What’s Next for Downtown San Rafael?

New Community-Driven Precise Plan Heads for Adoption by City Council, Aiming to Create a Mixed-Use, Transit-Rich Downtown Area

Ten Actions Toward Being an Antiracist New Urbanist

At the recent CNU.29 Design for Change, a virtual conference by the Congress for New Urbanism, Karen Parolek hosted a capstone seminar on the roles and responsibilities of New Urbanists in dismantling systemic racism in the United States.

20 Years and Counting!

2020 has not been the year any of us expected. While we all do our part to confront this year’s challenges, it’s also important to take time to rest, to rejuvenate, and to celebrate. In that spirit, we hope you’ll join us to take a minute to celebrate Opticos’s 20th Anniversary, including the work of our past and current team, colleagues, and innovative clients, as well as look toward the future.

Building Types in Zoning, Part 2: Where?

As established in Part 1 of this series, we understand why it’s important to use building types. Now, let’s get into the next question: where? This post focuses on where building types are most effective, where they could be helpful but aren’t necessary, and where they are not necessary and should not be used.

An Agile, Cost-Competitive, Alternative Approach to Class A Multifamily Living Using Missing Middle Housing, Part 1

Case Study: Bungalows on the Lake at Prairie Queen, Papillion, NE