Housing
Rio's Slums to See Massive Redesign
Ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, officials in Rio de Janeiro are taking on a massive upgrade project in the city's slums.
India's Cities Begin To Collapse Under The Strain Of Migrants
After decades of being a nation of rural dwellers, Indians are rapidly moving into cities in search of better jobs, but the housing infrastructure is not keeping pace.
Indonesians Create a Replica Of Singapore To Escape Congestion
Indonesia cities are the product of sparse planning, floods, overdevelopment, brownouts and epic traffic jams magnified by the dearth of public transit. In response, private planned cities like CitraLand's Singapore of Surabaya are growing rapidly.
Cities Preparing for Lower Revenues
As recession-reduced property tax levels begin to play out in cities across the U.S., municipalities are beginning to react to the realities of lowered revenues.
Can Planning Rebuild "Ghettos of the Mind"?
Dehumanizing urban renewal-era public housing developments across North America are being replaced by mixed-use, mixed income neighborhoods with affordable housing. Yet in Regent Park, Toronto at least, many troubling social problems remain.
Burning Man a Dome Zone, But Not Beyond
Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome housing design is a popular form of housing at the temporary festival Burning Man. But why hasn't a good idea caught on in the mainstream?
Property Taxes Discourage Density
Local property taxes are often levied disproportionately on multifamily developers, resulting in higher taxes for apartment-dwellers, says Stephen Smith.
For Sale: Organic Farm Included
Developers are building more and more residential communities around organic farms, banking on increased resident demand for locally grown food, outdoor recreation space, and small-town charm.
Top 10 Books - 2011
Planetizen is pleased to release its ninth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2010. This year's selection includes some big names, some big ideas -- and a book called "Toilet."
Home Sizes on the Decline
The square footage of homes in the U.S. continues to decline, according to a new survey.
Atlanta Revamps Public Housing
Howard Husock catalogs the accomplishments of Renee Glover, the controversial leader of the Atlanta Housing Authority.
Controversial Housing Bill Advances in NJ
A law requiring New Jersey towns to ensure 10 percent of new units are affordable now awaits a vote by the State Assembly.
Lassoing a Plan for El Paso
Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX will be getting 30,000 more troops under the Base Realignment and Closure program, which means a major effort to plan for the added people.
Slum Redevelopment Drives Real Estate Market In Mumbai
With not much undeveloped land left in Mumbai for fresh developments, the city’s real estate growth will largely be propelled by the success of its many slum redevelopment schemes, according to a recent study.
Shanghai Expo Closes With Focus On "Development through Development"
The Expo’s stated theme was “Better City, Better Life,” and organizers boasted it was the first World’s Fair devoted to the contemplation of cities.
Does Smart Growth Lead to More Expensive Housing?
Wendell Cox believes so. In this article, he quantifies the effect of land use regulation on the cost of new home construction, which he says leads to
Recovering the Real Estate Market By Shifting Development Patterns
The real estate market will only recover once developers start building the types of neighborhoods and places people are demanding, according to Patrick C. Doherty and Christopher B. Leinberger.
Little House on the Laneway
Vancouver's liberalized laneway housing zoning is seen as a cost-effective and easy way to densify, make housing more affordable and reduce the city's carbon footprint. But not everyone is on board.
Cities Struggle to Maintain Public Housing
Across the country, federal funding is unable to keep up with repair costs, forcing some municipalities to cut units from their programs.
The Solution for Helmet Hair
Two industrial design students at Lund University noticed that despite a new law requiring bike helmets in Sweden, many people refused to wear them. They've invented a stylish cowl that inflates on impact just like an airbag.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
