The Restless Pursuit of Urbanism
I’m Edward Erfurt, Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Towns. I am an architect by training, urban designer by corruption, and a self-described Restless Urbanist.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the built environment. Not just the buildings and streets themselves, but the countless decisions, accidents, traditions, and experiments that shape the places we call home. Why does one street invite you to linger while another makes you want to leave? Why do some neighborhoods seem to grow stronger over time while others struggle? These questions have sent me down more rabbit holes than I can count.
Over the past 20-plus years, I’ve worked in both the public and private sectors helping communities plan, design, and build places worth caring about. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to everything from neighborhood redevelopment projects and master plans to zoning reform, street design, and community engagement efforts. Along the way, I’ve learned that great places rarely emerge from grand theories alone. They are shaped by local knowledge, persistent people, incremental improvements, and a willingness to pay attention.
This Substack is where I explore those ideas.
You’ll find observations from walks through cities and towns, lessons from projects I’ve worked on, reflections on planning and development, stories about the places that inspire me, and occasional dives into the strange and wonderful details that make urbanism endlessly fascinating.
I believe the best places are created through community-focused processes, informed by diverse perspectives, grounded in time-tested development patterns, and strengthened through steady, incremental change. More than anything, I believe that understanding how places work helps us become better stewards of the communities we love.
So if you’re curious about cities, neighborhoods, streets, development, design, or the peculiar ways our built environment shapes everyday life, you’re in the right place.
Welcome to the pursuit.
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