Land Use

How the Built Environment Impacts Public Health
New research sheds light on how the brain responds to urban environments and architecture.

Miami Funds Protected Bike Lanes With E-Scooter Fees
The city, which has some of the nation's most dangerous streets for pedestrians and cyclists, is installing 3 miles of new bike lanes and pedestrian ramps on some of its busiest downtown corridors.

What Is Sprawl?
Sprawl is one of the most common terms used to describe built environments in the United States and the world. It can be applied to urban, suburban, and exurban settings, and it's almost never a compliment.

New Building Heights Coming to East Austin
The center of commercial gravity will be located a little to the east in Austin after two six-story office buildings are complete.

Leveraging Church Properties to Build Affordable Housing
As owners of valuable urban real estate, some churches are taking up the mandate to serve their community by using their vacant properties to provide housing for people being priced out of their homes.

Are We in a Housing Bubble?
As the pandemic shifts housing priorities and costs continue to soar, experts assess the potential for a crash similar to 2008's Great Recession.

Walkable Waterfront Takes Shape on the Schuylkill River Near Philadelphia
The Pencoyd Landing development is focused on providing access to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in the neighborhood of Lower Merion Township, across the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia.

Strong Demand in the First Month of Chicago's Coach House Pilot Program
The first month of a three-year pilot program that legalizes the construction and conversion of coach houses—a local form of accessory dwelling unit—is responding to strong demand in Chicago.

Answers to 12 Questions About California Assembly Bill 1401
Assembly Bill 1401, one of the most closely-watched land use bills in the California State legislature this year, would remove parking requirements in "High Quality Transit Areas" statewide.

Learning from D.C.'s Slow Streets Programs
"Slow streets" is a popular concept, but residents and community advocates say officials have to do more to make implementation effective and equitable.

Ride-Hailing Prices Skyrocket as the U.S. Emerges From the Pandemic
A shortage of drivers and spiking demand are driving Uber and Lyft prices higher than ever as the companies struggle to achieve profitability.

Inglewood Set to Rezone Neighborhoods Near New Transit Lines
Plans for the area include thousands of new housing units, public parks, and improved bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Legalizing Street Vending: Lessons from Los Angeles
With new regulations poised to add 400 new vendors to New York City's streets every year for the next decade, city leaders can look to L.A.'s recent legalization efforts for guidance.

Supportive Housing Bridging Venice Canals Granted Planning Commission Approval in L.A.
The mixed-use Reese Davidson Community will include 140 housing units, commercial space, and a performance space.

What Is Regional Planning?
Regional planning addresses planning issues that cross local jurisdictional boundaries, like transportation or watershed protection. In other examples, regional planning offers a holistic approach to the interconnected systems and dynamics that shape physical and cultural landscapes.

L.A. Planners Working to Shift Affordable Housing Distribution for More Equitable Results
Almost all the affordable housing development in L.A. in the past decade has occurred in majority-minority neighborhoods. The L.A. Department of City Planning is looking for ways to make sure high-income areas do more of their fair share.

Unsustainable Sprawl Testing Water Supplies in the Valley of the Sun
As more and more people move to the suburbs blossoming in the Phoenix metro area, local water officials are increasingly concerned about the region's ability to keep up with demand.

How Much Land Is Lost to Wide Streets?
New research assesses the land value of street space in 20 of the largest counties in the United States.

The Pretext Problem: The Pitfalls of Planning While Bargaining
Lots of planning is discretionary. Cities and developers negotiate what builders will do for cities in exchange for the right to build, creating an incentive for bad rules, eroding the public's faith in zoning, and enabling political corruption.

Opinion: We're Loving Our National Parks to Death
A reservation system could help the struggling national parks system manage crowds and protect our public lands from overuse, according to this article.
Pagination
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont