Land Use

Texas Apartment Construction

Loopholes in Texas Development Tax Break Break Affordable Housing Promises

A tax break approved by the Texas Legislature is delivering massive benefits to developers in the state, but advocates say the public isn't getting the promised return on investment.

September 17, 2020 - San Antonio Express-News

Floodplain

Mapping the Climate Change Future of the United States

The regions of the United States that have provided the most hospitable to human life and agriculture on the continent will likely be abandoned in a future altered by climate change, according to this interactive mapping project.

September 17, 2020 - ProPublica

Ben Carson

The Hypocrisies and Troubles of Local Control

President Trump has opinions about the sanctity of local control that don't agree with his other opinions about local control. This is a cautionary tale.

September 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

Fast Forward Bus

Senate Report Proposes Land Use and Transportation Reforms to Get Americans Out of Cars

Progress in combating climate change won't be possible unless Americans drive less. And Americans won't be able to drive less without changes to land use patterns in the United States.

September 16, 2020 - Transportation for America

Chicago

New Research Connects Land Use to Ride-Hailing Trips

Many of the places in Chicago generating the most ride-hailing trips with services like Uber and Lyft are accessible by transit, according to new research.

September 16, 2020 - Science Direct

Houston, Construction

Houston Lacks Zoning—Or Does It? The State Supreme Court Will Decide

A lawsuit argues that Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance is a form of de facto land use control, equivalent to zoning, which isn't allowed by state and local laws.

September 15, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

City Hall

Has The Moment Arrived To End Political Interference in L.A. City's Land Use Decisions?

Writing under the nom de plume of the ghost of Ed Logue, an L.A.-based land use professional offers this modest proposal for eliminating political interference and campaign cash from L.A. city planning.

September 14, 2020 - The Planning Report

Wildfire

Wildfires in the West Are Climate Change Lessons for Everyone

The wildfires burning throughout the West, with terrible but photogenic consequences, come with a reminder that it's only going to get worse unless massive changes are made right here in the United States.

September 13, 2020 - James Brasuell

Chicago, Illinois

Obama Library Displacement Concerns: City Council Falls Short of Local Demands

The Chicago City Council has approved an ordinance intended to protect residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the planned Barack Obama Presidential Center.

September 13, 2020 - Chicago Sun-Times

Biking in Denver

Opinion: Denver Needs New Direction on Housing

A Denver writer calls attention to the city's worsening housing affordability, gentrification, and displacement challenges, and prescribes a YIMBY response.

September 11, 2020 - The Denver Post

Downtown Highway

Parking Is King in Kansas City

Huge amounts of land are dedicated to asphalt in Kansas City—about twice as much land than is dedicated to buildings. Fiscal dependence on vehicular infrastructure, however, is not unique to Kansas City.

September 11, 2020 - Strong Towns

Illinois

Planning for Transit Oriented Development in a City of 40,000

Crystal Lake, Illinois offers a transit oriented planning case study on the edge of the Chicago metropolitan area.

September 10, 2020 - Streetsblog Chicago

Single Family Residential Construction

Early Returns on Austin's New Density Bonus Program: 2,337 Affordable Housing Units

Since late 2019, developers who deliver affordable housing units in Austin have received bonuses in height, density, parking, and other regulatory metrics, leading to a large number of new affordable housing units in the pipeline.

September 10, 2020 - Austin Monitor

Kids Crossing the Street

Debunking Traffic Safety Myths as Pedestrian Fatalities Increase

Angie Schmitt, former editor at Streetsblog USA, has written a new book about pedestrian fatalities, which works to dispel some of the myths about traffic safety in the United States.

September 9, 2020 - Curbed

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Revealed: $2.2 Billion Redevelopment Plan for Philadelphia's Waterfront

The city of Philadelphia has a new, highly anticipated plan for a valuable site on the Delaware River waterfront.

September 9, 2020 - WHYY

La Maison Rose

A 'Dining Revolution' Comes Home

A California bill approved in 2018 legalized restaurants to locate in homes, setting the foundation for a new restaurant economy just when communities needed it most.

September 9, 2020 - Eater Los Angeles

Los Angeles City Hall

Keeping Bees Away from Honey? Corruption Cases Expose Flaws in L.A. City’s Land Entitlement Process

Three former Los Angeles public officials share their collective perspective on how best to reform the city of Los Angeles' corrupted land use approval process.

September 8, 2020 - The Planning Report

United Kingdom

'Place-Healing': From Adaptation to Manifesto

Amid pandemic and protest, the need for urban mending has become abundantly clear, with responses that invoke the more ethereal elements of a physical place I like to call it "place-healing," a term that seems right for the times.

September 8, 2020 - Charles R. Wolfe

Residential Neighborhood

Missing Middle Density Will Take More Than Zoning Changes

Looking for change in the housing supply? "Don't stop at the zoning code and think you're done. There's so much work left to do."

September 8, 2020 - Strong Towns

Toomsboro, Georgia

The Freedom Georgia Initiative Buys 97 Acres to Build a New Black Community

Inspired by the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and a speech by rapper Killer Mike, a group of Black families is investing from the ground up in a new community that prioritizes the safety and financial empowerment of Black residents.

September 7, 2020 - Revolt

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.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

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.