Urban Development / Real Estate

Moving the Tipping Point for Creative Places

Human-scaled, creative development isn't getting built because most of the money in real estate comes from institutional investors that prefer predictable, large scale projects like subdivisions and strip malls, says Neil Takemoto of CoolTown Beta Communities.

25 January 2010 - 9:22am

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5 comments

On Top of the World: Looking Down from Dubai's Burj Khalifa

The world's tallest building is now open in Dubai. Christopher Corbett takes you up to the 124th floor.

21 January 2010 - 5:00am

The State of Happiness

A new study ranks the U.S. states by residents' happiness. From Louisiana (#1) to New York (#51), the happiest people tend to live in sunny, outdoorsy states with strong quality of life measures.

9 February 2010 - 7:00am

USA Today

The Mormon Church Backs Mixed-Use Project

City Creek Center is a $1 billion mixed-use development project that some say is a godsend for downtown Salt Lake City, creating jobs during a tough economy. Others wonder how the church's influence will play out in the culture of the project.

8 February 2010 - 12:00pm

The New York Times

HUD Hearts Portland

Obama's brand new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities admits to being inspired by Portland's groundbreaking urban planning policies.

7 February 2010 - 9:00am

The Oregonian

One Latvian Town For Sale, Cheap

A secret Russian military facility abandoned by the Russian military when the Soviet Union collapsed was sold at auction on Friday by the Latvian government. Officials celebrated the sale and hoped it could bring new life to the empty town.

6 February 2010 - 9:00am

The Huffington Post

Brent Toderian

In Olympic year, Vancouver chooses LEED™ Gold for private buildings!

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 16:46

Followers of Vancouver city planning will remember that in 2008, as part of the approval of the EcoDensity Initiative, our Council approved what remains (we think) the highest green standard for private sector building design in North America. The 2008 policy requires that buildings that go through rezonings (representing most buildings built in Vancouver) must establish that their design, at approval, is capable of achieving LEED™ Silver. We actually nick-named it "Silver Plus", because we mandated that there be a minimum of 3 energy points, 1 water point, and 1 storm water point, emphasizing the things that matter most to us.

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older posts

Grants Signal Shift in Federal Urban Planning Policy

HUD announced this week the formation of a new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, along with $100 million in grants for regional integrated planning initiatives.

5 February 2010 - 2:00pm

The Seattle Times

The Economics of Greenfield Development

This essay from The Urbanophile looks at the economics behind greenfield development.

5 February 2010 - 12:00pm

The Urbanophile

Underused Olympic Stadium to Become Water Park

Underused since the end of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Beijing Water Cube swimming stadium will be converted into a water park.

5 February 2010 - 11:00am

Agence France Presse

Reviving the National Mall

After receiving thousands of comments and suggestions, planners in Washington D.C. have narrowed options down to five plans for remaking the National Mall.

5 February 2010 - 6:00am

The Architect's Newspaper

Pittsburgh's US Steel Roof Reimagined as a Public Space

Other cities have opened up tall buildings to the public; Pittsburgh envisions doing the same with US Steel, which has a 1-acre flat roof.

4 February 2010 - 1:00pm

PopCity Magazine

Air Force Quashes Unborn NIMBYism in Arizona

As a preventive measure to avoid future NIMBYism, an Air Force base in Arizona has effectively blocked the spread of residential development close to its borders.

4 February 2010 - 8:00am

The Arizona Republic

Habitat for Humanity Embraces Density

Instead of building its signature single family homes in dense New York neighborhoods, Habitat is expanding its model to include LEED-certified apartment buildings.

4 February 2010 - 5:00am

New York Times

The World's Largest Haitian Diaspora Looks On

Architect and urban designer Hector Fernando Burga looks at Haiti through the lens of a Haitian enclave in Miami and wonders what role designers can play in the devastated country's revival.

2 February 2010 - 11:00am

Places