Community, Design & Civic Life
How we build and inhabit places — and what makes them worth staying in.
Why This Matters
The design of communities is not a technical problem. It is a moral one. The decisions we make about zoning, streets, housing, and public space determine who can afford to live where, whether neighbors know each other, whether children can walk to school, whether older adults can age in place. These decisions are made every day, mostly by people who have never thought of themselves as designers — and they shape the quality of life for everyone.
Julia Henley has spent decades working at the intersection of planning, design, and civic life — in the Driftless Region and beyond. This hub gathers that experience alongside the writing, resources, and ideas that have shaped it.
More Writing
The Return of the Mixed-Use Street
After decades of single-use zoning, American cities are rediscovering what Jane Jacobs knew in 1961: streets that mix housing, commerce, and civic uses are more resilient, more equitable, and more alive.
Spring 2026Missing Middle Housing and the Affordability Crisis
Duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments, and small apartment buildings once formed the backbone of American neighborhoods. Their near-disappearance is not an accident.
Spring 2026The Street as Infrastructure: Rethinking the Public Right-of-Way
What if we treated every street as a living system — one that manages water, supports biodiversity, and builds community at the same time?
Spring 2025Capturing the Driftless: How Photography Powers Regional Conservation
The Driftless Region refused to be flattened by the glaciers. But even a landscape this resilient is fragile — and photography may be our most powerful tool for making sure people see what is worth protecting.
June 2026The Larger Questions
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What does a genuinely livable community require — and who gets to decide?
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How do we build housing that is affordable without sacrificing quality or character?
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What is the relationship between the design of public space and the health of civic life?
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How do small cities in the Upper Midwest hold themselves together through economic change?
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What does regional identity mean in a world of increasing homogeneity?
Recommended Reading
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Jane Jacobs
The foundational text on what makes urban neighborhoods work — still essential sixty years later.
Walkable City
Jeff Speck
A practical argument for designing cities around people rather than cars.
A Pattern Language
Christopher Alexander et al.
A timeless catalog of the design patterns that make places feel alive and human.
Resources & Organizations
Advocacy and resources for walkable, mixed-use, human-scale community design.
A movement to help cities and towns become financially strong and resilient.
Inspiring resource conservation and vibrant communities in the Driftless Region.
Related Initiative
Sustainable Driftless
Inspiring resource conservation and vibrant communities in the Driftless Region — through photography, publishing, and civic engagement.
Learn about our Projects
