Meet Me In The Strip

One of the great things about living in Pittsburgh is the Strip District – the city’s version of a working market district. In our city, many people still shop for their pastas, olive oil, meats, fish, breads and pastries from local merchants, butchers and bakers. The traditions of Eastern Europe, Italy, Asia, and South America are alive and well there, albeit in a uniquely Pittsburgh way. It’s hard to find perogies, haluski, asiago and piave, locally made wines, homemade biscotti, fresh Italian pizzas, cannoli, South American treats like the Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, old fashioned candy, Asian bbq chicken from a hot grill, and Italian espresso, side-by-side along the street in other U.S. cities.

Urban Design AssociatesMay 5, 2014#stripdistrict, #pittsburgh, neighborhood, cities

Moscow DNA

Many of the issues that we face in our own cities are mirrored in the evolution of Moscow in the last couple of decades. The rapid increase in personal wealth and automobile ownership has facilitated middle class flight to the outer suburbs; this has created a staggering traffic problem that repeats itself daily. The jobs however are located in the center city with relatively few jobs in the outer rings of the metropolitan area. To make matters worse, Moscow’s famed metro system, built in the 1930s and 40s, is already over capacity handling some 8 million passengers a day. The resulting pattern is one we are all too familiar with in places like the Washington, Atlanta or Los Angeles – unrelenting congestion for much of the day and night.

Urban Design AssociatesMay 5, 2014#moscow, cities

Uncovering Value

For many, a life in town has had to come at the expense of access to nature. But as cities regenerate across the country, they are capitalizing on the restoration of streams and natural drainage ways that, up until recently, have been used for storm sewers, dumping grounds, and urban backwaters. They are uncovering them, cleaning them up, and maximizing their utility as great neighborhood addresses, sustainable storm water systems, and recreational destinations. It is stabilizing property values and saving millions in capital improvement dollars in the process.

Urban Design AssociatesJanuary 22, 2014Cincinnati, Ogden, Virginia Beach

Better Housing Coalition

The Better Housing Coalition in Richmond is a Community Development Corporation dedicated to strategic investments in urban neighborhoods that are under-performing. This remarkable non-profit organization focuses on improving the quality of environment and access to services for residents and businesses in the context of neighborhood-generated visions and aspirations.

Why it mattersUrban Design AssociatesNovember 22, 2013

Giant Metal Cockroaches Are Choking Moscow

Moscow is a rapidly growing megacity rich with a beautiful center, historic architecture, public art, pleasant promenades and urban parks. But Moscow's picturesque city center is plagued by increasing traffic congestion and a rapidly growing periphery.

Stories from the roadUrban Design AssociatesOctober 31, 2013Moscow, Traffic, Streets