Dorian Moore, FAIA
@dorianmoore.bsky.social
Architect and urbanist dedicated to enhancing cities through observation,
documentation, and Implementation.
documentation, and Implementation.
Pinned
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.
Cities that treat High-density apartment districts purely as isolated housing blocks often produce social and spatial inefficiencies. Conversely, when these developments are considered nodes within a connected urban system, they can contribute to livability and neighborhood vibe.
December 30, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Cities that treat High-density apartment districts purely as isolated housing blocks often produce social and spatial inefficiencies. Conversely, when these developments are considered nodes within a connected urban system, they can contribute to livability and neighborhood vibe.
In cities debates on bike lanes ignore the obvious: they move more people in less space. Still, we let the perceived convenience of drivers outweigh safer streets, more mobility options for those that need them, cleaner air, and less traffic for those that choose to drive. #Bikeableurbanism
December 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
In cities debates on bike lanes ignore the obvious: they move more people in less space. Still, we let the perceived convenience of drivers outweigh safer streets, more mobility options for those that need them, cleaner air, and less traffic for those that choose to drive. #Bikeableurbanism
Small, independent bookstores are reappearing across cities, not as nostalgia, but as a shift in local retail strategy. Small footprint, unique character, and curated, they function as neighborhood anchors. Spaces like Midnight Mass show small, nonscalable places can deliver outsized urban value.
December 28, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Small, independent bookstores are reappearing across cities, not as nostalgia, but as a shift in local retail strategy. Small footprint, unique character, and curated, they function as neighborhood anchors. Spaces like Midnight Mass show small, nonscalable places can deliver outsized urban value.
Cycling’s value isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. The Dutch Cycling Embassy frames this as bikenomics: cycling delivers health, infrastructure, and fiscal returns that benefit everyone, including non-cyclists. Active transport as sound urban economics.
dutchcycling.nl/en/news/news...
dutchcycling.nl/en/news/news...
December 27, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Cycling’s value isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. The Dutch Cycling Embassy frames this as bikenomics: cycling delivers health, infrastructure, and fiscal returns that benefit everyone, including non-cyclists. Active transport as sound urban economics.
dutchcycling.nl/en/news/news...
dutchcycling.nl/en/news/news...
Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffmann, my Viennese Big Three for architecture and design. Studying in Vienna shaped how I think about architecture: urban presence, spatial complexity, human scale detail. Early 1900s Vienna balanced classical and modern styles . Enduring designs, yet of their time.
December 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffmann, my Viennese Big Three for architecture and design. Studying in Vienna shaped how I think about architecture: urban presence, spatial complexity, human scale detail. Early 1900s Vienna balanced classical and modern styles . Enduring designs, yet of their time.
December 24, 2025 at 11:56 AM
In the “housing crisis,” the real issue is math: insufficient supply, excessive barriers, and a development system resistant to change. Affordability requires building smarter, denser, faster. Recent planning decisions suggest Toronto may restore appropriate avenue density amid a shifting landscape.
December 22, 2025 at 11:51 AM
In the “housing crisis,” the real issue is math: insufficient supply, excessive barriers, and a development system resistant to change. Affordability requires building smarter, denser, faster. Recent planning decisions suggest Toronto may restore appropriate avenue density amid a shifting landscape.
The need for more #housing and the need for proper #citybuilding are not mutually exclusive. They are complimentary.
Traditional cities had a true mix of uses and Building types. Outdated rules, height caps, and NIMBYism keep prices high and people out. Reform isn’t radical…it’s necessary.
Traditional cities had a true mix of uses and Building types. Outdated rules, height caps, and NIMBYism keep prices high and people out. Reform isn’t radical…it’s necessary.
December 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The need for more #housing and the need for proper #citybuilding are not mutually exclusive. They are complimentary.
Traditional cities had a true mix of uses and Building types. Outdated rules, height caps, and NIMBYism keep prices high and people out. Reform isn’t radical…it’s necessary.
Traditional cities had a true mix of uses and Building types. Outdated rules, height caps, and NIMBYism keep prices high and people out. Reform isn’t radical…it’s necessary.
Hale Coffee, downtown Toronto. Coffee shops aren’t just amenities, they’re infrastructure. This café works because it meets the street: transparent frontage, direct entry, seating that blurs inside/out. Result: hang time, foot traffic, eyes on the street. Ground floors matter.
