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Op-Ed

Bolder Plans, Bigger Dreams

This year is the centennial of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago, a landmark in the world of urban planning. Martha Frish has had the pleasure of looking through Burnham's handwritten documents and shares some of his wisdom that didn't make it into the final plan.
12 November 2009 - 9:54am

Climate, Housing and Health: A Tripartite Challenge for the Poor

Recent weather related news usually includes mounting death tolls, as typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters devastate populations. The intensity and frequency of, and damage inflicted by, these natural occurrences are directly related to climate change, and sadly, those most vulnerable are also the least prepared. The shift in climate has severely impacted life in informal settlements (slums), not the least of which is the already inadequate state of health.
5 November 2009 - 5:00am

Modernism's Olmsted

Famed landscape architect Lawrence Halprin died this week at the age of 93. Halprin is highly regarded in his field, but in terms of urban planning many of his designs have not stood up to the test of time. Managing Editor Tim Halbur explores his legacy.
29 October 2009 - 10:13am
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Toward an Ethic of Place: Experiments in Regional Governance

Matthew McKinney argues that regional governance is essential to address transboundary issues like climate change, wildlife corridors, shared water resources, and energy development.
26 October 2009 - 5:00am
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From Contrast to Continuity: A New Preservation Philosophy

With the emergence of new traditional design patterns among contemporary architects, the standards and rules that have defined historic preservation are becoming obsolete. Steven W. Semes calls on planners and designers to create a new ethic of harmonious intervention into historic settings.
22 October 2009 - 5:00am
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Beloved and Abandoned: A Platting Named Portland

For American planners, Portland, OR is held up as a shining example of urban planning, and credit is given to its compact grid. But is Portland's grid worthy of adulation? Perhaps not, say Fanis Grammenos and Douglas Pollard of Urban Pattern Associates.
19 October 2009 - 5:00am
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A Backyard Battle: Trials of a Garden-Variety NIMBY

Nandita Godbole advocates for parks and greenspaces around Atlanta. But when faced with a struggle over keeping her own quarter-acre backyard open and free, she found she was powerless.
8 October 2009 - 5:00am

Time for HUD to Rethink Rental

HUD needs to rethink its emphasis on home ownership and refocus on rentals, argues John Kromer of the Fels Institute of Government.
28 September 2009 - 5:00am
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Let's Teach Children Planning

Planners often encounter ineffective public participation because of the fact that citizens often are not taught planning skills in school, says Michael A. Rodriguez.
24 September 2009 - 5:00am
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Goodbee Square: the Quest for a Contemporary Urban Pattern

Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company was hired to turn a greenfield about 50 miles north of New Orleans into a 1,280-unit blend of town and rural living. In the process, they proposed a radical new way of looking at the street grid. Fanis Grammenos explains.
24 August 2009 - 5:00am
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Placemaking Through Zoning

Zoning is often portrayed as the great evil of city planning, but Les Pollock of Camiros argues that we shouldn't dismiss the power of zoning to create great communities.
13 August 2009 - 3:00am

Building for the Multicultural

Builder Fernando Pagés Ruiz discovered by accident that the multicultural groups in his community had special needs that weren't being met.
3 August 2009 - 5:00am

Planners Needed As Building Rebounds in Australia

Australia, like most of the world, is feeling the hurt of the economic recession. But the rebound is happening, a fact that's especially evident in the building and development world. As new projects get going, the need for planners is on the rise. To meet that need, Australia is increasingly looking beyond its shores.
16 July 2009 - 5:00am
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Don't Fear the 'Dozer

Opinions are flying in the debate over whether or not ailing cities like Detroit should bulldoze their empty neighborhoods. John Kromer of the Fels Institute of Government adds a rational note with this op-ed, explaining what The Flint Model for shrinking cities actually entails.
13 July 2009 - 5:00am
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Greening America's Roadways

Our nation's roads must be greener, says David Wenzel of HNTB. A green road is one that is designed, built and maintained in a manner that protects and enhances the environment, lessens the impact on its surroundings, and encourages mass transit.
6 July 2009 - 5:00am
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Joining Up Transportation, Housing, and Environmental Policy

Robert Puentes argues that a new federal interagency partnership, debuted before the Senate this week, could provide the federal leadership necessary for a unified vision of transportation, housing, and environmental policy designed to tackle our interrelated economic, energy, and climate challenges.
22 June 2009 - 5:00am

Reinventing America's Cities: Discovering Opportunities by Challenging Biases

Dr. Aseem Inam takes writers on urbanism and architecture to task for spreading stereotypes about "third world cities", particularly when used to generalize about urban form.
15 June 2009 - 9:47am
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Community Energy Planning and the Stimulus -- Take a Time Out!

Stimulus money is available for a variety of energy efficiency projects, but many understaffed cities are having trouble meeting the impending deadlines. Jessica Millman, Joe Schilling, and Kathryn McCarty have found a loophole that can help.
11 June 2009 - 5:00am
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Crafting the Next Generation of Smart Growth Policies

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy spent two years looking at smart growth policies in a number of states to see how well they've achieved their goals. Gregory K. Ingram, President of the Institute, explains the results.
8 June 2009 - 5:00am

Making Grocers More Appetizing to Developers

Last week, Mayor Bloomberg's office announced an initiative to encourage developers to include grocery stores in new projects. Nevin Cohen, whose research focuses on urban food system, reviews the plan.
25 May 2009 - 5:00am
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