Common Edge had its second best year in 2022, reaching nearly 250,000 readers. Thank you to everyone who visited the site, whether for the first time or the hundredth. And thank you to all of our contributors—we wouldn’t exist without you. Here are the 10 most popular posts from the past 12 months. (Editor’s note: this 2017 piece by Ann Sussman and Katie Chen remains of continuing interest to readers.) 

1. The Memphis Experience: Building a Park on a Tightrope

Carol Coletta’s poetic and insightful call for parks as an agent for equity and accessibility. 

2. What’s the Matter with American Cities? 

An almost forensic look at what ails U.S. cities by Walter Jagerhaus. 

3. The Pandemic of the “Stick Frame Over Podium” Building 

Duo Dickinson takes on the scourge of so-called 5-Over-1 Buildings. 

4. Hobson’s Choice: Princeton Forsakes Its Architectural Roots

Mark Alan Hewitt laments new plans for the historic core of a storied campus. 

5. The Surprising Stickiness of the 15-Minute City

An astute analysis by Lisa Chamberlain on why the concept became immensely popular in urban planning circles. 

6. How Christopher Alexander Changed Architecture—and More 

Duo Dickinson’s tribute to the legendary architect, urbanist, writer, and humanist. 

7. Blame Sprawl for High Fuel Prices

As fuel prices soared, Rick Cole got to the heart of the real problem. 

8. An Architect and a Prostitute Walk Into a Bar

Richard Buday’s brilliant take on #MeToo reawakenings and the inherent powerlessness of architects. 

9. How the Wood-Frame House Became America’s Most Familiar Building 

Philip Langdon’s expansive review of American Framing helps explain how the humble stick-frame structure became ubiquitous. 

10. In Praise of 5-Over-1 Buildings

Randy Nishimura responds to Duo Dickinson’s piece, arguing that these types of buildings help fill a desperate need for housing. 

Featured image: A rendering of the Tom Lee Park Hyde Canopy, courtesy of Studio Gang and SCAPE.