Yes, retrofitting older Main Streets, not replacing them. But don’t create new main streets, b/c people are shopping and working from home 20% more, making suburbia more mixed use in need of subregional hub nodes in sprawl, rather than try to make Main Streets work like they use to.

I believe we need to focus on urban hubs/intersections. Main Streets are 20th century models built by street cars and motor cars, while hubs (compact amenities & mix of uses) support early 21st century shopping/office patterns.

Attending Notre Dame’s Hommage à Léon Krier forum… a true giant we’re still learning from and will so for another generation or so. Bravo!

San Diego’s trolley now stops in front of our VA hospital next to UCSD.

Every town/city is made up of neighborhoods, districts, corridors, and a downtown (that’s usually has all of the first 3 elements in it). This is something the Charter for the New Urbanism missed. And a neighborhood is a stand-alone unit that is the 1/4-mile, 5-minute walk, from its center to edge.

Thank you for the inspiration and brilliance… a meaningful life, well lived. Cheers!

My protest uniform… @brucespringsteen.net is right about our orange menace. Good job today, San Diego!

South Park (San Diego) Porchfest, May 4th. No permits, no wristbands, no hassles, just a few local people playing music for their neighbors. Maybe you can stop by.

Whoa…

Yeah, the news of the treachery going on in DC is sad and maddening… but being with 42,000 fellow San Diegans on a Tuesday night in downtown is welcomed (despite the expense).

Another problem with building urbanism in the US West is all the suburban rules, processes, and norms that for decades built pods of housing, shops, and warehouses. A kernel of streetcar urbanism is govern by the same tools to master plan tracts of single family homes. Need urban tools/rules.

Rather than rebuild San Diego’s <civic Civic Center few care about… lease the new empty buildings on the waterfront and build a great City Hall building on Broadway and Harbor.

While Michelangelo is the creator of urban design w/his Piazza del Campidoglio masterpiece, Ken Burns’ shared what Leonardo DiVinci said earlier,
“Where there is no life, make it alive!” That’s what retrofitting SoCal suburbia is in a nutshell. Thanks renaissance Italians!

Our lovely daughters, both attending film school in London. So proud of their spirit and strength.

La Jolla, late afternoon… San Diego, America’s Wildest City!

San Diego’s Mike Stepner being awarded a Lifetime Achievement by the local AIA chapter for his contributions to building a great city. Well-deserved.

Ensenada, Baja newly reopened historic market hall. www.sohosandiego.org/enews/0924mariamercado.htm

As much as I appreciate the Pershing cycle track, I deeply disagree having this dangerous bicycle facility on the southbound lane. Why put people at risk? (Sorry for the sound)

If in San Diego and wanting to get away for a few days, Jacumba Hot Springs is the best newish spot to spend time. Great restaurant, bar, music, mineral pools, architecture, landscape and people.