Proximity’ Asset

This article originally appeared on urbanOut. Richard Longworth’s recent article A New Year for the Midwest is particularly interesting as he dissects what 2011 may bring for many of the Midwest’s rust belt cities and their ailing economies.  While discussing the region’s antiquated manufacturing base and the need for cities to reinvent themselves around a modern …

Urban Design Lessons from Lucas Oil Stadium

A version of this story was originally published in Greater Greater Washington as part a two-part series on urban football stadiums. Visit the original story for more comments, thoughts and opinions about case studies, both good and bad, of other recently built urban football stadiums in America. The Indianapolis Colts have played in an urban football …