#todayscoolcoffeeshop
#todayscoolcoffeeshop
December 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Hale Coffee, downtown Toronto. Coffee shops aren’t just amenities, they’re infrastructure. This café works because it meets the street: transparent frontage, direct entry, seating that blurs inside/out. Result: hang time, foot traffic, eyes on the street. Ground floors matter.
#todayscoolcoffeeshop
#todayscoolcoffeeshop
“Driver who hit group of cyclists on country lane cleared of causing death by careless driving, after defence lawyer argues "position of cyclists" was cause of crash”.
Why is it still so difficult for cities to build safe bike networks?
#bikeableurbanism
road.cc/content/news...
Why is it still so difficult for cities to build safe bike networks?
#bikeableurbanism
road.cc/content/news...
December 19, 2025 at 11:02 AM
“Driver who hit group of cyclists on country lane cleared of causing death by careless driving, after defence lawyer argues "position of cyclists" was cause of crash”.
Why is it still so difficult for cities to build safe bike networks?
#bikeableurbanism
road.cc/content/news...
Why is it still so difficult for cities to build safe bike networks?
#bikeableurbanism
road.cc/content/news...
Observed this recently: refreshed, clearly marked bike lanes are progress, and an important baseline. But paint isn’t safety; it’s a placeholder. If the goal is more riders and fewer injuries, protected lanes are the baseline. Cities don’t fail by moving too fast. They fail by stopping halfway.
December 18, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Observed this recently: refreshed, clearly marked bike lanes are progress, and an important baseline. But paint isn’t safety; it’s a placeholder. If the goal is more riders and fewer injuries, protected lanes are the baseline. Cities don’t fail by moving too fast. They fail by stopping halfway.
New study: Global analysis of 11,587 cities across 121 countries shows a clear pattern: a small group consistently leads on walking + cycling. The edge isn’t culture or climate, it’s aligned policy, continuous networks, and long-term investment. Worth reading.
luskin.ucla.edu/global-study...
luskin.ucla.edu/global-study...
Global Study Reveals Best Cities for Walking and Cycling
Lead author Adam Millard-Ball of UCLA emphasizes that good infrastructure drives walking and biking in cities across the world.
luskin.ucla.edu
December 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
New study: Global analysis of 11,587 cities across 121 countries shows a clear pattern: a small group consistently leads on walking + cycling. The edge isn’t culture or climate, it’s aligned policy, continuous networks, and long-term investment. Worth reading.
luskin.ucla.edu/global-study...
luskin.ucla.edu/global-study...
Reposted by Dorian Moore, FAIA
Art Moderne, a lost art. An offshoot of 1930s Art Deco, defined by clean lines, simple geometry, low profiles, and strong horizontality. A potential synthesis between traditional forms and stripped-down modernism, these rare buildings still exist in many older cities, waiting to be rediscovered.
December 16, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Art Moderne, a lost art. An offshoot of 1930s Art Deco, defined by clean lines, simple geometry, low profiles, and strong horizontality. A potential synthesis between traditional forms and stripped-down modernism, these rare buildings still exist in many older cities, waiting to be rediscovered.
Art Moderne, a lost art. An offshoot of 1930s Art Deco, defined by clean lines, simple geometry, low profiles, and strong horizontality. A potential synthesis between traditional forms and stripped-down modernism, these rare buildings still exist in many older cities, waiting to be rediscovered.
December 16, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Art Moderne, a lost art. An offshoot of 1930s Art Deco, defined by clean lines, simple geometry, low profiles, and strong horizontality. A potential synthesis between traditional forms and stripped-down modernism, these rare buildings still exist in many older cities, waiting to be rediscovered.
For decades, former gas stations were seen as irredeemable sites. Today, strategic #adaptivereuse is reframing them, turning environmental constraints into place-based opportunities. A reminder that today’s urban liabilities can become tomorrow’s assets with the right lens and political will.
December 15, 2025 at 11:37 AM
For decades, former gas stations were seen as irredeemable sites. Today, strategic #adaptivereuse is reframing them, turning environmental constraints into place-based opportunities. A reminder that today’s urban liabilities can become tomorrow’s assets with the right lens and political will.
