DPZ | PULSE

In November, downtown Vero Beach came alive during the Main Street Vero Beach Mural Festival, an energizing community event produced in partnership with Main Street Vero Beach, the Vero Mural Project, and the Friends of the Vero Beach Art Village.

As the fall season winds down, DPZ is pleased to share some of the updates, events and news items from the last few months. Many of our projects continued their progress and marked important milestones, as new projects and initiatives emerged. Meanwhile, DPZers remained active in panel discussions, both in person and online…

This summer DPZ has been reminded of something that we often tell our downtown clients: drafting a code or implementing a master plan has to be viewed through the lens of time. So here’s to all those clients, as well as their supporters and collaborators, who stay the course in seeing long-range urban visions come to life. We would like to share more about these and other highlights from the past few months…

This year’s CNU marked a rewarding homecoming of sorts for DPZ. For the second time, the City of Providence, RI, hosted the annual new urbanist conference. The promise of DPZ’s Downcity Providence 1991 and 2003 master plans were starting to yield tangible results back in 2006 at CNU14…

2025 has been off to a productive and exciting start with a full calendar of new projects, charrettes, and special events that have set the tone for the rest of the year. While many of the projects have leaned private in nature, there has been a broad reach across both the country and project types…

This January, DPZ returned to The Villages of Loreto Bay (Loreto Bay) in response to an RFP to update the community’s design code. It’s always a rewarding experience to reconnect with past clients and help further shape a community as it grows…

The time has come to bid farewell to a fast-paced and action-packed 2024. It is important to take a moment to reflect on all we have experienced, learned, and shared as we look ahead to 2025…

Settling into the 2024 holiday season we are very much aware of our friends in the South who are still in response mode to this year’s hurricanes. We are grateful that friends and communities in which DPZ has worked in the region survived the storms safely…

Camille Annette Cortes, one of DPZ’s young designers, and DPZ Partner Matt Lambert established PLACE Initiative to focus on solutions intersecting urbanism, climate, and equity — making urbanism and social justice top-level climate priorities…

DPZ’s busy 2024 calendar continued throughout the late spring and into the summer with public and private sector projects. CNU32 in mid-May drew over 1,000 New Urbanists to host city Cincinnati, OH…

This past May, a team led by DPZ and Walton County held a community engagement charrette that welcomed opinions and insight from local community members to provide an evaluation and appraisal update to the comprehensive plan, and propose a physical vision…

Over two decades since DPZ first designed what would become Friday Harbour Resort at Big Bay Point, Innisfil, the master plan and adopted SmartCode continue to guide development…

This June 6-7, Andres Duany and several other DPZers participated in the Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall, managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R)…

As DPZ partner Matt Lambert assumed his new role as chair of its board of directors, the 32nd Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) annual conference took over downtown Cincinnati, OH, in mid-May…

2024 has been off to a running start with a busy calendar of new projects, charrettes, speaking engagements, and special events that have set the tone for the rest of the year…

In 1989, DPZ began a planning project for Playa Vista, a Los Angeles development for the former Howard Hughes airport and aircraft facility. In an effort to document its history, Playa Vista Institute has created an in-depth documentary detailing the story of its development…

As the year comes to a close we want to take a moment to look back at the events and accomplishments of 2023 and share a few updates and achievements…

On the weekend of November 3rd – 5th of this year, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) hosted a three-day architecture and design conference featuring DPZ’s Lizz Plater-Zyberk as the Saturday evening keynote…

It’s hard to believe that we are past the halfway point of 2023. Since our last news round-up DPZ has been busy with new projects, updates to master plans that are underway, plus various conferences and events. The three offices have been conducting charrettes and active with several CNU activities, including a strong presence at this past May’s annual conference in Charlotte, NC. The well-attended conference hosted over 1,000 New Urbanists, many of them enthusiastic new faces…

As Aria nears a decade of development, it is time to honor the admirable implementation that has been underway by our client homebuilder Ashton Woods, Builder magazine’s 2023 “Builder of the Year”. Begun in the spring of 2015, this 75-acre community in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs is near several employment centers near GA-400 and I-285…

