Hello, I'm Nels Nelson, an urban planner living in the Boston area with my partner and our kids. I am a co-founder of CommunityScale, an urban planning firm. You can find my profiles on GitHub, Bsky, Mastodon, LinkedIn, and Google Scholar.
Recent changes:
- 2026-08-29, Leyna map: leg distances (nm) now appear only when zoomed in, keeping the season-wide view clean
- 2026-08-23, Now City: two-cities diagram, shareable population-map URLs, and Greenland redrawn as a bay
- 2026-08-22, Fast Pattern: all 130 pattern drawings redrawn and dialog contrast fixed
- 2026-08-12, Leyna map: the passage route now threads through her real AIS track, leg by leg
- 2026-08-03, shapefile.wetland.io: a new self-hosted music track host with RSS, shareable MP3 links, and tagged uploads
- 2026-07-29, wetland.io: post layout refresh with viewport-capped photos, a desktop sidebar, and arrow-key navigation
- 2026-06-28, nontoxic future: landing-page player seeded from the featured track, plus a fuller YouTube-linked catalog
Articles
- How CommunityScale Measures Housing Attainability with Replica Data (ReplicaHQ, 2023)
- Five Lessons Learned Drafting an MBTA Communities Overlay for Lowell (APA-MA [PDF, page 3], 2022)
- So, you’ve committed to becoming a net zero community. How do you get there? (Stantec, 2022)
- (PDF) Barefoot Planning [PDF] (Charter Cities Institute, 2021)
- (External) Heat resilience in cities [Apple Podcasts] (Stantec, 2021)
- How smart cities can become resilient to extreme heat (Stantec, 2021)
- Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: Improving urban social equity and wellness (Stantec, 2021)
- (External) Webinar Moderator: Global Panel on COVID-19 Responses in Vulnerable Urban Contexts [YouTube] (Stantec, 2020)
- (External) A global view of design and urban planning post-COVID-19: Pandemic prevention (Stantec, 2020)
- Walking—our oldest mode of transportation—can inform the future of urban mobility (Stantec, 2020)
- Piecing together resilient cities (UNDP, 2018)
- Like People, Diseases Travel Fast These Days (CityLab, 2018)
- What if your neighborhood could make you healthier? (Stantec, 2018)
- (External) Designing the World’s First WELL Community [PRESENTATION VIDEO] (Livable Cities, 2018)
- Boston's Guide to Placemaking for Mobility: Reclaiming streets for the people (Stantec, 2017)
- How good urban design can make city residents healthier (Stantec, 2016)
- Climate change, communities, and storytelling (Stantec, 2016)
- (PDF) Cyclifiers: an investigation into actors that enable intra-urban metabolism [PDF] (Cyclifier.org, 2015)
- Decentralized utility provision management: Models for community-led infrastructure services (SASBE, 2012)
Notes
- 2013-Ongoing, Microposts (Twitter archive, social media mirror)
- Ongoing, Public domain contributions including articles created and public domain images
- Ongoing, Changelog and RSS
- Ongoing, Durable digital library
- Ongoing, Software recomendations
- Ongoing, Sailing resources
- 2026, nontoxic future, a music discovery tool using DJ sets
- 2026, Now City, an experiment in urban planning for The Long Now
- 2026, Wikipedia Current Events word count, daily word counts on Wikipedia’s Portal:Current Events since 2002, with labeled spikes
- 2026, Fast Pattern, a quick-read viewer for all 253 patterns from A Pattern Language (1977)
- 2026, Adventure time! Visualizations of periods of good surf at Nahant Beach and skiing at Cannon Mountain. Read more about this.
- 2021-2025, Work-from-home cities
- 2023, DIY solar-charged portable DC power station
- 2022-2023, Our home solar journey in Massachusetts
- 2020-2023, 15-minute cities
- 2019, Review of Bike City Amsterdam (2019)
- 2017, Review of Haussmann’s Paris: A Model’s Relevance
- 2010, Review of Sense and Sanitation
- 2010, Thoughts on crowdfunded infrastructure
Project history
My professional project history listed by starting date, project name, location, and role. Apologies in advance for any dead external links.
