MHCP COLAB

The Global Owl

Why Design Matters

In Miami, where car is king and pedestrian and bicyclists are a serious nuisance, MCHP COLAB's Melissa Hege uses her urban planner’s eye to share her photographs of good urban design from national and international cities. Each article features a neighborhood, street or park and identifies all the design parts that make it a successful place.

Parks: Keepin' it Real in West Palm Beach

Dec 3, 2018
3 min

Parks: Keepin' it Real in West Palm Beach

Sometimes simplicity is just better. One of my favorite towns, West Palm Beach, does it again. George Petty Park is a shining example of how a small do-it-yourself park makes a big impact. Within walking distance from my favorite relative's house, I come here quite often. Situated on a small waterfront lot, George Petty Park is a low tech approach to public spaces. Beautiful water view? Check. Sandy beach? Check. Playground equipment? Check. But it's not what you think. Georg

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A River Runs Through It: New York's Hudson River Park

May 31, 2018
6 min

A River Runs Through It: New York's Hudson River Park

You don't need Brad Pitt to make this river shine. New York's Hudson River Park is 4-miles of waterfront park perfection. We loved the Highline for its' imagination and unexpectedness, but Hudson River Park is so much more...Last summer, amidst the noise of construction, car traffic and people, my little one and I were in search of Hudson River Park. I knew I'd find it if I kept heading west. After all, Hudson River Park was the case study for our Baywalk pop-up (under constr

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The New Urban Crisis--Let’s Talk

Apr 25, 2018
6 min

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The New Urban Crisis--Let’s Talk

Miami is a special place for me. It’s where I became an adult and it’s where I witnessed Miami’s evolution from being a brash and flashy youth to a cultured and refined grown-up. We now have a sophisticated art and theatre scene, restaurants that would stand up to any foodie, thriving legitimate businesses and the fastest growing rate of new entrepreneurship and start-up activity in the country for 2017. By most measurements, we are on a straight trajectory to becoming a supe

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Pineapples, Bicycles and Bulb-outs (Oh My!): How this Small Village is Nailing it

Mar 31, 2018
4 min

Pineapples, Bicycles and Bulb-outs (Oh My!): How this Small Village is Nailing it

Some cities always cry out for attention while others quietly progress with spectacular results. The sleepy little Village of Miami Shores, just seven miles north of downtown Miami, has been quietly tending to its small downtown with simple and bold designs. Where bigger cities tend to struggle with the small solutions, this village is blazing forward. Let's see how. Just to be clear, the name "village" conjures images of a quaint mountain settlement with lush green landscape

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Size Matters: Why Beaufort Does it Better

Jan 31, 2018
3 min

Size Matters: Why Beaufort Does it Better

This winter my kids experienced real snow for the first time in Bluffton County South Carolina. Flashbacks to my childhood waking up to a light blanket of snow, the anticipation of school being cancelled and a day of sledding and snow angels. Pure magic. But the real magic for me came a few days later when we ventured out to the small town of Beaufort, SC. The Main Street was charming and the shops were quaint and lovely, but the real stand out was the waterfront park behind

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