A trip through Windsor’s Sandwich area reminded me how mixed use, connectivity, and landmarks ground traditional neighborhoods. It reflects Lynch’s districts, nodes, paths, edges, and landmarks, elements that guide infill, #adaptivereuse, and public space improvements in communities. #citybuilding
December 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A trip through Windsor’s Sandwich area reminded me how mixed use, connectivity, and landmarks ground traditional neighborhoods. It reflects Lynch’s districts, nodes, paths, edges, and landmarks, elements that guide infill, #adaptivereuse, and public space improvements in communities. #citybuilding
Walking the city and taking in Christmas #windowdisplays reminds me of how much they add to the energy of street all year, but especially now. Inspiring, entertaining, and mood-lifting, they can turn dull treks into delightful journeys, even if just for a moment. #christmasinthecity
December 13, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Walking the city and taking in Christmas #windowdisplays reminds me of how much they add to the energy of street all year, but especially now. Inspiring, entertaining, and mood-lifting, they can turn dull treks into delightful journeys, even if just for a moment. #christmasinthecity
The impacts of this one will be interesting to watch. It’s both catalyst for development, and enabler of equitable access to opportunity.
NYC must resume generational urbanization by building more transit/housing.
“This urban/suburban divide has also become a defining fault line in city politics. Commuting by transit was one of the biggest demographic cleavages in the November mayoral election…”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
“This urban/suburban divide has also become a defining fault line in city politics. Commuting by transit was one of the biggest demographic cleavages in the November mayoral election…”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Train Grows in Brooklyn
New York City’s first new transit line in decades, the $5.5 billion Interborough Express, could transform fast-growing parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
www.bloomberg.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The impacts of this one will be interesting to watch. It’s both catalyst for development, and enabler of equitable access to opportunity.
“#Wecantbuildthemlikethatanymore.”
3–5 storey mixed use/fully residential bldgs are the basic fabric of cities.
This #mediumscalemediumdensity type, especially when freed from onerous parking requirements, lets smaller developers/ institutions shape our neighborhoods and districts.
#citybuilding
3–5 storey mixed use/fully residential bldgs are the basic fabric of cities.
This #mediumscalemediumdensity type, especially when freed from onerous parking requirements, lets smaller developers/ institutions shape our neighborhoods and districts.
#citybuilding
December 12, 2025 at 11:02 AM
“#Wecantbuildthemlikethatanymore.”
3–5 storey mixed use/fully residential bldgs are the basic fabric of cities.
This #mediumscalemediumdensity type, especially when freed from onerous parking requirements, lets smaller developers/ institutions shape our neighborhoods and districts.
#citybuilding
3–5 storey mixed use/fully residential bldgs are the basic fabric of cities.
This #mediumscalemediumdensity type, especially when freed from onerous parking requirements, lets smaller developers/ institutions shape our neighborhoods and districts.
#citybuilding
Toronto Mayor Chow says 'win-win solution' will narrow car lanes rather than removing them. The city wants to make it easier for Torontonians to bike in the east end. …they're proposing 20 kilometres of new bike lanes, despite provincial restrictions.
#bikeableurbanism
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
#bikeableurbanism
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Plan to build 20 km of new Toronto bike lanes despite Ontario restrictions 'not a loophole,' city says | CBC News
With an estimated price tag of more than $30 million, the proposed 20.5 km of lanes will dodge interference from the Ford government if approved because they won’t require removing car lanes. Instead,...
www.cbc.ca
December 10, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Toronto Mayor Chow says 'win-win solution' will narrow car lanes rather than removing them. The city wants to make it easier for Torontonians to bike in the east end. …they're proposing 20 kilometres of new bike lanes, despite provincial restrictions.
#bikeableurbanism
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
#bikeableurbanism
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Dorian Moore, FAIA
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.
December 9, 2025 at 11:52 AM
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.
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.
December 9, 2025 at 11:52 AM
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.
Reposted by Dorian Moore, FAIA
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.
December 8, 2025 at 11:06 AM
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.
December 8, 2025 at 11:06 AM
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.
Reposted by Dorian Moore, FAIA
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.
The solving needs tall and short, big and small, old and new.
All structures on deck.
December 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
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.
The solving needs tall and short, big and small, old and new.
All structures on deck.