Land Use

Satellite Imagery of a Decade's Transformation
Trends in land use and development are made obvious with satellite imagery tracking changes during the 2010s.

Watch: Urban Planning in the 2010s
A first draft of the urban planning history of the 2010s.

Top Urban Planning Websites – 2019
Planetizen's annual list of the best of the planning Internet gives a taste of the technological and editorial milieu of the urban planning Internet at the beginning of a new decade.

Study: U.S. Land Use Regulations More Restrictive Since the Great Recession
A new metric for measuring land use regulation traces the evolution of land use regulations over the past decade, finding that U.S. municipalities on a net basis adopted slightly more restrictive land use regulations from 2006 to 2018.

Mapping Housing Discrimination in Charlottesville
Like many American cities, the site of white supremacist unrest in 2017 has a long history of residential discrimination by race. This mapping project seeks to uncover the roots of today's disparities.

Lowering the Barrier to Make Public Land Available for Affordable Housing
Municipalities can help fill in a crucial piece of the affordable housing puzzle by making public land accessible for development.

The Flip Side of Single-Family Housing
Much of the debate about housing shortages and rising housing costs focuses on single-family housing as the main culprit. But could it also be part of the solution?

The Urban Landscape New York City Lost in the 2010s
Over the last decade, many historic buildings and cultural institutions throughout New York City have disappeared. The result has been the transformation of neighborhoods and the city’s character.

The Ongoing Debate Over California's Eucalyptus Trees
The eucalyptus is an exotic species in California, and studies suggest it has contributed to an increase in wildfire hazards. But defenders of the trees say the eucalyptus is just an ecological scapegoat.

Cost to Repair Philadelphia Homes Is $2.7 Billion, Study Finds
Many homes in Philadelphia are in need of repairs, and low-income renters are most affected by substandard housing.

The Most Popular Urban Planning Articles of 2019
The most-read news, features, and blogs on Planetizen in 2019.

Opinion: When New Growth Is Really a 'Giant Ponzi Scheme'
Development that depends on subsidies is not fostering true growth and instead is a financial house of cards.

The End of the Mall? Navigating the Shifting Retail Landscape
More online shopping means fewer consumers are spending money at brick-and-mortar stores, with suburban malls hit especially hard. But municipalities are looking for creative strategies to navigate a post-mall world.

The Atlanta Beltline—20 Years Later
The scope of the Atlanta Beltline's effect on the city has astounded most observers, including the person who came up with the idea first.
Leadership Change Could Lead to Changes in Suburban Oakland County, Michigan
The suburban status quo is due for an update in Michigan's wealthiest county, and a new county executive is ready to lead the county in a new direction.

Land Use Patterns Connected to Biodiversity Crisis
As many as 1 million species are at risk of extinction if the world, including planning professionals and politicians, doesn't make big changes.

Judge Tosses Manhattan Rezoning; Developer Tosses Affordable Housing Project
A court decision to toss a signature rezoning plan of the de Blasio administration in New York City had immediate repercussions for a development proposal that would have added hundreds of new affordable housing units.

A Transit and Land Use Planning Shift in Federal Way, Washington
Federal funding for Sound Transit's Federal Way Link extension and a new transit-oriented land use plan are changing the future of Federal Way.

San Diego Residents Could Vote to Expand Ballot Box Planning Powers
The March ballot in San Diego County will ask voters to make big decisions about planning and development on the fringes of the developed parts of the county.

Statewide Density Increases Proposed in Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia will consider a bill that would legalize duplexes in single-family zones throughout the state.
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
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planning NEXT
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Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
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City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie