Michael Natelli
@michaelnatelli.bsky.social
Building the front door to the American city building movement // Fan of good urban design and America's pastime // Market Street newsletter: mktstreet.substack.com
Mixed-use neighborhoods are an economic cheat code.
Build more of them.
Build more of them.
August 11, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Mixed-use neighborhoods are an economic cheat code.
Build more of them.
Build more of them.
Urbanism has a marketing problem.
The ideas are right. The cities are worth saving. But we’re still losing the narrative.
It’s time for a better strategy.
This morning at Market Street I wrote about the Software & Hardware Framework:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/the-softwa...
The ideas are right. The cities are worth saving. But we’re still losing the narrative.
It’s time for a better strategy.
This morning at Market Street I wrote about the Software & Hardware Framework:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/the-softwa...
The Software & Hardware Framework for Marketing Urbanism
The six things urbanism must do to both grow its reach and rekindle America’s love for cities.
mktstreet.substack.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Urbanism has a marketing problem.
The ideas are right. The cities are worth saving. But we’re still losing the narrative.
It’s time for a better strategy.
This morning at Market Street I wrote about the Software & Hardware Framework:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/the-softwa...
The ideas are right. The cities are worth saving. But we’re still losing the narrative.
It’s time for a better strategy.
This morning at Market Street I wrote about the Software & Hardware Framework:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/the-softwa...
Too many cities are building for tourists and big external investments instead of the people who actually live there.
But building with a residents-first mindset isn’t just a sappy feel-goodism.
It’s tactically savvy:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/with-the-r...
But building with a residents-first mindset isn’t just a sappy feel-goodism.
It’s tactically savvy:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/with-the-r...
With the Right Target Audience, a City Sells Itself
Tourists, sports leagues, and splashy headlines won’t build your city. Residents will.
mktstreet.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Too many cities are building for tourists and big external investments instead of the people who actually live there.
But building with a residents-first mindset isn’t just a sappy feel-goodism.
It’s tactically savvy:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/with-the-r...
But building with a residents-first mindset isn’t just a sappy feel-goodism.
It’s tactically savvy:
mktstreet.substack.com/p/with-the-r...
Cities are supposed to be where you go to chase your dreams.
But if you dream of solving housing, they’re often where ambition goes to die.
The barriers are just too high.
Making housing allowed has somehow become a bigger challenge than building it.
It shouldn’t be this way.
But if you dream of solving housing, they’re often where ambition goes to die.
The barriers are just too high.
Making housing allowed has somehow become a bigger challenge than building it.
It shouldn’t be this way.
May 13, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Cities are supposed to be where you go to chase your dreams.
But if you dream of solving housing, they’re often where ambition goes to die.
The barriers are just too high.
Making housing allowed has somehow become a bigger challenge than building it.
It shouldn’t be this way.
But if you dream of solving housing, they’re often where ambition goes to die.
The barriers are just too high.
Making housing allowed has somehow become a bigger challenge than building it.
It shouldn’t be this way.
Super cool - a pair of students set up a website where you can track NYC congestion pricing's impact on different major routes.
www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
Congestion Pricing Tracker | Benjamin and Joshua Moshes
This project is run by Joshua Moshes and Benjamin Moshes, under the supervision of Brown University Professor Emily Oster
www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
January 6, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Super cool - a pair of students set up a website where you can track NYC congestion pricing's impact on different major routes.
www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
www.congestion-pricing-tracker.com
As we roll into 2025, bird flu (H5N1) continues to lurk in the background and norovirus outbreaks are surging.
Both stand as reminders that cities should be preparing for future public health events.
Both stand as reminders that cities should be preparing for future public health events.
January 2, 2025 at 7:12 PM
As we roll into 2025, bird flu (H5N1) continues to lurk in the background and norovirus outbreaks are surging.
Both stand as reminders that cities should be preparing for future public health events.
Both stand as reminders that cities should be preparing for future public health events.
Incoming president Donald Trump has pledged that tackling the urban migrant crisis through mass deportations will be a key part of his agenda in his second term.
I wrote about this and a few other trends that I believe will shape cities this year:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/three-...
I wrote about this and a few other trends that I believe will shape cities this year:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/three-...
