Kaid Benfield
Kaid Benfield is the director of the Sustainable Communities program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Law, co-founder of the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system, and co-founder of Smart Growth America coalition, and author of several books on cities, smart growth and sprawl.
Watch for Kaid’s forthcoming book,
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Videos
A Mesmerizing Timelapse Shows Just How Essential Public Transit Is to Zurich
Trains, trams, streetcars and the people who ride them play a starring role in this kinetic 3-minute film.
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The Kind of Genius It Takes to Create Unique, Memorable Spaces
The fight against places that lack character and distinctiveness.
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Silicon Valley's Downtown Dilemma
Can the city densify and improve connectivity without losing its character and funky mix of ethnic eateries and small businesses?
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This Is What a 'Complete Streets' Campaign Should Look Like
In Miami Beach, grassroots activists have put together a powerful campaign for roads that suit bikers and walkers, along with cars.
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16 Rules for 'Smarter' Smart Growth
It’s time to update the so-called 1990's-era "ten principles" that emphasize compact development, transportation choices, and so on.
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Photos
How Historic Architecture Can Anchor Economic Development
The case for turning historic districts into thriving, walkable downtowns.
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How Sprawl Made This Week's Devastating Midwestern Floods Worse
Spread-out development contributes more rooftops and pavement to the watershed than walkable neighborhoods.
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Photos
In Praise of the Stockholm Subway's Breathtaking Art
Think of it as the world's largest public art exhibit.
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Rankings
The Surprising Places Where Sprawl Is Still the Building Pattern of Choice
It's not the spread-out icons of Phoenix and Las Vegas, but rather pockets of the South Atlantic, Texas and the Pacific Northwest.
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Photos
How to Protect an Urban River From Pollution
A million people live in the Raritan River watershed, so any environmental action requires an impressive level of regional cooperation.