That measurement of time in which someone is more likely to walk or bike rather than drive a car to an errand has been the subject of much discussion among urbanists. Thirty years ago the New Urbanism first proposed a neighborhood of a quarter-mile radius. More recently the “15-minute city” has been receiving much attention and it has given the concept of sustainable community design renewed vigor…

After nearly 4 years of planning, a public charrette, numerous meetings, and a citywide referendum, the steps are in place to move forward with the development of the Three Corners site in Vero Beach, FL. Last November, the city’s residents voted overwhelmingly – 80/20 – in favor of revising the city charter to allow commercial use on this piece of municipal waterfront land that will also include public park space…

We are excited to close the year with some updates and news as we prepare to say goodbye to 2022. Even with hiccups from the tail end of COVID-19, hurricanes, and global politics, there has been plenty to celebrate. Between charrettes, webinars, developments in our communities, features in prominent publications, awards, and more, there is much that we are thrilled to share with you…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive influx of migrants to Florida has prompted skyrocketing real estate prices and a rush on the already limited affordable housing. Fortunately, DPZ’s Sprawl Repair initiative offers a wealth of ideas for repurposing stranded and underperforming real estate assets. These strategies can help make suburban communities more connected, more mixed-use, more walkable, and with a better sense of place…

Montava is an ambitious project slated to fill many needs in Northeast Fort Collins, Colorado But it’s not just any development—Montava is pushing the envelope on pedestrian and bicycle-centric design, with networks of car-free paths and streets and serious traffic calming. One of the innovative techniques to slow down vehicular speeds was tested in a Fort Collins parking lot this fall…

As we enter the homestretch of 2022, DPZ is pleased to provide updates on a few projects that have moved into implementation and efforts in coding and master planning that have been adopted. The past few weeks also reminded us of the passage of time and nature’s strength…

Last month, wind, rain, and a powerful storm surge from Hurricane Ian cut a swath of destruction across the Florida peninsula. Particularly devastated were many of the cities and neighborhoods along the gulf coast that DPZ has been advising for over 30 years. DPZ wants to voice its concern for the well-being of our clients in that region, and wish a speedy recovery as they clean up, rebuild, and move forward…

DPZ’s connection with Britain’s new king began when the Prince of Wales mentioned Seaside in his 1988 book and documentary, A Vision of Britain, praising its sociable, interconnected plan and walkable urban scale. He made his vision a reality in 1989 when he commissioned the plan for the village of Poundbury – an extension of Dorchester – on land owned by his Duchy of Cornwall…

This Summer DPZ continued a long and cherished tradition of taking on eager and promising interns as part of the team. These outstanding designers from a variety of backgrounds came together with the common mission of shaping the future of New Urbanism. They are now back in school working to complete their degrees. Two of the four continue interning at DPZ Miami this fall. DPZ wanted to highlight and honor the efforts of all four individuals…

DPZ has returned to Naples in 2022, nearly three decades after the charrette and code that transformed 5th Avenue South into a signature main street, the hub of a region, and a national destination. The assignment this past year was to address the Naples Design District, an eclectic, historic area in need of a clearer identity and a plan to help define it…

OLD FRIENDS AND NEW: ON THE GROUND ON 30A & AT THE SEASIDE INSTITUTE As we enter the second quarter of 2022, we want to recap some of the highlights from our whirlwind first quarter that was filled with celebrations and honors. In March we…

Bringing New Urbanism to a Wider Audience: Andres on Tucker Carlson’s Podcast   You may have been surprised to see that Andres was the guest for the entire hour of this week’s episode of Tucker Carlson’s FOX NATION podcast “Tucker Carlson…

Seasons Greetings from DPZ CoDesign Along with our best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a happy 2022, we are passing along some news on what we have been doing as 2021 draws to a close. BACK TO THE FUTURE – DPZ RETURNS TO…

Updates & News for September-October 2021 VOICES FROM THE FUTURE – THE DPZ INTERNS: This summer we had the pleasure of reanimating our internship program with five outstanding young people, who we know will go on…

Q&A w/Andrés Duany – Episode 4 In the most recent episode of Q&A with Andrés Duany, Andrés discusses how men and women react differently to public space, where he thinks people should consider retiring in Florida, and why he thinks living…

