What I Believe

Cities are amazing places of knowledge and creativity. It's my goal to make them better, and for people to better understand these complex creations, whether through analysis, opinions or mundane observation.

As planners and urbanists we have the ability to influence an important part of our world: the built environment. This is something we all experience, none of us are exempt. As a Christian I stand firm to the belief that the built environment is not just a place where our lives are lived, nor is it only a setting that helps shape our lives; it's the place where the story of salvation is played out.

"Where are you?" is a question we've been asking since the beginning of time. Our built environment helps to answer that. We spend our entire lives in some particular place. I want to make those places as enjoyable as possible, and if nothing else, help others better understand the places in which they live.

My thoughts on this site are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.





I don't have a better place to share this, but below is a highlight from the Looped In podcast, a production of the Houston Chronicle's real estate reporter, Nancy Sarnhoff, and Gray Matters editor, Allyn West. I had the pleasure of joining them in the Spring of 2017, discussing parking requirements in cities, and the relation of parking requirements to urban design and form. We touched on terms like enclosure and civic drama.