Just a little over a mile from downtown Boise and a whole lot less than a mile from the city’s flagship public university campus, a micro-subdivision sits wedged between two busy arterial roads. It’s barely noticeable, and I would have driven right past it if it weren’t for the unusual aesthetic: something between tiny homes ...Read more... The post Tiny manufactureds in Boise: trailers or tiny homes? Both? Neither? appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
Crossing the Occoquan River from Prince William County to southern Fairfax County in Northern Virginia doesn’t yield a lot of surprises. Regardless of the county, it’s all suburbia, albeit a lot less dense and urbanized than Arlington County or other parts of Fairfax that are closer to Alexandria and, of course, Washington DC. But, while ...Read more... The post White-on-blue directional signs: they might be everywhere, but are they a gold standard? appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
For being a licensed city planner, I’ve avoided using one particular term in this blog common within my profession’s jargon: urban sprawl. Applying the search tool, it has only appeared as content within 72 articles—pretty rare considering that at this point in September 2025, I have produced 956 blog posts. Keep in mind, many of ...Read more... The post Campus creep: when a large, rooted institution needs to grow…there goes the neighborhood. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
This is a slight subject—or, rather, two subjects—which I am somewhat forcibly conflating. But it’s not an unfamiliar topic for this blog, and I keep coming back to it because it’s so rich with semantic potential: specifically, it’s the organization and branding of public restrooms. The only major reason this cluster of photos gets bunched ...Read more... The post Williamsburg restrooms: how the colonists did—and still do—their business. appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
I had visited this little shopping center just south of Alexandria, Virginia more than a few times before I ever noticed this bizarre little sign about flying projectiles. It didn’t occur to me during any previous visit, since I normally sat indoors to avoid the scorching summer sun, but apparently some people opt to eat ...Read more... The post Flying projectiles and French pastries: not exactly a familiar pairing! appeared first on American Dirt..| American Dirt.
Finding your way around a Network Rail station is becoming another step easier. The publication of the most recent version of Network Rail’s Wayfinding design manual represents the latest ste…| The Beauty of Transport
Leveraging summer seasonal displays effectively can significantly enhance customer engagement and boost sales.| Explorer Research
One of the most enduringly popular articles on this website (at least in terms of clicks and re-posts) is a very early one, from 2013. It concerns the graphic identities created for Railtrack’…| The Beauty of Transport
It takes some strange mixture of bravery, confidence, and the thickest of skins to take on the job of redesigning a national icon. Once again, the rail industry’s “double arrow”, …| The Beauty of Transport
Accessibility will have a new face at the Olympic and Paralympic Village in Greater Paris. The post Creating Inclusive Multisensory Signage for People with Disabilities appeared first on Inclusive City Maker.| Inclusive City Maker
Tensator event signage offers more than just directions. Fully customisable, you can communicate to visitors directly. Read more now!| Tensator Group
