Television promised us walkable neighborhoods, close-knit communities and spacious homes. The reality of suburban life tells a different story.

The IBX, New York City’s biggest transit expansion since World War II, could unlock tens of thousands of homes and billions in value.

This post is brought to you by Sam Fox School at Washington University in St. Louis Linda C. Samuels, an architecture and urban design professor at Washington University in St. Louis and author of “Infrastructural Optimism,” shares the impact an urban design perspective can have through the lens of two recent trips to New York. “There’s no question that urban design impacts the lives of all New Yorkers. Whether it’s the buildings we live in, the streets we cross, the parks we play in, or broader issues of housing, climate adaptation, public space, or transit accessibility, questions of design are always at stake.” Daniel Garodnick, former chair and director, New York City Department of City Planning, Principles of Good Urban Design for New York City Top/Up urbanism and TKTS booth, Times Square. Photos: Linda C. Samuels, 2010. The last time I was in New York City was 2010. Janette Sadik-Khan, the former transportation commissioner, had just painted Times Square with big red and green p...

The scale of commerce, preservation versus urban life, manufactured housing, and a funny restaurant review

Given the vast numbers of commuters that the Long Island Railroad carries, It’s easy to forget that it also carries freight. From a couple of years ago, a view of tracks elevated above Glendale, Queens, as a freight train with a much-grafittied hopper car goes by some brick bow-front rowhouses: