Urban Development

Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto

$6 Million: The Cost of Removing the Trump Brand from Toronto Hotel

JCF Capital ULC wanted so badly to reboot the branding at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto, it paid $6 million to start over.

June 28, 2017 - Bloomberg Politics

Supreme Court

A Church Playground Controversy Grew Into a Supreme Court Decision

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court this week could reframe the separation of church and state, especially with regard to the flow of public funding and aid programs.

June 27, 2017 - The Atlantic

Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Announces $200 Million 'American Cities Initiative'

The former mayor of New York is launching the "American Cities Initiative." The initiative comes with a scathing critique of the federal government's treatment of urban areas.

June 26, 2017 - New York Times

Amazon Drone

Amazon Files Patent Application for a Hive-Like Structure for Urban Drone Deliveries

Recode reveals a radical idea for how Amazon could consolidate delivery services in urban areas.

June 26, 2017 - Recode

No Luxury Condos

The State of Affordable Housing

An in-depth feature in Architect magazine surveys the affordable housing landscape and finds architects, planners, and developers trying to find a better way through an inefficient system.

June 26, 2017 - Architect

Controversy Over Proposed Zoning Changes for Philly's Delaware Waterfront

Along comes a developer, wanting to build something that doesn't conform to a 2013 plan, with the support of the local councilmember, and local stakeholders aren't happy.

June 25, 2017 - PlanPhilly

San Francisco Skyline

An Expanding Vision for San Francisco's Treasure Island

San Francisco is starved for ideas for ways to meet growing demand for housing, and skyrocketing prices. Here's a big idea: how about building space for some 20,000 new residents on Treasure Island, located in the middle of the bay?

June 25, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Prop. 13 Will Blunt the Property Tax Windfall as Boomers Transfer Property to Millennials

The benefits of Prop 13's limit on property taxes will pass from generation to generation in California, at the expense of state and local coffers.

June 25, 2017 - California Legislative Analyst's Office

Fire Escape

Evidence of Softening Rental Markets

According to Joe Cortright, a slowing pace of rent inflation in most large cities in the United States, combined with decreasing rents in many cities, shows how adding supply can help balance the market.

June 25, 2017 - City Observatory

Los Angeles Skyline

New Tallest Building West of the Mississippi Now Open

Friday was the first day the public could walk into Los Angeles' new iconic skyscraper. The Wilshire Grand is noteworthy for more than just its height.

June 24, 2017 - KPCC

The New Apple Store in Chicago Looks a lot Like a Laptop

Looking for a new laptop? Go to the building that resembles a laptop.

June 24, 2017 - DNAinfo Chicago

Modern Home

Bamboo Regulations Almost as Popular as Bamboo in New Jersey

People usually plant bamboo as a privacy screen, but it can quickly turn into an invasive nightmare for everyone else. Cities around New Jersey are passing regulations that allow the removal of bamboo if it gets out of hand.

June 23, 2017 - North Jersey

Cap Park Planned for I-579 Near Downtown Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh has ambitious plans for a $27 million cap park over Interstate 579, built to reconnect the Lower Hill neighborhood with the rest of the city.

June 23, 2017 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

London Terror Attack

Can Planning Offer a Line of Defense Against Terrorism?

Planning for resilience might mean more than preparing for climate change, according to this opinion piece. Urban terrorism, in its current, tragic form, will require planners to prepare for the worst.

June 23, 2017 - The Washington Post

San Diego Construction

San Diego, Marin County Heading the Opposite Direction on Housing Policy

The mayor of San Diego has acknowledged the ongoing crisis of housing affordability by pushing to make it easier to build housing at higher densities and with less parking. Marin County…not so much.

June 23, 2017 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Chicago River Industrial Area

Developers Ready for New Opportunities Along the Chicago River

Chicago's North Branch Framework Plan and Design Guidelines, approved in May, is already having the expected effect: big, flashy developments in the pipeline.

June 23, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Detroit Terminal Railway

Big Piece of Detroit's 'Inner Circle Greenway' Falls Into Place

Detroit will spend $4.3 million to buy land along the Detroit Terminal Railroad for the purposes of creating a 7.5-mile leg of the planned Inner Circle Greenway.

June 23, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

In Memoriam: Branden Klayko, 'Broken Sidewalk' Blogger

The tributes to Branden Klayko, one of the hardest working and influential writers on the subjects of urbanism, have been steady and heartfelt.

June 22, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Dash Point State Park

A Concerning Lack of Tribal Participation in Tacoma Tidelands Planning

The editors of the Tacoma Weekly speculate that someday governments might uphold their agreements. They don't expect the Tacoma Tideland sub area plan to be one of those times.

June 22, 2017 - Tacoma Weekly

Los Angeles Galaxy Soccer Team

Southern California City Pins Hopes for Transformation on General Plan Update

The struggling, industrial South Bay city of Carson wants to shake its image as the site of Los Angeles' landfills and waste treatment plants. It has embarked on a $1 million overhaul of its general plan, despite having a $4.1 million budget gap.

June 22, 2017 - Daily Breeze

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.