Land Use

Levee

Coastal Property Ownership Contested as the Gulf of Mexico Rises in Louisiana

Landowners, oil and gas companies, environmental groups, and fishers all have an interest in sorting out the status of Louisiana's privately owned coastline as rising water inundates the state.

February 11, 2020 - NOLA.com

Manhattan

Development Opponents Gaining Ground in New York City

According to this article in the New York Times, the days of development interests dominating the planning process in New York City are over.

February 11, 2020 - The New York Times

Miami, Florida

Presidential Candidates Discuss the California Housing Crisis

Many of the Democratic candidates have offered housing policy plans as a key plank in their election platforms, but here a prominent YIMBY politician confronts them directly on the housing crisis in California.

February 10, 2020 - Palm Springs Desert Sun

San Francisco

The Journal of the American Planning Association's Single-Family Zoning Debate

Eric Jaffe, writing for Sidewalk Labs, details a recent issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association that debated the future of single-family zoning.

February 10, 2020 - Sidewalk Talk

Permeable Pavement

A Minnesota Suburb's Permeable Pavement Leadership

Shoreview, Minnesota has one of the most extensive permeable pavement systems in the United States. This technology has reduced the need for expensive grey infrastructure like stormwater sewer systems.

February 7, 2020 - Next City

Sunset

Voters Could Get the Chance to Ease Development Restrictions in San Francisco

A ballot initiative by San Francisco Mayor London Breed would make it easier for qualifying developments (e.g., developments that include affordable housing) to sidestep discretionary approvals.

February 6, 2020 - The New York Times

Prefabricated, Mixed-Use Project Proposed in Downtown Anchorage

The first mixed-use hotel and apartment project in downtown Anchorage, Alaska will use prefabricated rooms and is expected to start construction this spring.

February 6, 2020 - Anchorage Daily News

Parking

How Cars Make Life More Expensive—Even If You Don't Own a Car

Auto-dependence starts with land use, and zoning codes ensure everyone pays for the privilege only available to some.

February 6, 2020 - Vice

Sea Level Rise

Report: Sea-Level Rise Is Accelerating

Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, continuing a trend that began in 2013 or 2014, and pushes coastal communities toward the extreme end of the possible spectrum of sea-level rise.

February 5, 2020 - USA Today

Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Bayview

S.F. Bay Area Megaprojects Not Coming to Fruition

Plans for numerous large-scale developments in the region mean thousands of housing units should be on the way, but constant delays and setbacks have left projects nowhere near completion.

February 5, 2020 - San Francisco Chronicle

Housing

Exhibition Aims to Change Minds About Density

"Everything You Think You Know About Housing Is Probably Wrong," reads the headline of this New York Times article.

February 5, 2020 - The New York Times

Williamsburg Brooklyn

Opinion: N.Y.C. Neighborhood Rezoning Displaces Vulnerable Residents

Rezoning has resulted in the loss of affordable housing in areas like the South Bronx, and any proposals need to consider the long-term racial equity impacts, according to a recent report by Churches United for Fair Housing.

February 5, 2020 - City Limits

Buffalo Bayou Park

Planning Without Zoning: The Houston Story

Houston is famous in planning circles for lacking a zoning code, but that doesn't mean planners don't have plenty of tools to determine the future of the city.

February 4, 2020 - Planning Magazine

San Francisco, California

2,600 New Homes Approved in San Francisco

A massive new development at the former site of a polluting power plant is moving forward in the City by the Bay.

February 3, 2020 - Curbed San Francisco

San Francisco, California

Car-Free Streets Aren't a Silver Bullet

The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic tempers expectations for Market Street in San Francisco, where the city this week undertook an ambitious, but perhaps over-sold, redesign of the busy street.

January 31, 2020 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Reimagining LA

Upzoning and Affordability, Explained

Upzoning is gaining popularity among planners and politicians in parts of the country as a tool for affordability. But some opponents of the idea maintain that new density will only make housing affordability worse.

January 31, 2020 - Curbed

Zoning Code

Crafting the Future of Zoning

Lee D. Einsweiler, principal and co-founder of Code Studio, offers practiced insight on the relationship between planning and implementation, as well as guidance for a fulfilling career navigating the two.

January 30, 2020 - James Brasuell

Empty Homes

Vacancy Taxes as a Response to the Housing Crisis

Could vacancy taxes solve multiple housing challenges at once?

January 30, 2020 - WBUR

NIMBY Sign

Updated: Statewide Upzoning Falls Short Again in California

For the third year in a row, an effort to increase density near transit in statewide in California has stalled in the legislature.

January 30, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Brooklyn

Opinion: Wealthy Residents Are Opposing Brooklyn Development to Protect Their Own Interests

Residents are arguing that a Williamsburg development would negatively affect the neighborhood. But it’s a grassroots effort to protect the status quo in a neighborhood where gentrification benefited them.

January 30, 2020 - New York Post

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.

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.