- 2025, Downtown Syracuse Housing Study, Syracuse, NY, Project Manager
- 2025, Apex Affordable Housing Plan, Apex, NC, Planner
- 2025, Gardendale, AL HNA, Gardendale, AL, Planner
- 2025, MAPA Market Value Analysis, Omaha, NE, Planner
- 2025, Housing Needs Assessment, Stowe, VT, Planner
- 2025, Comprehensive Housing Plan, Muskogee, OK, Planner
- 2025, HUD Consolidated Plan, Pueblo, CO, Project Manager
- 2025, Waltham Rezoning, Waltham, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Detailed Housing Market Analysis, Upper Arlington, OH, Project Manager
- 2024, Alexandria, VA Housing Needs, Alexandria, VA, Planner
- 2024, Barrington, RI HNA, Barrington, RI, Planner
- 2024, Fall River Housing Plan, Fall River, MA, Planner
- 2024, MACOG Housing Needs Assessment, Michiana Area, IN, Planner
- 2024, FRCOG Housing Communications, Franklin County, MA, Planner
- 2024, Greenfield Housing Plan, Greenfield, MA, Planner
- 2024, Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI, Planner
- 2024, Corridor Zoning, North Attleboro, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Lynn ADU Zoning, Lynn, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Northern Kentucky Housing Strategies, Northern Kentucky, KY, Project Manager
- 2024, Dedham 3A, Dedham, Project Manager
- 2024, Saugus 40B, , Project Manager
- 2024, Kennebunk, ME Housing Action Plan, Kennebunk, ME, Project Manager
- 2024, Lancaster, MA Housing Production Plan, Lancaster, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Dedham 40B, Dedham, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Melrose Rezoning, Melrose, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, North Attleboro 3A, North Attleboro, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Saugus 3A, Saugus, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Sherborn, MA MBTA Communities Zoning, Sherborn, MA, Project Manager
- 2024, Duxbury 3A, Duxbury, MA, Planner
- 2024, Malden 3A, Malden, MA, Planner
- 2024, Wakefield 3A Zoning and Communications, Wakefield, MA, Planner
- 2024, Rezoning, Lynn, MA, Project Manager
- 2023, Central Indiana Housing Study, Indiana, Planner
- 2023, Housing study, Middletown, RI, Planner
- 2023, Four-county housing needs assessment, Kentucky, Project Manager
- 2023, Rezoning, Everett, MA, Project Manager
- 2023, Mentor Housing Data Assessment, Mentor, OH, Project Manager
- 2023, Mesquite Housing Analysis, Mesquite, TX, Project Manager
- 2023, New Rochelle Climate Vulnerability Assessment, New Rochelle, NY, Project Manager
- 2023, NKADD Housing Data Analysis, Kentucky, Project Manager
- 2023, Housing Data Analysis, Wabasha, MN, Supporting planner
- 2023, Peabody Comprehensive Plan, Peabody, MA, Data Analyst
- 2023, Malden MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning, Malden, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2023, ADU Compliance, Maywood, CA, Planner
- 2023, Global Mall Development Guidelines, Nashville, TN, Planner
- 2022, Taunton Whittenton Mills Urban Renewal Plan, Taunton, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2022, Downtown + Uptown Master Plan, El Paso, TX, Project Manager
- 2022, Zoning Overlay and Design Guidelines, North Attleborough, MA, Planner
- 2022, I-10 Deck Master Plan, El Paso, TX, Planner
- 2022, 40B analysis, Nahant, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2022, Workforce Housing Analysis, Babcock Ranch, FL, Supporting planner
- 2022, Fort Wayne Design Guidelines, Fort Wayne, IN, Planner
- 2022, Taunton Whittenton Mills Urban Renewal Plan, Taunton, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2022, MBTA Communities Impact Analysis, Dedham, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2022, Lowell TOD Master Plan, Lowell, MA, Planner
- 2022, Zoning Overlay and Design Guidelines, North Attleborough, MA, Planner
- 2022, Downtown + Uptown Master Plan, El Paso, TX, Project Manager
- 2021, Zoning, Lebanon, TN, Project Manager/Planner
- 2021, Commercial Triangle High-Density Mixed-Use District Neighborhood Plan, Everett, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2021, Rapid Recovery Plan, Attleboro, MA, Planner
- 2021, Rental housing attainability inventory, Cape Cod, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2021, Reading Downtown Master Plan, Reading, PA, Planner
- 2021, Affordable housing analysis (40B GLAM), MA, Lead Planner.