Updates & News for July 2021 Like so many of you, we at DPZ are continuing to work in the hybrid manner we have all become accustomed to during COVID, both in person and remote when appropriate. While our projects continued during the last 15…

What’s Happening at DPZ This month we catch you up on the latest DPZ news. CNU29 CNU held its annual congress May 19-21 via a virtual format. The focus was on effecting social, policy, and physical changes to better address equity and climate. A…

Q&A w/Andrés Duany – Episode 3 In this episode of “Q&A w/Andrés Duany,” Andrés answers questions about his favorite transect zone, getting fired, 3 things he would tell every mayor and their planning department, advice for young…

Q&A with Andres Duany – Episode 2 Episode 2 is now live! In this episode of Q&A with Andres Duany, Andres answers questions about topics such as “Skeptical Environmentalism,” his favorite DPZ project: Mitigation vs. Adaptation, his least…

The Classicist No. 17: Florida’s Rich Tradition of Classical Architecture This month’s newsletter highlights another publication: The Classicist No. 17, published by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA). The Classicist is an…

Q&A with Andres Duany – Episode 1 We are excited to announce the launch of a new series, Q&A with Andres Duany. The first episode is now live on YouTube! This is a short format web series solely focused on curated questions on various…

Takeaways from the Builders’ Show with Andres Duany and NanaWall Post-Pandemic Design with Andrés Duany, presented by NanaWall Always interesting to listen to, Andrés Duany, celebrated architect and city planner, sits down with the folks at…

Defining The 15-minute City What is the “15-minute city” and why is it gaining traction? Andres Duany and Robert Steuteville provide some important insights.    “The 15-minute city is gaining significant traction politically and in planning…

Transect Urbanism: Readings in Human Ecology Transect Urbanism: Readings in Human Ecology  Edited by DPZ’s own Andrés Duany and Brian Falk, Director of the Center for Applied Transect Studies, the book features essays from more than a dozen…

Ten Years On: Why Sprawl Repair is even More Vital in the Age of COVID-19 Ten years since the original publication of Sprawl Repair Manual, the ideas and solutions it contains are even more urgent and needed than ever.  COVID-19 has brought the…

Outreach for A More Inclusive 21st Century ENGAGING THE VIRTUAL & THE REAL To say that the past six months have changed everything, is hardly an understatement. The way we live, work, play, communicate, and even the way we think have required…

Communities Faring Well by Design A global pandemic is the type of resiliency test we plan for, but hope never occurs. We are happy to report that amidst the current difficulties, our compact, walkable, mixed-use, and multigenerational communities…

Tiny and Double Wide in Vegas? We have two new and exciting prototypes for you to explore. Find us at IBS 2020 in Las Vegas now. Located at the Show Village (outdoor), stop by and experience our showcase and speak with Andrés Duany. The…

On Climate Migration, Part 3: Excessive Centralization This is a multi-part series, see Part 1 for a snippet of background and Part 2 for a discussion of regional issues. I ended Part 2 stating that the path of the last century has preferred big –…

On Climate Migration, Part 2: The Region This is a multi-part series, see Part 1 for a snippet of background on the problem. I began the last part considering my regular view of the US from the air. For the most part it is unsettled or…

Planning for Adaptation [Podcast] Listen to Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk on the Future of the American City podcast, interviewed by Charles Waldheim: Listen here. Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk is a pioneering urban planner, architect, and educator. She has…

On Climate Migration, Part 1: The Problem I often find myself flying across the US, choosing the window seat because its more comfortable and also more interesting. While this is a consequence of moving across the country, where much of my…

Pockets of Community Creating infill in cities and towns in the form of “pockets of community” is an adaptive land use approach to climate change and population migration. Pockets of community, as conceived of by DPZ, are clusters of housing…

Sprawl Repair and Adaptation The realities of climate change in our collective experience is inescapable; members of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) continue to explore important questions about the (not-so-distant) future: Where and how…

Mitigation vs Adaptation, Part 1: The Current State There’s a lot of confusion lately about the difference between mitigation and adaptation. I think this can be be cleared up relatively easily. Mitigation means reducing the impact of climate…