My time at the Citymakers Collective 2026. This summer I visited the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. Not as a tourist this time, but as an urbanist. For two weeks in June, a nonprofit organization called the Citymakers Collective hosted over 20 students for an intensive urban design program. Headed by my friend WillContinueContinue reading “How to Build Beautiful Communities”
Category Archives: Blog
A “New” Normal: Top-Down or Bottom-Up Redevelopment in Uptown?
We are a Strong Towns Local Conversation open to everyone in the Bloomington-Normal area. What happens in Normal impacts the rest of the region. We are in favor of infill development anywhere in the twin cities, especially in the urban cores. Walkable city centers and density are imperative to a Strong Town. However, the wayContinueContinue reading “A “New” Normal: Top-Down or Bottom-Up Redevelopment in Uptown?”
Return of Downtown Local Ownership?
After the September 8th 2025 Bloomington City Council meeting, residents of the urban core can now construct the beloved shophouse typology. (I know, it took some time to push this blogpost out the door). Agenda Item number 8.B. standardized the accessory dwelling unit application process (which we will talk about in a separate post), allowsContinueContinue reading “Return of Downtown Local Ownership?”
Notes From the STILL Gathering
Noah, Alan, and I (Tyson) attended the first Strong Towns Illinois (STILL) gathering in Chicago on the weekend of September 27th. Representatives from several Local Conversations across Illinois came together to connect on a variety of topics. Here is what I took away from the experience. Observations and Tips Perspective we should take towards areContinueContinue reading “Notes From the STILL Gathering”
Julia’s Backyard Quest for Accessible Housing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A99FqQC9w9Q ADUs or Accessory Dwelling Units have been legalized on paper in Bloomington, Illinois since 2022. However, many conflicting clauses in the zoning code and use table effectively disallows them from being built. Julia Sutherland has been a resident of central Bloomington for more than a decade and has decided to turn her garage artist’sContinueContinue reading “Julia’s Backyard Quest for Accessible Housing”
Musings from a Midwest Road Trip: Public Markets
My fiancée and I went on an amazing road trip at the end of the summer, and now I am just finding time (by avoiding other pressing matters) to write about my experiences in some new urban environments. During my August trip, I visited Saint Louis, Kansas City, Topeka, Omaha, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. I hopeContinueContinue reading “Musings from a Midwest Road Trip: Public Markets”
The Importance of Proactive Historic Preservation
I had the pleasure of reading The University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Dean’s Charrette of Downtown Gary. Compared to our recently completed amateur Front N Center Design Charrette, this is the gold standard and professional quality. Notre Dame has gained a national and international reputation of being an excellent purveyor of traditional architectureContinueContinue reading “The Importance of Proactive Historic Preservation”