Land Use

Thinking About Infrastructure and Housing, Part 2
Is inadequate infrastructure a reason to keep new housing out of cities?

'Good Neighbor Policy' Creates Buffer Between Industrial, Residential Uses
The final version of a "Good Neighbor Policy" adopted by Riverside County in November fell short of the original author's intentions.

Watch: The Effort to End Single-Family Zoning in Minneapolis, Explained
PBS NewsHour devoted a ten-minute news segment to the subject of the avant-garde of urban planning: the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan.

Transit-Oriented Development Central to D.C. Region's Growth Plan
Transit-oriented development will play a key role in mitigating the congestion effects of growing population in the region around the nation's capital, and regional planners say the region is already achieving its goals.

New Lives for Dead Malls
Suburban malls around the country are shutting down, and the huge spaces offer a variety of opportunities for creative reuse.

Happy Hour: Open Containers Now Allowed in Bellevue, Kentucky Entertainment District
Bellevue, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, is the latest city to follow in the footsteps on Las Vegas and New Orleans in allowing alcoholic beverages in the public realm.

New Football Stadium a Game Changer for Inglewood
The new home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Charger is almost ready for prime time. The mayor's economic development dreams are on the line as much as any championship.

U.S. Land Use, SUVs Targeted in New U.N. Climate Change Report
The United Nations announces more bad news for the climate and the role of American society and culture in causing the destruction of the planet.

Khosla Wins Surprise Court Ruling on Beach Access
The controversy over a tech billionaire blocking access to a Pacific Ocean beach is back from the dead.

Help Wanted: HUD Seeks Info About Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is crowdsourcing information about the regulatory barriers to affordable housing.

How One Wealthy, Historic Neighborhood Maintains an Exclusionary Status Quo
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has had enough with the exclusionary planning tactics of the neighborhood of Society Hill to start calling it the "Republic of Society Hill."

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2019
The decade wraps up with another engaging crop of highly readable and recommendable books on the subject of urban planning. There's a lot to learn, on many related subjects, among this year's top planning books.

Lessons in 'Transformative Placemaking'
Brookings has collected a year of data on an experiment it calls "transformative placemaking," with case studies from up and down the East Coast.

Multi-Family Leads Recent Housing Uptick in California
With stronger state mandates kicking in, California housing permits rose sharply in September. But as one construction industry commentator noted, an uptick isn't a trend.

Evaluating the Results of New Protections for Affordable Housing Development
California's Senate Bill 35 is touted by affordable housing advocates and other pro-development forces as an example of what good developments can happen when local obstructions are moved out of the way by the state.

A Post-Car-as-King Planning World
Cities not named from Boston in Massachusetts are explored for lessons in contemporary parking regulations.

Seattle Companies Want to Drive Down Prohibitive ADU Costs
Legal barriers to accessory dwelling units may be disappearing in some places, but costs can still be prohibitive. Several companies are stepping forward with more affordable options.

Vancouver Making Room for More Apartments
As a response to rising rental prices and low vacancy rates, Vancouver planners have created a package of zoning and process changes to provide incentives for new multi-family developments.

Op-Ed: NYC Making Progress on Bike Network Access, Should Do More
2019 was the first year in which New York City's Department of Transportation kept affected bike lanes open during the UN's General Assembly. That should be a sign of things to come, advocates argue.

Controversial Housing Development Nixed in South L.A.
The local planning commission for South Los Angeles rejected a controversial multi-family housing development proposed for a location adjacent to a future light rail station.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions