Steve Mouzon
@stevemouzon.bsky.social
Architect, Urbanist, Author, Photographer
Reposted by Steve Mouzon
You gotta pay more for houses with walkability because we don't build nearly enough of them...
Walkability shouldn't be a "perk"
It should be the default
Walkability shouldn't be a "perk"
It should be the default
November 19, 2025 at 10:55 PM
You gotta pay more for houses with walkability because we don't build nearly enough of them...
Walkability shouldn't be a "perk"
It should be the default
Walkability shouldn't be a "perk"
It should be the default
Here's what happened on our spooky Urban Guild Summit "afterparty" lost in the mountains:
originalgreen.org/blog/right-r...
originalgreen.org/blog/right-r...
Right, Right, and Left at the Light
originalgreen.org
November 2, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Here's what happened on our spooky Urban Guild Summit "afterparty" lost in the mountains:
originalgreen.org/blog/right-r...
originalgreen.org/blog/right-r...
A second-level balcony on a mixed-use building helps shield residents of upper levels from the lights of the sidewalk level, helping those who are actually sleeping at night in the French Quarter.
October 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A second-level balcony on a mixed-use building helps shield residents of upper levels from the lights of the sidewalk level, helping those who are actually sleeping at night in the French Quarter.
It’s hard to tell whether the post lamp was deformed by flying hurricane debris or by humans to accentuate the branding of the French Quarter, but twisted lamps like this are on countless T-shirts tourists take home.
October 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM
It’s hard to tell whether the post lamp was deformed by flying hurricane debris or by humans to accentuate the branding of the French Quarter, but twisted lamps like this are on countless T-shirts tourists take home.
The French Quarter masterfully mixes uses. In this building, there’s a shop to the left and the arch to the right leads to a courtyard accessing multiple apartments behind and above the front; a good Missing Middle Housing Commercial Apartment Block.
October 28, 2025 at 12:37 PM
The French Quarter masterfully mixes uses. In this building, there’s a shop to the left and the arch to the right leads to a courtyard accessing multiple apartments behind and above the front; a good Missing Middle Housing Commercial Apartment Block.
Outdoor space tends to expand closer to the street, with individual balconies above, a full and deeper balcony on the middle level and the full extent of the city accessible from doors on the street.
October 28, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Outdoor space tends to expand closer to the street, with individual balconies above, a full and deeper balcony on the middle level and the full extent of the city accessible from doors on the street.
Humbler materials have their places on a street, like the utility brick on the right building accentuating the refinement of the front and the roof tiles used ornamentally in the balustrade of the left building.
October 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Humbler materials have their places on a street, like the utility brick on the right building accentuating the refinement of the front and the roof tiles used ornamentally in the balustrade of the left building.
Never end a building face with the side wall material coming all the way to the corner because it makes the front look pasted-on. At the VERY least, turn the cornice and front wall material at least a little bit like this, if not further.
October 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Never end a building face with the side wall material coming all the way to the corner because it makes the front look pasted-on. At the VERY least, turn the cornice and front wall material at least a little bit like this, if not further.
It’s quite appropriate for a product strongly associated with a place, like Tabasco in the French Quarter, to have its own storefront, as visitors tend to “extend the stay” by taking culinary things home with them.
October 28, 2025 at 12:32 PM
It’s quite appropriate for a product strongly associated with a place, like Tabasco in the French Quarter, to have its own storefront, as visitors tend to “extend the stay” by taking culinary things home with them.
It is natural, even if not essential, for the first level of a building to be clad in a different material than levels above. In a mixed-use quarter like much of the French Quarter, it calls attention to the street-level businesses, among other benefits.
October 28, 2025 at 12:31 PM
It is natural, even if not essential, for the first level of a building to be clad in a different material than levels above. In a mixed-use quarter like much of the French Quarter, it calls attention to the street-level businesses, among other benefits.
Placing a balcony on a chamfered corner takes advantage of a rare opportunity in urbanism: the ability to look down all four streets of the intersection from one vantage point.
October 28, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Placing a balcony on a chamfered corner takes advantage of a rare opportunity in urbanism: the ability to look down all four streets of the intersection from one vantage point.
It’s great when food and beverage establishments open important locations like a street corner window to the sidewalk on all but the more extreme days of the year; it invites people in and helps condition them to Live In Season.
October 28, 2025 at 12:29 PM
It’s great when food and beverage establishments open important locations like a street corner window to the sidewalk on all but the more extreme days of the year; it invites people in and helps condition them to Live In Season.
It is sometimes assumed that the most important civic buildings should express only the highest ideals of a civilization, but the Louisiana Supreme Court building subtly reflects its French Quarter home with its metalwork.
October 28, 2025 at 12:27 PM
It is sometimes assumed that the most important civic buildings should express only the highest ideals of a civilization, but the Louisiana Supreme Court building subtly reflects its French Quarter home with its metalwork.
The Louisiana Supreme Court building is clad in stone in a highly refined manner, as all important civic buildings should be, as they should communicate their importance to both residents and visitors.
October 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM
The Louisiana Supreme Court building is clad in stone in a highly refined manner, as all important civic buildings should be, as they should communicate their importance to both residents and visitors.
This should be easy in Mac Pages, but is there a way to have sections within a document come up as tabs at the top of the window, like tabs on a website?
September 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
This should be easy in Mac Pages, but is there a way to have sections within a document come up as tabs at the top of the window, like tabs on a website?
I'll be speaking at International Making Cities Livable 62 in Potsdam next month; any recommendations for great German towns to photograph in the Berlin region?
September 15, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I'll be speaking at International Making Cities Livable 62 in Potsdam next month; any recommendations for great German towns to photograph in the Berlin region?
Almost exactly 7 years after moving to Tuscaloosa I have done something. I’ve never done before: walk to Northport. It’s terrifying along a bridge with knee-high handrails and fast industrial traffic. I’m not sure I ever want to do this again!
September 12, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Almost exactly 7 years after moving to Tuscaloosa I have done something. I’ve never done before: walk to Northport. It’s terrifying along a bridge with knee-high handrails and fast industrial traffic. I’m not sure I ever want to do this again!
What a textbook case of classical composition, from head to foot and with refinements at every point! Someone well-versed in classical architecture could easily do an hour-long lecture on this image, if not longer.
September 6, 2025 at 6:13 PM
What a textbook case of classical composition, from head to foot and with refinements at every point! Someone well-versed in classical architecture could easily do an hour-long lecture on this image, if not longer.
Two very different ways of joining columns to beams from more vernacular on the left to highly classical on the right. The wrought iron column and beam panels are nearly identical while the classical elements do specific jobs in more varied ways.
September 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Two very different ways of joining columns to beams from more vernacular on the left to highly classical on the right. The wrought iron column and beam panels are nearly identical while the classical elements do specific jobs in more varied ways.
This most refined French Quarter building is clad with a material that really needs to make a comeback: glazed terra cotta. It’s super-durable, able to be crisply shaped, and able to take on pretty much any shape required.
September 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This most refined French Quarter building is clad with a material that really needs to make a comeback: glazed terra cotta. It’s super-durable, able to be crisply shaped, and able to take on pretty much any shape required.
New Orleans’ French Quarter is filled with Missing Middle Housing, both Core and Upper, such as this Commercial Apartment Block with businesses at street level and apartments above. Look around; the wealth of types may astound you.
September 6, 2025 at 6:09 PM
New Orleans’ French Quarter is filled with Missing Middle Housing, both Core and Upper, such as this Commercial Apartment Block with businesses at street level and apartments above. Look around; the wealth of types may astound you.
Most of the NOLA French Quarter is 2-3 stories and quite vernacular, but this one exceeds 10 stories and is beautifully refined in exchange for the added mass. YIMBYs making the same exchange might get more units built.
September 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Most of the NOLA French Quarter is 2-3 stories and quite vernacular, but this one exceeds 10 stories and is beautifully refined in exchange for the added mass. YIMBYs making the same exchange might get more units built.
Solid shutters are more secure at street level, but louvered shutters above allow ventilation and filtered light when the shutters are shut but the openings (doors in this case, or windows) are open behind them.
September 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Solid shutters are more secure at street level, but louvered shutters above allow ventilation and filtered light when the shutters are shut but the openings (doors in this case, or windows) are open behind them.
Porch and gallery stairs are frequent on the Gulf Coast, especially when multiple levels are part of the same property. Whether intentional or not, enticing people outdoors helps them Live in Season, reducing AC usage: originalgreen.org/blog/living-...
September 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Porch and gallery stairs are frequent on the Gulf Coast, especially when multiple levels are part of the same property. Whether intentional or not, enticing people outdoors helps them Live in Season, reducing AC usage: originalgreen.org/blog/living-...
Here’s a building composition thing I’ve noticed but can’t explain: in places with a strong Anglo tradition, there must always be a center bay open but French traditions have no problem with an even number of bays, like everything here except the centered street door. Ideas?
September 6, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Here’s a building composition thing I’ve noticed but can’t explain: in places with a strong Anglo tradition, there must always be a center bay open but French traditions have no problem with an even number of bays, like everything here except the centered street door. Ideas?