Walking: A path to prosperity, health, and social capital

We used to design cities for people. Human comfort, interest, and safety were guiding principles in the design of streets, buildings, and open spaces. Most daily needs were within a five-minute walk or a transit ride. For the last half a century, we have designed our cities and suburbs around the automobile. In the wake of recent demographic and market shifts and the looming public health crisis resulting from a sedentary lifestyle, cities are rediscovering the many and lasting financial, health, social, and environmental benefits of walkable places. This article explores the economic and other advantages of walking to create vibrant and successful places. It offers suggestions on what economic developers can do to improve walkability of an area.

Productive Growth
Economic Development Journal, Vol.22, Number 4, Fall 2023.

Finding the right path through design review
Better! Cities & Towns, May-June 2014.

Assessing Criticisms of Form-Based Codes
Better! Cities & Towns, April-May 2013.

Restorative Development Regulations
California Planner, Newsletter of the APA, California Chapter, Spring 2012.

Restorative Development Regulations
Urban Planning and Economic Development News Magazine, January 2012.

Post-Great Recession Retail Trends
Practicing Planner, online magazine of AICP, Vol. 9, No. 1, Summer 2011.

Is the Cure Worse than the illness.
The Urban Vision, Expert Diary.

Why Design Guidelines on Their Own Don’t Work
New Urban Network blog.

How to Subdivide Without Sprawling
New Urban Network blog.

Contextual Tall Buildings in India
The Urban Vision, Expert Diary.

Public: The Forgotten Realm
The Urban Vision, Expert Diary.

Place-based Economy
Economic Development Journal, Vol.9, Number 1, Winter 2010.

Tall Can be Beautiful
The Financial Express Newspaper, January 10, 2010, page 7.

Smart Growth
The Urban Vision, Expert Diary.

Renewal Metrics
CAL APA Newsletter, September/October 2009.

Hybrid Codes Versus Form-Based Codes
New Urban News, Vol. 14, No. 3, pages 12-13, April/May 2009. Reprinted in Vision, The Magazine of the American Planning Association AZ Chapter, pages 14-15, June 2009.

Reimagining Commerce: Strategies to Encourage Diverse Economic Futures Kaizer participated in a virtual panel discussion at the 2020 CA APA conference.

Intensive Form-Based Code Hands-on Workshop 
Kaizer and Mark Wyckoff, FAICP conducted a half-day workshop at the Michigan Planning Association’s Annual Conference at Mackinac Island.

Institutionalizing Living Street Design
Kaizer participated in a panel discussion at the CA APA conference in Rancho Mirage.

Proactive Sustainable Planning Key to AB32 Regulatory Compliance
Kaizer, Marc Costa & Javier Mariscal presented at the Annual Municipal Green Conference & Expo in Downey, on April 26.

Scales of Urbanism on a Sustainable Platform, and
Planning Experience in Other Cultures
Kaizer participated on two panels to discuss at the National APA Conference in Los Angeles, April 2012.

Challenge of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets 
Kaizer and Javier Mariscal of Southern California Edison presented  at USGBC C4 General Meeting on February 27.

FBCs: Regulatory Framework for Design of the Public Realm
Kaizer presented at the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 2011 World Conference in Seoul.

Design Review: Purpose, Principles and Practice.

Administration of Form-Based Codes.

Coding Corridors.

Sustainable Development and Environmental Impact Analysis
Adjunct Faculty at California State University at Northridge (2011-2017).

Comparative Urban Development
USC Price School of Public Policy (Spring 2014).

3-course curriculum on Form-Based Coding (developed by FBCI)
Past Chairman Emeritus Board and Faculty Member of the Form-based Code Institute (FBCI). Periodically teach a  leading to certification from FBCI.