Here are five posts that captured my imagination this week:

• Engaging Front Porch Culture: How can we create a front porch, and the strong community bonds that they foster culture when front porches are a relic of the past? (Toronto Loft Blog)

• The Life That’s Passing Phoenix By As We Sit In Our Cars: My good friend Taz Loomans wrote this thoughtful piece on how our reliance on automobiles isolates us from the places where we live, and the importance of walking in cities. Be sure to check out the great discussion in the comments section. (Blooming Rock)

• Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia: A great TED talk on how to retrofit suburbia. The presentation includes unique perspectives on rehabilitating dying malls, re-inhabiting dead “big box” stores, and transforming parking lots into thriving wetlands. (TED)

• Thanks a Lot: Why people are choosing to live in smaller houses in a walkable, mixed use neighborhood, with shorter commutes and the impactions for policy makers. (Sightline Daily)

• Place, Space And The Mobile Interface: A review of a new report on some of key behavioral and attitudinal shifts that mobile technology has facilitated, especially as it relates to how we interact with physical spaces and places. (PSFK)