Who better to talk with about Missing Middle Housing than the man who coined the term, colleague Dan Parolek? Talked MMH, #MediumScaleMediumDensity, and cities. Then toured Dan and Ben Bolgar around Detroit to explore new projects and the city’s evolving development landscape.

A major challenge in city building is transforming our older #mainstreets and arterials. Do we revive these 1–2 story buildings or rebuild with new forms that redefine the corridor? Cities across the country, especially the traditional Midwest cities, face this difficult crossroads.

A major challenge in city building is transforming our older #mainstreets and arterials. Do we revive these 1–2 story buildings or rebuild with new forms that redefine the corridor? Cities across the country, especially the traditional Midwest cities, face this difficult crossroads.

We call it a housing crisis, but the real crisis is the gap between what cities know works and what they’re willing to approve. It’s not a shortage of solutions, it’s a shortage of political will. The solving needs tall and short, big and small, old and new. All structures on deck.

New Transportation Research review: Better bike lanes and transit don’t reduce car use.Cycling rises, but “This is mostly because many of the new cycling trips come from people who previously used public transport, which was a pattern repeatedly observed in European cities. “ road.cc/content/news...

Excellent synopsis of an influential career and legacy.

Frank O. Gehry We lost an architectural giant yesterday. Known for sculptural icons like the Bilbao Museum, he was shaped early by the art world. I always admired his “decompositionalist” phase: Aerospace Museum, Loyola Law school, Schnabel Residence, simple forms arranged into bold complexity.

Day 1 at the Canadian Urban Institute’s State of Canada’s Cities Summit was, as usual, great. On my panel I spoke on how Windsor + Detroit are bound by shared culture, and how seeing the river as a “seam” can unlock so much potential due to their position on the Great Lakes. #citybuilding

Day 1 at the Canadian Urban Institute’s State of Canada’s Cities Summit was, as usual, great. On my panel I spoke on how Windsor + Detroit are bound by shared culture, and how seeing the river as a “seam” can unlock so much potential due to their position on the Great Lakes. #citybuilding

Creating Authentic Places. Authenticity is a word that we tend to throw around, quite often, mindlessly. But, what is it? In today’s climate when does one know that they’ve achieved it? And, can you achieve authenticity when you’re actively trying to do so? Something to ponder.

We call it a housing crisis, but the real crisis is the gap between what cities know works and what they’re willing to approve. It’s not a shortage of solutions, it’s a shortage of political will. The solving needs tall and short, big and small, old and new. All structures on deck.

Urban Designers need to incorporate play into urbanism. It’s vitally important that our public spaces, especially our streets, be designed for users of all ages. #todayspublicspace #cities #urbanism

*SPOILER ALERT*: …No. From strip malls to parking minimums, road rage to the “war on bikes,” designing cities cities around cars has created endless physical and emotional fallout. Prioritize walking, rolling, biking, transit, driving. Then…Design Safe Streets! usa.streetsblog.org/2025/11/20/o...

Studies show that people living within walking distance of parks are 47% more likely to meet recommended physical activity levels

Dundas St. Woodstock. #todaysmainstreet shows how smalltown main streets still have strong bones: historic buildings, reuse potential, and room for new housing to support local retail. Some are doing well, others are struggling. How do we help small town mainstreets thrive again?

#Thanksgiving in the D is one of my favorite days. Events like America’s Thanksgiving Parade (started 1924) show how streets are vital public spaces. Floats and bands on Woodward Ave., ice skating and Xmas markets at Campus Martius, and the Lions’ 1934 tradition make the day a fave.

Active mobility in general, and biking specifically, is an important component of successful city building. It’s often met with derision by those intent on maintaining the primacy of the automobile. So, here’s your comebacks for all those anti-bikers! momentummag.com/your-comebac...

This never ceases to awe me whenever I exit Russel Square Station #London: 4 storey mix use. Integrated urban transit station. Vertical, narrow townhomes. Sidewalk vendors. All in a 1 block street frontage. Just do this. Everywhere. All the time. #mediumscalemediumdesnsity #GlobalUrbanStudy

My recent interview with CBC Windsor Morning’s Amy Dodge discussing Windsor’s One-Way to Two-Way street conversions in the Downtown and the neighbourhoods. An important move for safety and livability. Have a listen. www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

Passages, arcades, mews, lanes, and walks shape London’s fine-grained connectivity. These routes invite wandering, add mystery between major streets, and enrich the pedestrian experience. Their mix of retail, culture, and quiet spots strengthens local life and urban texture. #globalurbanstudy

#todayscoolcoffeeshop A return to one of my fave coffee shops. Ground Control, London. 300 square feet. Sits 8, technically(6 realistically). Tucked into the neighborhood. Brought back memories of my first visit a decade ago when I sat, made notes, and sketched the day away. #GlobalUrbanStudyMonth

A Brighton day trip revealed a city-by-the-sea with its own urban vernacular. Beyond tourism, housing colors, bold wall graphics, and a mix of neighborhood, independent, flea-market, and global retail define its core. All before you get to its distinctive rock-ladened beachfront. #globalurbanstudy

A night visit to King’s Cross shows Western Coal Drops Yard as a standout #adaptivereuse project. Once 19th century coal sheds, now connected by glazed spaces and terraces, the retail bays create a distinct rhythm and help define one of London’s most dynamic emerging districts. #globalurbanstudy

A slight #designdiversion My travel playlist, Sounds of the City. London Edition. Each song a reminder of the city and the experience of traveling to and throughout the UK. Definitely personal, and on-the-nose, but fun nonetheless-the-less.

