PBS&J Highlights Focus

Building a better city... an ambitious undertaking, to say the least! And it’s happening all across America, with our clients leading the industry through some of the most exciting efforts to date. It’s also the focus of this issue of PBS&J Highlights.

Today’s successful cities are responding to changing demographics, lifestyles, and economic drivers with strategies that capitalize on their existing strengths, yet maintain a clear vision of what they want to be. The City Is Back...And Better than Ever, looks at several cities that are revitalizing underutilized areas, reenergizing their economies, responding to demands, revisioning their futures, and even reinventing the concept of “downtown.” Look for these vibrant cities to be the models that others follow.

Waterfront Revivals reports on two cities that put landscape architecture at the starting point of their planning to bring value and identity back to their unique waterfronts.

We are honored to be able to share the professional viewpoint of urban planner, researcher, and noted author William Fulton, who answers our questions on key issues related to urban revitalization. See this interview in our Expert’s View column.

Recognizing that mobility is always an issue that impacts quality of life in urban communities, our article, A Catalyst for Redevelopment, explores how some cities are using their transportation systems to spur redevelopment efforts that create more livable environments.

The devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina captured the attention of the nation and the world in 2005. Today, Mississippi communities are taking an innovative approach to recovery that will help them return—better and stronger than ever. See our final article, Disaster as a Springboard for Opportunity, for more on this.

As always, if you desire more information on any of these topics, contact your local PBS&J professionals or e-mail editor Kathe Jackson at krjackson@pbsj.com.