Three Trends That Will Shape Cities in 2025
Here are three trends that will shape cities in 2025.
urbaneer.kit.com
January 1, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Incoming president Donald Trump has pledged that tackling the urban migrant crisis through mass deportations will be a key part of his agenda in his second term.
I wrote about this and a few other trends that I believe will shape cities this year:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/three-...
I wrote about this and a few other trends that I believe will shape cities this year:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/three-...
This week's Urbaneer Friday Five:
- Kei Trucks:
- Sidewalk Clearing Pilot Programs
- Office-to-Housing Conversions
And more!
Check it out and join 700+ subscribers getting the latest trends and news in urbanism every week ⤵️
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
- Kei Trucks:
- Sidewalk Clearing Pilot Programs
- Office-to-Housing Conversions
And more!
Check it out and join 700+ subscribers getting the latest trends and news in urbanism every week ⤵️
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
Friday Five: Tiny Trucks, Snowy Sidewalks, and Building Conversions
urbaneer.kit.com
December 21, 2024 at 12:23 AM
This week's Urbaneer Friday Five:
- Kei Trucks:
- Sidewalk Clearing Pilot Programs
- Office-to-Housing Conversions
And more!
Check it out and join 700+ subscribers getting the latest trends and news in urbanism every week ⤵️
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
- Kei Trucks:
- Sidewalk Clearing Pilot Programs
- Office-to-Housing Conversions
And more!
Check it out and join 700+ subscribers getting the latest trends and news in urbanism every week ⤵️
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
Each of these pictures was made possible by city builders:
Developers.
Engineers.
Planners.
Entrepreneurs.
Marketers.
Accountants.
Architects.
Electricians.
Politicians.
The ways to make an impact on your city through your career are endless.
We need more city builders.
Developers.
Engineers.
Planners.
Entrepreneurs.
Marketers.
Accountants.
Architects.
Electricians.
Politicians.
The ways to make an impact on your city through your career are endless.
We need more city builders.
December 18, 2024 at 1:06 AM
Each of these pictures was made possible by city builders:
Developers.
Engineers.
Planners.
Entrepreneurs.
Marketers.
Accountants.
Architects.
Electricians.
Politicians.
The ways to make an impact on your city through your career are endless.
We need more city builders.
Developers.
Engineers.
Planners.
Entrepreneurs.
Marketers.
Accountants.
Architects.
Electricians.
Politicians.
The ways to make an impact on your city through your career are endless.
We need more city builders.
According to a survey from MissionSquare, over half of US cities are facing waves of retirement.
For Gen Z, local government will be one of the hottest industries for job opportunities with purpose and a proactive focus on attractive benefits.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
For Gen Z, local government will be one of the hottest industries for job opportunities with purpose and a proactive focus on attractive benefits.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
City Hall Is Hiring
As President-elect Trump targets federal jobs, local governments still recovering from Covid-era staffing hits are facing their own workforce challenges.
www.bloomberg.com
December 16, 2024 at 7:38 PM
According to a survey from MissionSquare, over half of US cities are facing waves of retirement.
For Gen Z, local government will be one of the hottest industries for job opportunities with purpose and a proactive focus on attractive benefits.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
For Gen Z, local government will be one of the hottest industries for job opportunities with purpose and a proactive focus on attractive benefits.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
I’m not an “obsess about birth rates” guy.
But I do think one byproduct of people having fewer kids is the way NIMBYism prominent on both the left and the right.
You can’t sell “we’re building more homes so you’re kids can afford to live here too” when those kids don’t exist.
But I do think one byproduct of people having fewer kids is the way NIMBYism prominent on both the left and the right.
You can’t sell “we’re building more homes so you’re kids can afford to live here too” when those kids don’t exist.
December 16, 2024 at 3:03 AM
I’m not an “obsess about birth rates” guy.
But I do think one byproduct of people having fewer kids is the way NIMBYism prominent on both the left and the right.
You can’t sell “we’re building more homes so you’re kids can afford to live here too” when those kids don’t exist.
But I do think one byproduct of people having fewer kids is the way NIMBYism prominent on both the left and the right.
You can’t sell “we’re building more homes so you’re kids can afford to live here too” when those kids don’t exist.