- 2021, MassHousing Hub Grant Analysis, Holyoke, MA, Lead Planner
- 2021, Rapid Recovery Plan, Leominster, MA, Planner
- 2021, Rapid recovery downtown plans data analysis, MA, Planner
- 2021, Affordable housing analysis (40B GLAM), Belmont, MA, Lead Planner
- 2020, Design Guidelines, Minden, NV, Planner
- 2020, Downtown Master Plan, Moorhead, MN, Planner
- 2020, Affordable housing analysis (40B GLAM), Medford, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2019, Transportation Demand Management Code, Everett, MA, Planner
- 2019, Affordable housing analysis (40B GLAM), Weston, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2019, Affordable housing analysis (40B GLAM), North Reading, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2019, Alewife Master Plan for MBTA properties, Cambridge, MA, Planner
- 2019, Bus Rapid Transit Design Guidelines, Suffolk County, NY, Project Manager/Planner
- 2019, OnMain Mixed Use Zoning, Dayton, OH, Planner
- 2019, Riverside District Development, Newton, MA, Planner
- 2019, Resilience Building Code Development, East Lyme, CT, Project Manager/Planner
- 2018, Flood Resilience Communication, Somerville, MA, Task Manager
- 2018, Resilience Community Visioning and Risk Assessment, Weymouth, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, River District Master Plan, Elkhart, IN, Planner
- 2017, Riverfront Industrial Area Plan, Kansas City, MO, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, Design Regulations, Everett, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, Comprehensive Plan, Taunton, MA, Project Manager
- 2017, Public Realm Design Guidelines for A Better City, Boston, MA, Planner
- 2017, Neighborhood Resilience Study, Old Saybrook, CT, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, Affordable Housing GIS Analysis and Expert Witness, Braintree, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, Harbor Garage Redevelopment Public Realm, Boston, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2017, Brooklyn Village Open Space Study, Charlotte, NC, Planner
- 2017, Green-Blue Streets Demographic Analysis, New Orleans, LA, Planner
- 2016, 100RC Platform Partnership, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Project Manager
- 2016, Unified Plan, Wellesley, MA, Planner
- 2016, citizenAR: Augmented Reality for Livable Cities Challenge, San Francisco, CA, Project Manager
- 2016, Exchange South End Design and Permitting, Boston, MA, Planner
- 2016, Route 419 Complete Streets Corridor Study, Roanoke, VA, Planner
- 2016, District Redevelopment Strategy and Vision Plan, Baton Rouge, LA, Planner
- 2016, Parcel 27 Disposition Redevelopment Studies, Boston, MA, Planner
- 2016, River Park (fka Project Catalyst) District Redevelopment, Austin, TX, Planner
- 2016, Blatchford West Design Guidelines, Edmonton, Canada, Lead Planner
- 2015, One Charlestown Master Plan, Boston, MA, Planner
- 2015, Delhi Pike Plan, Delhi, OH, Planner
- 2015, Comprehensive Plan, Fontana, CA, Planner
- 2015, Union Square Redevelopment Master Plan, Somerville, MA, Planner
- 2015, Pawtucket Street Corridor, Lowell, MA, Project Manager/Planner
- 2015, Water Street Tampa, Tampa, FL, Planner
- 2015, Constructed Wetland Design and Construction, Bogota, Colombia, Designer
- 2014, Redding Gilbert and Bennett Industrial Site Reuse Study, Redding, CT, Planner
- 2014, Lee Northern Mills Areawide Brownfield Study, Lee, MA, Planner
- 2014, Ferry Terminal Planning and Design, Bridgeport, CT, Planner
- 2014, Downtown Revitalization Plan, Bridgewater, MA, Planner
- 2014, Kelly's Corner Improvement Initiative, Acton, MA, Planner
- 2013, Center Village Master Plan, Chelmsford, MA, Planner
- 2013, Hanscom Field Planning Report, Bedford, MA, Planner
- 2013, Corridor Zoning Study, Keene, NH, Planner
- 2013, Walnut Hill Historic Master Plan, New Britain, CT, Lead Planner
- 2013, Facilities Master Plan, Lexington, MA, Planner
- 2013, Transit Oriented Development Master Plan, Windsor, CT, Planner
- 2012, Carbon Neutral Coffee Supply Chain Study, Ethiopia, Planner
- 2011, Clean Development Mechanism Project Registration, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Project Manager
- 2011, Cyclifier, Rotterdam, NL, Researcher
- 2010, Functional Urban Green, Roosendaal, NL, Planner
- 2009, Erasmusveld Sustainable Implant Research, The Hague, NL, Researcher
- 2009, Renewable City 2040, Rotterdam, NL, Planner