Land Use

Why Big Tech Billions Won't Dent California's Housing Crisis
New multibillion-dollar affordable housing commitments from leading tech firms may build out thousands of units, but that's nothing next to California's gargantuan housing shortage.

Criticism of a Gas Station Proposed for the Philadelphia Waterfront
A case study in development proposals not matching planning ambitions on the Delaware River Waterfront in Philadelphia.

Living in the Gentrified Version of Fort Greene, Brooklyn
The New York Times notes the gentrification of Fort Greene, but caters to the people would looking for places to live in the neighborhood.

Las Vegas Approves Homeless Camping Ban
The city of Las Vegas has approved a law that prohibits the homeless from camping in large swaths of the city. The measure provoked the opposition on most of the public in attendance at a City Council hearing this week.

How D.C.'s Comprehensive Plan May Change
Along with a commitment to produce more affordable housing, Washington D.C. is making general amendments to its Comprehensive Plan. The result may be more "honesty" and nuance around housing.

Traffic Signals Will Finally Prioritize Expo Line Trains in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles City Council has approved a motion to improve signal prioritization for the sake of light rail transit on the Expo Line where it operates in city streets.

Zoning to Keep Manufacturing in Chicago
Planned manufacturing districts (PMDs) are a way to protect valuable land, but their effectiveness as an economic development strategy has been inconsistent.

Measuring the Effect of Zoning on Housing Prices
Recent political interest in local land use regulations requires a thorough and nuanced understanding of the strengths and limitations of the methodologies available for measuring the effects of zoning.

Planning a New Approach to Transit Oriented Development in Compton
The city of Compton has completed a draft environmental impact review of an ambitious plan to transform the blocks surrounding the Artesia Station on the Metro A Line.

Election 2019: Planning and Development Related Results Roundup
Many states and cities around the country voted on November 5, 2019 to decide matters related to the future of the built environment.

Sea-Level Rise Would Be Worse for Coastal Cities Than Previously Thought
A new model for expected sea-level rise raises alarms about the need to adapt to sea-level rise in coastal cities all over the world.

Democratic Candidates Forget Transportation Emissions When Making Climate Plans
Multiple sources analyze the green credentials of the campaign platforms of the remaining field of Democrats vying for the highest office in the land and find one conspicuous absence: plans for reducing driving.

Generative Codes Yield Better Plans
Ngoc Hong Nguyen of the University of Danang writes about a recent article he authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research

Urban and Suburban Lifestyles More Similar Than Thought, Study Says
The differences in the ways people who live in the city spend their time versus the way people who live in suburbs spend their time are few and small.

Advocacy to Protect Borderlands Areas Lagging
Construction of a border wall would have grave social and environmental consequences, but retailers with clout are not stepping up as they have when other places have been threatened.

Unleashing the Food Vendors in New York
Newly proposed legislation in the New York State Senate would bar cities from setting limits on the number of food vendors operating in the public realm.

Learning from Manhattan's Urban Imperfections
New York is a great city that breaks many rules of urban planning. Here's what its imperfections can teach us about city building.

DTLA 2040 Ready for Public Scrutiny in Los Angeles
Two community plan updates, to the Central City and the Central City North community plans, comprise the DTLA 2040 plan. DTLA 2040 is also the first showcase for the city's new zoning code system.

Pre-Fab Buildings to Ease the Housing Crisis
Modular housing is cheaper and faster to build compared to conventional buildings. These advantages could make it an effective and viable way to increase apartment housing stock.

Dramatic Overhaul Planned for Key North Philadelphia Intersection
An architecture critic writes about plans for a key intersection in North Philadelphia: "By all means, straighten out the street and make it safe, but keep the twists and turns that make this an authentic Philadelphia place."
Pagination
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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.
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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