Cars are one of the leading causes of death in America.
The next four years only stand to make them more dangerous.
Local leaders now bear the sole responsibility of building places that constrain the threat of vehicles as much as possible.
Federal laws and resources aren’t coming to save you.
The next four years only stand to make them more dangerous.
Local leaders now bear the sole responsibility of building places that constrain the threat of vehicles as much as possible.
Federal laws and resources aren’t coming to save you.
December 14, 2024 at 9:40 PM
Cars are one of the leading causes of death in America.
The next four years only stand to make them more dangerous.
Local leaders now bear the sole responsibility of building places that constrain the threat of vehicles as much as possible.
Federal laws and resources aren’t coming to save you.
The next four years only stand to make them more dangerous.
Local leaders now bear the sole responsibility of building places that constrain the threat of vehicles as much as possible.
Federal laws and resources aren’t coming to save you.
The most American thing ever is being willing to die for our preferences.
The same people that fear monger about cities are the ones that cling to cars like life depends on them.
We're willing to die for the habits that are killing us.
A culture of death if there ever was one.
The same people that fear monger about cities are the ones that cling to cars like life depends on them.
We're willing to die for the habits that are killing us.
A culture of death if there ever was one.
December 13, 2024 at 2:27 AM
The most American thing ever is being willing to die for our preferences.
The same people that fear monger about cities are the ones that cling to cars like life depends on them.
We're willing to die for the habits that are killing us.
A culture of death if there ever was one.
The same people that fear monger about cities are the ones that cling to cars like life depends on them.
We're willing to die for the habits that are killing us.
A culture of death if there ever was one.
I won't pretend to be an expert on the threat level bird flu poses.
But as another respiratory virus hits the news, it's a reminder that great urban design is also a hedge for pandemic resiliency.
Tree canopies and outdoor dining spaces are two great, cost-efficient ways to pandemic-proof a city.
But as another respiratory virus hits the news, it's a reminder that great urban design is also a hedge for pandemic resiliency.
Tree canopies and outdoor dining spaces are two great, cost-efficient ways to pandemic-proof a city.
December 13, 2024 at 1:32 AM
I won't pretend to be an expert on the threat level bird flu poses.
But as another respiratory virus hits the news, it's a reminder that great urban design is also a hedge for pandemic resiliency.
Tree canopies and outdoor dining spaces are two great, cost-efficient ways to pandemic-proof a city.
But as another respiratory virus hits the news, it's a reminder that great urban design is also a hedge for pandemic resiliency.
Tree canopies and outdoor dining spaces are two great, cost-efficient ways to pandemic-proof a city.
Anduril raised $1.5B to build a modular factory that will hyperscale American defense manufacturing.
There's real buzz, energy, and resources out there looking to support American ambition.
Who's building the Anduril of housing production? Of infrastructure? Of mass transit?
There's real buzz, energy, and resources out there looking to support American ambition.
Who's building the Anduril of housing production? Of infrastructure? Of mass transit?
December 13, 2024 at 12:23 AM
Anduril raised $1.5B to build a modular factory that will hyperscale American defense manufacturing.
There's real buzz, energy, and resources out there looking to support American ambition.
Who's building the Anduril of housing production? Of infrastructure? Of mass transit?
There's real buzz, energy, and resources out there looking to support American ambition.
Who's building the Anduril of housing production? Of infrastructure? Of mass transit?
In this week's Urbaneer Friday Five, we looked at a potential highway conversion in Milwaukee, Notre Dame's reopening, and record usage of Amtrak and bike shares:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
Friday Five: Highway Conversions, Transit Records and Grand Reopenings
urbaneer.kit.com
December 6, 2024 at 7:35 PM
In this week's Urbaneer Friday Five, we looked at a potential highway conversion in Milwaukee, Notre Dame's reopening, and record usage of Amtrak and bike shares:
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
urbaneer.kit.com/posts/friday...
"Children are a kind of indicator species. If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people."
- Enrique Penalosa
- Enrique Penalosa
December 6, 2024 at 12:14 AM
"Children are a kind of indicator species. If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people."
- Enrique Penalosa
- Enrique Penalosa
When people think tech they think San Francisco.
