Canter Group Planning & Design Blog

Historic Jekyll Island is located on the Georgia Coast.  The center of the Island, the Jekyll Island Club Historic District has been listed since 1978 in the National Register of Historic Places.  Although it’s owned by the State of Georgia, a small amount of commercial and residential development is allowed. Also located near the Historic District is the ruins of the Horton House, occupied by Major William Horton (ca. 1742).  The Jekyll Island Authority and the Fanning Institute are currently working on their 2010 Master Plan. LINK: http://www.jekyllislandhistory.com/index.shtml Master Plan Site: http://www.jekyllmasterplan.org/

Mission San Luis was built in 1633 in what is now Tallahassee, Florida, about 2 miles from the Capitol.  In 1704 it was evacuated and burned to keep it from falling into the hands of British and Creek Indian raiders.  Beginning in 1996, Renker Eich Parks Architects, of St. Petersburg, Florida, with Herchel Sheperd, FAIA, undertook designing the reconstruction of many of the buildings in the mission using archeological and historical evidence to conjecture the architecture of the buildings to how they would originally have been built. The buildings that have since been reconstructed include the Church, the Convento, the Council House, the Chief's House, the Fort and Blockhouse, and a typical Spanish House as well as many minor features around the site.- ( Wikipedia Article Link )   Reconstructed Council House Council House Interior Council House Interior-Roof Blacksmith Shop Fort with dry moat Church Interior Church Interior Spanish House Spanish House ...

I grew up in a small town outside of Nashville Tennessee. Since it was the County Seat, the courthouse was, like in many small towns, located on a square in the center of town. On many mornings, you could find the city elders (not the politicians) sitting together on benches outside the courthouse with pocketknives, blocks of pine and the problems of the world to solve. I suppose each shaving cut from the pine carried with it, as it fell, a part of whatever problem that was being discussed, until there was nothing but the pile left at the men’s feet. Whether it just became impractical, or was finally prevented by some city ordinance, the elders stopped meeting there long ago. Although the meeting place has changed to a local fast-food restaurant, there are still elders meeting nearly every morning discussing the news and issues of the day; and a new batch of young guys (in their 60’s) constantly filling the places of those who are gone. My Dad, now in his eighties, has met with these...

         

  The following was a short discussion on Linked In "The creation of community --fundamentally based on the relations between people -- is largely beyond the reach of government... and the sooner we understand that the better. Otherwise we'll wait a long time for government (or any other large organization, for that matter) to build urban villages, and then they may be named Potemkin."--David Sucher in "City Comforts. How To Build An Urban Village" A fine book, full of great photos and suggestions. I've found that illustrations are some of the greatest tools in working with clients to see possibilities and consider options beyond their current experience...and they often work far better than the regulatory hammer Pete Pointner FAICP, ALA, ITE • Jim, Government controls land use; the type, pattern, density, quality and timing of development. Not all governments want to exercise their authority or do so badly, agreed. But are you saying that the physic...

In Response to City Shaped Design , which offers furniture in the shape of urban scenes, I offer a building in the shape of furniture….