But, what about after the game, transit ridership then?

CB16 GUS Burg Sp26 Dijon YouTube video by City Builders

Episode 16 of City Builders is live: French Towns Nobody’s Talking About.
Recorded in Dijon, Burgundy region, we explore overlooked places shaping great urbanism: walkability, history, and human-scaled design. Big lessons from small towns.

Listen now.

youtu.be/fYUa4cNqI6A?...

Diverse housing is the backbone of a thriving downtown. High-, mid-, and low-rise, single-family, rentals and ownership, infill and reuse.Variety creates the conditions for real mixed use urban life. Get the balance right, and demand follows, bringing amenities, vibrancy, and walkable urban living.

On my recent #globalurbanstudy tour of French cities, I looked for how people use public space socially. In Lyon’s Place de la République, I found it: when people dance, perform, and play, streets become stages. Vibrant urbanism thrives on participation, not just design. #urbanobservations

Studying Paris this week sparked a DC convo: viewing each through the other’s lens. Both shaped by consistent heights. DC’s 1910 law ties buildings to street width, creating a uniform skyline that lets landmarks stand out.
What shifts with or without the cap, and how does it shape street character?

Photos & sketches from #GlobalUrbanStudy in Burgundy—today in Lyon’s center. Studying public space (formal/informal), building siting, civic design & streets as primary realm. Quick urban diagrams map edges, paths & focal points—capturing how space, buildings & streets connect.

CB15 GUS CharlotteThoughts YouTube video by City Builders

A Global Urban Study discussion: Charlotte, North Carolina

Join Mark and me, we discuss the ‘Queen City’ on a recent visit.

We talk street widths, tree canopies, public space, and more on CITY BUILDERS. Episode 15: Thoughts on Charlotte.

Please Watch and Subscribe.

youtu.be/hLvKOtRJl9k?...

Global Urban Study Day 4: There’s something inspiring about discovering a city few are talking about—canals like Venice, a network like Amsterdam, yet deeply pedestrian. Annecy feels intimate, timeless, and full of lessons—like uncovering a secret the world hasn’t caught up to yet.

Day 1 #globalurbanstudy of the social life of French small town streets: Auxerre + Noyers . Walkable medieval patterns, active ground floors, and streets built for people,not cars, create “accidental density” of daily interactions that power local sociocultural resilience.

CB14 Global Urban Study- What we're doing in the French Wine Region YouTube video by City Builders

Next up on the CITY BUILDERS Podcast- Our upcoming Global Urban Study tour.

What cities will we be touring?

What will we be studying and documenting?

Find out in Episode 14: What Will We Be Studying in the French Wine Region?

Please Watch, Listen, Like and Subscribe.

youtu.be/VgVVX_sOSTM?...

14th St., Washington, DC: Ground-level retail “box bays” create a rhythm and distinct identity along the corridor. While found elsewhere, they were especially prominent here, forming a mini-vernacular. Different sized in spaces, same charming effect along #mainstreet.

With another #GlobalUrbanStudy tour fast approaching, I’m revisiting past tours and insights gathered.

My #urbanstructurediagram of Mount Vernon Square in Baltimore captured its landmarks, vistas, and connections; revealing how scale, rhythm, and enclosure shape a memorable, legible public space.

Existing corner multifamily done right: 2 stories matching neighborhood scale, anchoring the street while handling busier corners. A flexible, low impact density that complements houses + townhomes, fills vacant lots, and can even provide for parking. #TheExamplesAreAllAroundUs

With another #globalurbanstudy tour approaching, I’m revisiting past tour insights, such as in Edinburgh’s New Town. My #urbanstructurediagrams capture built edges, streets, and key nodes—quick sketches focused on memory, revealing how places, spaces, and connections relate.

CB13 The Historic City YouTube video by City Builders

“This city has great bones.” How often have we heard that said? On this episode of CITY BUILDERS, we discuss the historic city.
We explain the advantages of the historic urban cores, and why they’re worth caring about. Watch and listen, Ep. 13: THE HISTORIC CITY!

youtu.be/bGKg9HUcTmA?...

What’s the future of urban light industrial districts? Detroit’s Oakman St. district shows decline AND design lessons: integrated streets, art moderne details, working industry.
Areas like Toronto’s Geary Ave are successful examples. Cities must reuse, and value these places before they’re gone.

I like the use of just 2 materials on the building. Plus, the sense of permanence that the materials give.

Yes, most probably a gap from a former small commercial building demolished well in the past and now use for parking for an adjacent Main Street commercial office.

3-5 story #mediumscalemediumdensity buildings, an essential building block of mixed density/income neighborhoods. #TheExamplesAreAllAroundUs
The code issues for new versions of this typology are solvable.
From a policy standpoint, we need to exploit how they contribute to neighborhood urbanism.

Hot dog stands. A piece of urban infrastructure. Alongside newsstands, food trucks, flower vendors, etc, these modest street elements play a powerful role in shaping the character and vitality of a city. Often it’s the little moves, not the big projects, that drive the street experience.

CB12 Non-Motorized Systems in Cities YouTube video by City Builders

On this week’s episode of CITY BUILDERS, Mark and I discuss nonmotorized systems; all things bikeable, walkable, and rollable.

We discuss systems worldwide and our experience designing systems.

youtu.be/6hjtNg1lN8E?...

Please Watch, Listen, Like, and Subscribe on YouTube. @citybuilderslog

The forces of Sprawl have always outnumbered us. The fight is to preserve what’s good; And curtail what’s damaging to the environment and the culture.

I’ve been on this for years. Take an NYC ish approach: Avenues and Streets.
Letters and numbers. Terms. States. There’s enough nomenclature out there to fill many cities!

Events power urban life. Cities win when venues can host everything, from concerts to convocations. Detroit stands out: all 4 major sports teams play downtown, close together. Shared experiences bring energy and connection back to the core. #knowticingthecity

Achieving urbanism takes fortitude.

CB11 City Elements: PUBS as 3rd Places YouTube video by City Builders

The Pub Life.

What’s the role of the pub in urbanism?

Which pubs have we found the most engaging in our travels?

What makes a great pub experience?

These questions and more, on this week’s St. Patrick’s Day episode of CITYBUILDERS!

Listen, Enjoy, Like and Subscribe!

youtu.be/b-YbiDp92Po?...

Events. Taking over the street, the quintessential North American public space for an event; making a “Place” out of a “Space”.
They create the conditions for shared communal experience bringing us together at a time when we’re pushed farther and farther apart.
#stpatricksdayparade #toronto

With St. Patrick’s Day coming, I’m thinking back to my love of the pub as a 3rd place and an article that I wrote a few years ago regarding its endangered species status in Britain.

www.bdonline.co.uk/opinion/why-...

PS a special St. Pat’s episode of CITY BUILDERS Tues on YT! (@citybuilderslog)

With St. Patrick’s Day coming, I’m thinking back to my love of the pub as a 3rd place and an article that I wrote a few years ago regarding its endangered species status in Britain.

www.bdonline.co.uk/opinion/why-...

PS a special St. Pat’s episode of CITY BUILDERS Tues on YT! (@citybuilderslog)

Big windows connect cafes to the street.

They extend the public realm inward; they create eyes on the sidewalk, and they signal openness.

One of the simplest ways to make a storefront feel like it belongs to the neighborhood or district.

#knowticingthecity #urbanobservations