But Silicon Valley is actually incredibly suburban.
I can’t help but think that shapes our tech and our culture in ways we don’t fully understand.
But Silicon Valley is actually incredibly suburban.
I can’t help but think that shapes our tech and our culture in ways we don’t fully understand.
December 4, 2024 at 11:58 PM
When people think tech they think San Francisco.
But Silicon Valley is actually incredibly suburban.
I can’t help but think that shapes our tech and our culture in ways we don’t fully understand.
But Silicon Valley is actually incredibly suburban.
I can’t help but think that shapes our tech and our culture in ways we don’t fully understand.
NYC is leveraging a coastal climate resilience technology called Living Breakwaters that emerged from HUD's 2014 Rebuild By Design competition.
The best way to find great ideas is to dare people to come up with them.
Less commissioned studies, more competitions.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
The best way to find great ideas is to dare people to come up with them.
Less commissioned studies, more competitions.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
New York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier Seas
Landscape architect Kate Orff’s unique shoreline protection device off Staten Island is designed to both prevent flooding and provide a new reef habitat.
www.bloomberg.com
December 4, 2024 at 3:54 AM
NYC is leveraging a coastal climate resilience technology called Living Breakwaters that emerged from HUD's 2014 Rebuild By Design competition.
The best way to find great ideas is to dare people to come up with them.
Less commissioned studies, more competitions.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
The best way to find great ideas is to dare people to come up with them.
Less commissioned studies, more competitions.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
When done right, stadiums can be a part of great urban neighborhoods.
(📸Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL)
(📸Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL)
December 3, 2024 at 10:14 PM
When done right, stadiums can be a part of great urban neighborhoods.
(📸Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL)
(📸Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL)
One reason cities are so unfriendly to children is their leaders see children as a problem.
Not everyone needs to have children. And not everyone can.
But cities that are child-friendly are more friendly for everyone.
The opposite is not true.
Build child-friendly cities.
Not everyone needs to have children. And not everyone can.
But cities that are child-friendly are more friendly for everyone.
The opposite is not true.
Build child-friendly cities.
December 2, 2024 at 8:12 PM
One reason cities are so unfriendly to children is their leaders see children as a problem.
Not everyone needs to have children. And not everyone can.
But cities that are child-friendly are more friendly for everyone.
The opposite is not true.
Build child-friendly cities.
Not everyone needs to have children. And not everyone can.
But cities that are child-friendly are more friendly for everyone.
The opposite is not true.
Build child-friendly cities.
Legalize cool buildings on weird lots.
December 2, 2024 at 4:52 PM
Legalize cool buildings on weird lots.
The most respected member of the President’s cabinet is a former mayor.
The most promising politicians on both sides of the aisle are consistently mayors.
Rebuilding America’s political ecosystem runs through cities.
The most promising politicians on both sides of the aisle are consistently mayors.
Rebuilding America’s political ecosystem runs through cities.
December 2, 2024 at 12:35 AM
The most respected member of the President’s cabinet is a former mayor.
The most promising politicians on both sides of the aisle are consistently mayors.
Rebuilding America’s political ecosystem runs through cities.
The most promising politicians on both sides of the aisle are consistently mayors.
Rebuilding America’s political ecosystem runs through cities.
We dedicate most of our built environment to roads.
We build to go, not to stay.
Then we wonder why people are so hopeless and restless.
It’s because we built a world that always says you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
We build to go, not to stay.
Then we wonder why people are so hopeless and restless.
It’s because we built a world that always says you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
December 1, 2024 at 10:34 PM
We dedicate most of our built environment to roads.
We build to go, not to stay.
Then we wonder why people are so hopeless and restless.
It’s because we built a world that always says you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
We build to go, not to stay.
Then we wonder why people are so hopeless and restless.
It’s because we built a world that always says you’re not where you’re supposed to be.
The next generation of great urban designers are currently killing it on Minecraft.
(Images via d3_cent on Reddit)
(Images via d3_cent on Reddit)
November 30, 2024 at 9:20 PM
The next generation of great urban designers are currently killing it on Minecraft.
(Images via d3_cent on Reddit)
(Images via d3_cent on Reddit)