Seaside Times Columns

Mark Schnell wrote a regular column about urban design for the Seaside Times from 2011 to 2021. The Seaside Times is the newspaper of Seaside, Florida. The town is considered the birthplace of New Urbanism, an international movement to create walkable mixed-use places in lieu of sprawl. Learn more about Seaside and New Urbanism.

Considering that the columns are written for the Seaside Times, many of them use Seaside as an example or point of reference. Many more discuss issues that are pertinent to the larger area of South Walton and/or the Scenic Highway 30A corridor. But the thoughts about urban design in these columns will in most cases be applicable and of interest to a wider audience.

Dec-Jan-Feb 2021-22

Seaside Times Columns

Ten Years and 50 Columns Later, A Look Back

Reflecting on the book “Reflections on Seaside”

Celebrating Birthdays That End in Zeros and Fives

The Importance of Gathering Places – Especially in a World Changed by COVID-19

The Architectural Influences Along Scenic Highway 30A

Resilience is Not a Concept for Someone Else

Value Per Acre: An Eye-Opening Way to Look at Your Community

State Laws that Shape our Communities

When the Places You Love are Illegal to Build

The Great Streets of South Walton

The Term “Missing Middle” is Not Just for Housing Any More

How to Fix Parking Problems

Revisiting the 30A/395 Intersection

In Defense of Thinking Big

Creating a Place for Kids of All Ages

The Intersection of Art and Urbanism

When Home is a Castle

Yes, We Need Infrastructure, But What Kind?

A Letter to the New Residents of South Walton

The New Texas Coast

A Few Simple Rules

Not My Department

Creating Places Worth Sustaining

Neighborhood Schools

Win-Win Solutions

A New Era for Mobility on 30A

Still Waiting to Cross the Street

Building for the “Missing Middle”

Take a Walk

Layers of History

Enough Complaining — It’s Time for Action

The Special Sauce

Missed Opportunities

Breaking the Chains

Transit on 30A

Speed Limits and the Limits of Speed Traps

The Tyranny of the Cul-de-Sac

The Monsters of South Walton

Stairway to Heaven

Height Limits and Human Scale

Principles of a Sensible County Parking Policy

Lessons from Napa Valley

Location, Location, Location

Seaside, The City of Ideas

The Millennials Go Urban

Rules to Build By – The Best and Worst

Priorities for Restore Act

The Parking Conundrum

Seeing 30A Like a Visitor

Wal-Mart in Seaside

Burying Mistakes vs. Planting Ivy