Suburban Development

Aerial view of suburban single-family homes

Reimagining the Suburbs

With more people moving away from central cities, we have the chance to avoid past mistakes and redesign the American suburb to be less car-centric and more diverse.

July 29, 2022 - Vox

Hillsboro, Oregon

The Death and Life of Great American…Suburbs?

Long considered beneath serious attention by design and planning elites, suburban settlements in the United States are emerging as key arenas to address crucial environmental, economic, and social issues.

December 17, 2019 - Michael Mehaffy

Walking the Dog

The Suburbs, Reimagined

Eight experts produce a "manifesto for a new suburbia."

November 14, 2019 - Curbed

Texas

Plano Tomorrow Survives Legal Challenge; Debates About Planning Remain

Planners might have won a battle in city of Plano, but the war isn't over.

September 24, 2019 - Community Impact Newspaper

Cul de Sac

Uniform By Design: The Similarities of Suburbs

A Vox video digs into the history of how suburbs came to resemble each other.

August 11, 2019 - Vox

Toronto GO Transit

In Canada, Suburban Transit-Oriented Development on the Rise

Transit expansions are providing incentives to companies to locate outside of city centers, upending traditional housing, work, and commute patterns.

August 6, 2019 - The Globe and Mail

Pike & Rose Bethesda Maryland

Experiences Designed Into Suburban Developments

Live music, skating rinks, and artificial beaches are now part of developments that want to go beyond just simple shopping and dining.

January 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

Paris RER

To Improve U.S. Transit, Follow the Lead of Other Countries

The common refrain is that transit is just better in other countries. However, the reasons why are more complex than initial impressions allow, providing important lessons for the United States.

October 19, 2018 - CityLab

Urban Sprawl

Carbon Offsets for Suburban Developments? The Courts Could Decide

The county of San Diego wants sprawling suburban developments to buy carbon offsets, billing the idea as a fix to the region's housing affordability crisis.

July 26, 2018 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Master-Planned Community

The Suburb Building Its Own Beach

Tired of facing beach erosion and the threats of hurricanes in Florida, but still want beachfront property? This new suburban community is simply building its own beach.

May 1, 2018 - Modern Cities

Texas Apartments

Apartment Development Shifts North of Dallas

The Dallas apartment building 'boom' is occurring in places like Frisco, Allen, and McKinney.

April 7, 2018 - Dallas News

Satellite Imagery

The Civic in the Suburbs

How to put the "park" back in the business park.

April 2, 2018 - Kathryn Firth

Urban Infill

AIA: Demand for High-Density Development Is Down

For the first time in four years, a quarterly survey indicates “market saturation in urban areas.”

January 11, 2018 - Builder

Lessons from an Inclusive Suburb

The suburban experiment of Clarksburg, Maryland hasn't been totally successful, according to this article, but it still offers many lessons for other communities like it.

September 5, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Sprawl

The Tax Code's Special Interest: Suburban Real Estate

Suburbia isn't an accident.

August 24, 2017 - Devon Marisa Zuegel

Denver Suburb

Surveying the Suburban Office Market

A new report by CBRE finds reasons to be skeptical of tales of the downfall of the suburban office market. Denver provides a compelling case study.

June 20, 2017 - Colorado Real Estate Journal

Hillsborough River

With Florida Sprawl Comes Infrastructure and Public Safety Concerns

Some local officials in unincorporated Hillsborough County, outside of Tampa, Florida, are trying to take local residents up to the consequences of unmitigated sprawl.

May 5, 2017 - Tampa Bay Times

Detroit Pistons

Another Suburban Anchor Development Doomed by Fate in the Detroit Region

The Detroit Pistons recently played their last game in the Palace of Auburn Hills.

April 19, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

Toronto Towers

How to Rethink the Suburbs: A Lesson From Toronto

A new zoning law in Toronto could enable its hundreds of suburban tower developments to become vibrant and active communities.

April 5, 2016 - Doggerel

When the Rush to Redevelop a Transit-Adjacent Parcel Spells Missed Opportunity

Haddon Township, a suburb of Philadelphia located in New Jersey, might have been so relieved to finally close a deal on a long-disputed redevelopment project that it neglected the immense potential of the opportunity.

October 21, 2015 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.