BLOCK, STREET & BUILDING
Letter from the Editor
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” — JANE JACOBS, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”
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It was an honor to have been invited to help the good folks at Block, Street and Building craft the second edition of the magazine. Steve Luoni and Matthew Petty from the University of Arkansas Community Design Center had set such an excellent foundation in the inaugural issue by covering the breadth and depth of the New Urbanist philosophy, and illustrating some great examples around the state. Our challenge for this issue was to uncover a new angle that would continue to bring this subject to life. As Jane Jacobs, the godmother of the New Urbanist movement, said, “There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city; people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans.” So with that in mind, we crafted this issue around the humans that build, activate and shape our communities. The stories inside highlight the challenges, failures and successes of folks like you, who took the first step (and second, third and fourth) to make something happen. Each endeavor in this issue underscores the saying that we have to be the change we seek. Small, incremental development was and remains the life-blood of cities. Flexible, functional and human-scaled, these projects are the vehicle for generating community wealth, and are contributors to that sense of place so many cities are fighting to maintain or revive. There are thousands of people in Arkansas that could fall into a category of doers, and this issue merely scratches the surface of the awesomeness that is going on in communities across the state. Please know that wherever you are, we applaud and appreciate your efforts. This issue is dedicated to you!
Daniel Hintz Editor, Block, Street & Building
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