Sprawl
Wildfire Exposure More Than Doubled Since 2000
More intense and widespread fires caused by climate change and changing air temperature are threatening more existing communities.
A Primer on Suburban Urbanism
How one master-planned development used lower-density urbanism principles to build a community focused on affordability, sustainability, and conservation.
Retrofitting D.C.’s Suburbs for a New Era
How to equip suburban sprawl for a different future.
Why Is Silicon Valley So Bleak?
The built environment in one of the most affluent places in the country leaves much to be desired. Why are Silicon Valley communities missing so many key urban features?
Can Insurance Woes Finally End Sprawl?
Environmental risks are becoming too much for the home insurance industry to bear. Could this be the first signs of the collapse and reversal of sprawling land use patterns?
A ‘New Urbanism’ Travelogue
I visited three New Urbanist developments in North Carolina. Here's what I liked, what I didn't like, and what I learned.
How Car-Oriented Infrastructure Harms Public Health
A new documentary shows the ways that infrastructure designed for cars and not people is making us ill.
Examining Oregon’s Unique Land Use Laws
Since the 1970s, the state has taken a comprehensive approach to development, regulating land use and urban growth at the state level.
Planning for Proximity, for the Climate’s Sake
A new global platform will help the world identify and encourage opportunities for more proximity in the built environment—development patterns that can help reduce sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution if built well.
Home Insurers Are Fleeing California
Homeowners in the state are finding it increasingly difficult to secure insurance policies thanks to the growing risks of wildfire, drought, and other climate threats.
Lack of Multi-Family Zones Contributes to Nashville’s High Housing Costs, Study Says
Nashville and surrounding communities allow for a relatively small amount of multi-family housing, according to a new zoning atlas of Middle Tennessee. A regionally focused nonprofit is using the atlas to push for zoning reforms.
As Central Texas Population Grows, So Does Fire Risk
Sprawl in and around Austin is contributing to growing wildfire risks, and local officials worry about a lack of public awareness of the issue.
Austin as a Model for Parking Reform
The Texas capital’s new parking law signals a shift in thinking about the relationship between land use, transportation, and housing affordability.
Essay: Will America Ever Change its Urban Patterns?
If there has ever been a good time to change our urban patterns, the time is now.
The Tragedy of Parking
Parking minimums and other zoning laws have made American cities untenable for any other type of transportation. It’s time we find a new way to zone our cities.
Richmond Poised to Repeal Parking Minimums
The city’s planning commission recommended that the city council eliminate parking mandates that limit housing production and increase housing costs.
Maps: How Much of Your City is Parking?
The percentage of land dedicated to parking in the central districts of major U.S. cities ranges from 4 percent to as much as 42 percent.
Parking Reform Gains Momentum
More cities and states around the country are recognizing the value of eliminating parking requirements.
Sprawl and Democracy
One common defense of pro-sprawl government policies is that government reflects the will of the people. But is this really true?
Florida Law Would Change the Definition of ‘Sprawl’
One quick way to build sprawl.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
