Architecture

To Solve Sao Paulo's Water Crisis, Collaboration Is Key

Brazil is rethinking it's approach to water infrastructure. Brazilian think-tank Arq Futuro and Arup's Pablo Lazo give their take on the state of South America's most populous country.

December 4, 2015 - Doggerel

Housing Construction

Three Design Basics to Stop the Ugly Building Epidemic

Too many new buildings today are simply ugly—with little to add to urban streets, and resembling buildings in every other city. Jason Hart, AIA reviews some design basics, which he hopes will arrest the ugly building epidemic.

December 4, 2015 - UrbDeZine

A Quick Guide to the COP21 Climate Talks

World leaders are meeting in Paris this week for the United Nation's COP21 talks. But what exactly are the main topics of discussion?

November 30, 2015 - Doggerel

A Planner's Perspective on Brazil's Water Crisis

With water shortages in São Paulo making headlines around the world, Brazil is rethinking its approach to water infrastructure. Arup's Pablo Lazo gives his perspective on the various entities that are acting for change.

November 23, 2015 - Doggerel

Revealed: A Splashy New Master Plan for Former Civic Arena Site in Pittsburgh

One of the country's most beautiful cities could get a dramatic new development project, calling on the design talents of Bjarke Ingels Group.

November 19, 2015 - designboom

Philadelphia Alleyway

Philadelphia Alleys Ranked for Makeover

In advance of what may be a wider program, Philadelphia's alleys have been ranked for their aesthetic quality. Those in the "average" range are most suitable for retrofits.

November 17, 2015 - The Architect's Newspaper

Melting Pots and Shrinking Islands

Brooklyn-based artist Ekene Ijeoma newest piece shows what parts of New York City are affordable to different people across the spectrum of salaries in the form of crystalline islands called "wage islands."

November 17, 2015 - Doggerel

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston

Building for Resilience Makes (Good Business) Sense

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is showing developers how resilience can benefit the bottom line in the "Returns on Resilience" report. Sarene Marshall, director of the ULI Center for Sustainability, offers insight into the report's examples.

November 16, 2015 - Sarene Marshall

Houston

On the Effect of Houston's Loose Land Use Regulations

A conversation with an architect yields insight into how Houston's pride in the lack of traditional land use regulation mechanisms has created the city as it exists today.

November 16, 2015 - OffCite

Palo Alto to Protect Single-Story, Eichler-Tract Neighborhood

The Palo Alto city council has approved one neighborhood's request to prevent the construction of two-story homes.

November 13, 2015 - Palo Alto Weekly

Denver Union STation TOD

Battling the Ugly: Denver Contemplates an Effective Design Review Process

As Denver booms, planners and architects discuss the good and the bad of imposing design guidelines on new construction.

November 12, 2015 - The Denver Post

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

Landscape Architecture Unites Impact and Design

In a field that seems divided between aesthetes and the activists, landscape architects may be closest to reconciling the two trends.

November 10, 2015 - The Architect's Newspaper

Elfreth's Alley

Defining the Public Good

How well do public spaces reflect the changing conceptions of "public good" in contemporary political discourse? The UPenn design community starts a challenging conversation.

November 5, 2015 - PlanPhilly

Editorial: Chicago's Lakefront Deserves Better than the Lucas Museum

To say that the Chicago Tribune editorial board is not a fan of George Lucas's proposal to build a museum along Lake Michigan would be putting it mildly.

October 28, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Gateway Arch

Happy 50th Birthday to the St. Louis Gateway Arch

One of the country's most recognizable and beloved architectural flourishes has many sordid stories to tell. Today is also its 50th birthday.

October 28, 2015 - Reuters

Port Authority Clears Major Hurdle for Bus Terminal Redesign

An expensive, contentious project to redesign and possibly relocate the Port Authority Terminal finally has a way forward: an international design competition to be concluded a year from now.

October 28, 2015 - New York Post

Construction

The Hidden Costs of Building Green

New green buildings may be de riguer, but preservation does less harm.

October 26, 2015 - Boston Society of Architects

A Super Energy-Efficient Home for the Alaskan Frontier

An engineer from Fairbanks, Alaska, has built a house that is "kept toasty without fossil fuels and uses a mere fraction of the energy typically needed, even at 30 below."

October 23, 2015 - Alaska Dispatch News

Saying Bye-Bye to Fireplaces And Wood-Burning Heaters in the Bay Area

In a Bay Area first, new home construction in most of the region will be banned from having these heating devices installed as the result of a rule adopted unanimously by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Oct. 21.

October 23, 2015 - San Jose Mercury News

Tokyo Pedestrians

The Walking City

What implications does pedestrian activity have on urban design? Creating walkable environments for pedestrians can improve urban conditions according to Arup architect Demetrio Scopelliti. We spoke to him about upcoming research on the topic.

October 22, 2015 - Doggerel

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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.