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The Happy Urbanist

@jonjon.jpeg

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No, but, people make places great and more people means a better place.

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bus stops should have seating & savannah should have more public art

🎨 by @brian.macgregor

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Progressive —> Centrist —> Conservative

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This was a comment which went too HARD not to amplify.

In the latter half of the 20th century, cities were hollowed out for parking. Where once there had stood homes, businesses, or cultural and civic institutions, now we have cleared away all but some asphalt on which we store our cars. Where once there had been character, vibrancy, and community, now there is only a lifeless lot.

We must rebuild what we have lost and create new and better communities for everyone.

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100 Benches Built
100 Benches Painted
0 Deployed

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With another highway funding deadline coming December 11, Congress has a chance to stop treating a completed interstate-building project like an endless one.

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Week without driving starting strong 😅

Over the next several days, other creators and I are doing a variety of tasks in different cities without a car to see how the experience differs. Follow for more!

#urbanplanning #civilengineering #roaddesign #weekwithoutdriving

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A very incomplete roundup of late August & September:

This first picture is very much a representation of how I came home: one minute I was dawdling in Spain, the next I was on a plane, on my way home to greet both loss and grace at once.

After my crash-landing home when I got word our Fern was sick, I was lucky enough to have three more weeks to hold, graze, savor, and utterly memorize my living Fern. So much life sprang from those three weeks and it was both known and incomprehensible that their ending would be her burial. But god, we were so lucky to have that time.

I also got to hold my nephew — my brother’s first son — in my arms for the very first time. When I first met his two cousins, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of infinity resting in my arms. And now we have Whitman, and infinity became even sweeter again. I feel so proud to be Whit’s aunt, and I feel so inspired by Hunter and my brother and the occeeeaaannss of love pouring out of them for this perfect baby boy that they brought into this world.

Everything else are just snapshots made from this deeply abiding urge to make this life last for eternity. And all of the loves of my life! Karaoke on a school night, birthday celebrations, family finally in the same place at the same time, even more new babies!, beer!baseball!dawgs!, my dear, dear friends, a tender gift for fern from our favorite baristas, running shenanigans, good hikes, a bittersweet send-off, new friends, great music, hard work. Love, light, joy, darkness, death, life, longing, transience: all of it. It’s all grace, and I’m swimming in it. September was…abundant. And still, grateful is all I can be.

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Most first time developers expect the city to be the obstacle. Will Hanrahan found a partner.

Will bought a one acre industrial lot in Lexington, Kentucky off Facebook Marketplace for $435,000. With the city willing to bet on a first timer, it became The Rail Yard, a $7.5M mixed use project with 32 homes and commercial space.

As Will puts it, programs like this don’t just fund 12 units. They fund the start of a developer who goes on to build a lot more housing.

What a helpful city can do for new developers:
📍 One real point of contact
📍 Early meetings before you sink money into the wrong plan
📍 Preapproved building plans
📍 Zoning guidance on what’s possible
📍 Brownfield and cleanup programs
📍 Gap funding, fee deferrals, and tax abatements

Curious to learn more about pre-approved plans? @jonjon.jpeg just broke down how Claremore, Oklahoma is doing preapproved plans and why it matters. Worth a watch!

Sitting on a deal that feels too big? Start with a coffee at your planning office.

🎧 Full episode: link in bio
📥 Grab the Developer Vault: link in bio

Hosted by: @kristikandel & @commercial_louisville
Guest: Will Hanrahan @railyardlex

#localrealestatedeveloper #realestatedevelopment #affordablehousing #attainablehousing communitydevelopment landdevelopment privatecapital manufacturedhomes buildlocal realestatepodcast firsttimedeveloper adaptivereuse preapprovedplans kentuckyrealestate

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🚨📚🏙️ #EventAlert | Urbanism, Walkability & the Future of Great Places 🏙️📚🚨

For AIA St. Louis members, this is more than a book talk. Our friends at the @stlouiscountylibrary are welcoming Jon Jon Wesolowski, "The Happy Urbanist," for a conversation exploring the connections between urban design, transportation, public space, housing, economic development, and quality of life. Whether you're passionate about walkability, downtown revitalization, transit-oriented development, neighborhood identity, or creating vibrant places for people, this event offers insights that directly connect to the work architects, planners, and design professionals do every day

This is also a fantastic opportunity for emerging professionals, community advocates, and civic leaders to engage in a broader discussion about how communities grow, connect, and thrive. Conversations like these help us better understand the systems, policies, and design decisions that shape the places we call home.

🔄 View & Share the Original Event Post:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/st.-louis-county-library_the-happy-urbanist-jon-jon-wesolowski-is-activity-7500705790396186624-Hx26?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAIctz4B7qE21pQp5ZQvYpp8N7TRtQEeU2c

#AIASTL #EventAlert #TheHappyUrbanist #JonJonWesolowski #STLCountyLibrary #UrbanDesign #UrbanPlanning #Walkability #TransportationPlanning #Housing #EconomicDevelopment #PlaceMaking #BuiltEnvironment #StLouisArchitecture #CivicEngagement

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📣📣We’ve teamed up with the @stlouiscountylibrary Foundation to bring @jonjon.jpeg back to St. Louis for a lively discussion about how small, local projects (in St. Louis and elsewhere) can transform communities without leaving people behind.

📅 Tuesday, Sept. 15
⏰7pm
📍Clark Family Branch of St. Louis County Library (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131)

There will also be a community resource fair with info tables from partners @trailnetstl @stlbworks @stlurbanists @moconservation @modot_stl @fun4stlkids @strongstlmo @urbanharveststl

Check link for details. Free, doors open at 6.

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Why do some streets make you want to linger while others make you want to get the hell out? What makes community in cities work? What makes third places thrive?

Join us for Bar Talks at The Royale, a happy hour and informal presentation with Jon Jon Wesolowski, better known as The Happy Urbanist.

This Bar Talk, “Low-Traffic Neighborhoods and Rat Runs,” looks at cut-through traffic, safer neighborhood streets, and how the design of a place shapes the way people move, gather, and connect.

Jon Jon makes the hidden design of cities easy to see, from walkable streets and safer crossings to third places, neighborhood life, and the small changes that help communities thrive.
He’s bringing his giant hand-drawn slides. We’ll have a short talk, questions, drinks, and plenty of time to hang out and talk about St. Louis.

Thursday September 17th
5:30 Meet & Greet
6:30 Presentation
The Royale, 3132 S Kingshighway Blvd
Free and open to everyone
IG: @jonjon.jpeg

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Benches have landed! 📣🦝

What began as a glimmer of hope back in November 2025, and after learning from @jonjon.jpeg and @hopehencheywrites during a tactical urbanism project in Chattanooga, finally became a reality when the Keep Atlanta Beautiful Commission green-lit our project in early Summer 2026. GDOT maintenance also championed our efforts! We then coordinated with the ADA ramp and sidewalk improvements led by @p2k_inc to make all of this happen seamlessly. The City Horticulturalist selected native flowering plants: Black-eyed Susan & Purple coneflower. KABC coordinated & donated these native plants to us, plus bags of mulch!

This Adopt-a-Spot route & Marta stop were officially adopted by ‘Ollie’s Walk’ in 2025 - dedicating this spot to the late Oliver the Dog, who loved to walk everyday and loved to greet every neighbor joyfully! We are thrilled for the opportunity to continue maintaining this beautiful community space with our Neighbors 💗

Special thanks to @raanicoffee for keeping us fueled and caffeinated and for the most darling hat! Thank you to all of our neighbors who have supported this community effort, and especially to our biggest cheerleader @lexiburd who was the first to stop by and check out this bench!

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