Newark is the fastest growing city in the Northeast, leading the nationwide trend of people migrating into cities. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece describing the demographic aspect of this move — boomers and millennials, mostly — and identifying higher energy prices as one of the main reasons for this trend.

The Journal (and a similar CNN piece that ran the day before) described the New Urbamism phenomenon, which closely identifies with walkable neighborhoods intended to encourage community. To get some insight into the New Urbanism movement and how Newark’s future is being guided from an urban design perspective, I interviewed Darius Sollohub, Associate Professor of Architecture at NJIT.

The interview is about 31 minutes. Press the play button below to listen.

On the podcast, we discussed:

• Darius’ history with the NJIT School of Architecture and how the school has participated in research and advisory in the city
• What New Urbanism means, the origins of the movement, and some of the critiques and benefits
• How Newark’s redevelopment can benefit from the New Urbanism model
• Whether Newark is taking the right approach in its urban design, and how design can make a difference in urban problems like crime and quality of life
• Bonus! What will Newark be like in five years?