#TheFutureOfRetailIsSmall. Studying London’s ground floor conditions, I noted in Spitalfields’ 9–12 ft shops thriving as ideal spaces for independents. These right-sized units, here lining a parking entry ramp, show how small formats help create vibrant, unique, amenity rich urban locales.

A Saturday trip to #portobelloroad always makes me think about colour and place. Vibrant home colours with contrasting doors make a unique #nottinghill vernacular, echoed in the market’s vibrant wares and foods. An immersive lesson in putting “unity” in community. #globalurbanstudy

I’ve long admired this Bloomsbury adaptive reuse project. Once a Daimler car hire garage with a striking curved ramp, it later housed McCann’s London offices and now continues with new uses. A great Art Deco example, it shows how well older structures can evolve. A fave in my adaptive-reuse studies.

While in London studying ground floor urban conditions, I reflected on how revisiting a place deepens my understanding, and reshapes my #urbanstructurediagrams. This Bloomsbury sketch maps connections, landmarks, vistas, and densities in a richly walkable, transit served, amenity filled district.

Although this article is about California, the issue of the interrelationship between traffic and transit/housing is the same in most of our North American context. cal.streetsblog.org/2025/10/23/t...

A slight #designdiversion — As a kid, I loved comics set in real cities like NYC. I’d fixate on the backgrounds more than the heroes, then I’d hunt down those buildings in real life. My early fascination with color, architecture, and perspective still informs how I see city design today.

A city says “Enough is enough!” “BICYCLIST HIT, KILLED BY VEHICLE ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE”, read the KSAT News headline on April 2, 2025. San Antonio embarks on a Bike Network Plan to save lives in an auto focused city. Orher cities should pay attention. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/31/p...

Activate the edge. Important to the success of downtowns and main streets. Brings vibrancy, activity, and interest to the pedestrian. Having long stretches of inactivity and blank walls kills the pedestrian experience and pretty much dooms many commercial districts. Seems obvious…and yet..

#MediumScaleMediumDensity: 3–5 story residential or mixed-use buildings are the essential fabric of mixed-income, mixed-density neighborhoods. Historic examples are all around; we need new ones of equal quality. As zoning, parking & access barriers fall, where are today’s success stories?

223 kids, 3 frogs, 1 super-family, 342 parents (rushing back for the game), and the return of the annual Treehouse of Horror marathon later… #happyhalloween

My feelings exactly!

Been thinking a lot about the 3-story building and its role in sustainable, walkable urbanism. Low-rise, adaptable, efficient, and perfect for filling gaps or transitioning between uses. The true workhorse for resilient urban corridors and downtowns. #mediumscalemediumdensity

Green Spaces Transform Canadian Cities into Health Powerhouses. Cities designed with health at their core reduce chronic disease rates by up to 20%, decrease mental health incidents by 30%, and significantly lower healthcare costs across populations. www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/green-spaces...

Top 10 Bicycle Costumes for Halloween! Time to get in the spirit for the spirits! momentummag.com/best-bicycle...

The Judge Woodward plan for #Detroit, 1807. The plan’s intersecting radial and angled streets, sets up unique oblique views in the downtown. While the plan was not totally built out as planned, it still gives downtown a unique character and some picturesque siting opportunities. #urbandesign

Accessory Commercial Units. Commercial additions to residential buildings. I see them as a viable option for intermittent amenity type neighborhood retail along tertiary res or comm corridors. Of course, the aesthetics and strategic urban design application are crucial. #urbanobservations

#detroitupdate The D’s newest public space opens! #todayspublicspace detroitisit.com/ralph-c-wils...

Why are the most attractive urban residential areas the ones that were built decades or even centuries ago? There’re lessons about scale, material, spacing, and siting that we get few examples of today. The aspiration, though,should never go away. #urbanism #residentialstreets

Where can an American afford to live alone in 2025? www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

I’m a strong proponent of #AdaptiveReuse as a catalyst for sustainable city building. My study tour of Germany’s Ruhr Valley, where factories became museums, cultural centers, and more,showed how reimagining existing buildings fosters resilience, creativity, and value for cities.

The street intersection ‘Bike Labyrinth’.“ Cyclists love them. Drivers hate them (at least at first). …We're talking about the so-called ‘protected bike intersection’ .“ usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/17/f...

New York City is Getting a Dutch-Style Bicycle Hub and it’s a Game Changer Having just experienced one of these on a recent study in Rotterdam just reinforces that the more we can support mobility options, the freer our cities will be for people. momentummag.com/new-york-cit...

“The street is the most important component of the public realm.” Allan B. Jacobs Every street has potential. How we treat pedestrians, cars, trees, and light defines the shared experience. With vision and care, even overlooked streets can become #greatstreets and #todayspublicspace.

Kudos to City Institute’s Jeanette Pierce for one of my biggest takeaways (this slide) from yesterday’s GDWP/ RCE (Greater Detroit Windsor Project/ United Nations Sustainable Design Goals Regiinal Center of Expertise) Imagining Greater Detroit/Windsor Conference.

A great day at the GDWP/RCE Imagining Greater Detroit/Windsor Conference. Excellent panels and presentations on our region’s global role and local resilience. I spoke on viewing the River as a “seam” linking our cities. Thanks to Francis Grunow for organizing this inspiring event.

I’ve been reflecting on the border between #Detroit and Windsor. Since 911, through COVID, and now, it’s often seen as a barrier. I see it as a seam; connecting nature, industry, and cultures. My #urbanstructurediagrams explore the most unique cross-border urban relationship on the globe.