Land Use

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Op-Ed: Feds 'Obsessed' with Undermining National Monument

Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under severe assault from the Trump administration, Stephen Trimble writes. Long the focus of preservation efforts, the protected land is being opened up for extractive uses.

September 29, 2019 - The Hill

2004 Rezoning Didn't Predict the Wave of Residential Development in Downtown Brooklyn

Downtown Brooklyn is New York City's third-largest central business district, and a 2004 rezoning was meant to increase the commercial footprint in the area. Instead there's been more residential development than planners anticipated.

September 29, 2019 - Crain's New York Business

High Line Crowds

How to Prevent 'Green Gentrification'

A new report examines a range of strategies that limit the displacement effects of park projects.

September 28, 2019 - CityLab

Single Family Residential Construction

Not Enough Housing, Or Too Much of the Wrong Kind

Permits for new housing continue to lag despite a long economic boom. For coastal metros, it's a familiar story of job growth outpacing new construction. In some Sun Belt cities, sprawl is the bigger concern.

September 27, 2019 - CityLab

Another McMansion

Behind America's Fixation on Big Houses

McMansion or not, the American home is a good 600 to 800 square feet larger than the average in most other countries. Possible reasons run the gamut from policy to culture to personal economics.

September 27, 2019 - The Atlantic

Fresno Sprawl

A New City of 100,000-Plus People Rises in California's Central Valley

Numerous master planned communities are popping at a quick rate in the Central Valley outside the city of Fresno, but just across the line in Madera County. A new city is envisioned.

September 27, 2019 - Fresno Bee

Amazon Fulfillment Center

Initial Site Plan for Amazon's HQ2 Finds Critics

A lack of architectural ambition and a focus on car transportation are two of the criticisms that have followed Amazon's initial plans for its second headquarters in Northern Virginia.

September 27, 2019 - ARLnow

Sidewalk

In D.C., Sidewalks Don’t Equal Walkability

In theory, sidewalks are what make cities walkable. But in Washington, D.C., many sidewalks are not accessible to the people who use them.

September 26, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Texas Capitol Building

Local Governments Brace for Property Tax Relief in Texas

Before property tax relief, the property taxes will increase.

September 26, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Center City Construction

Forget Parking: Billions in Development Investments for Philly's Central City

Billions of development dollars have found their way to Philadelphia's Center City since the beginning of 2018, but parking is no longer a profitable proposition.

September 26, 2019 - WHYY

Seattle, Washington

Debating the Future of One of Seattle's Pedestrian-Friendly Gems

The corridor along University Way is currently exempt from the wave of upzoning implemented by the city's Mandatory Housing Affordability program, but that exemption is only temporary.

September 25, 2019 - The Urbanist

Google Mobility

Google's Plan for the Future of its Campus Would Shift the Expectations for Corporate Campuses

Fast Company details the ambitions of a plan that would add thousands of homes, open space, and commercial development to the home of Google in the Silicon Valley.

September 25, 2019 - Fast Company

Back Bay

Study Identifies Inclusionary Zoning's Fatal Flaw

Inclusionary zoning can't work because of the exclusionary zoning policies that the system relies on, according to new research.

September 24, 2019 - Mercatus Center

Exurban Development

Exurban Sprawl Picking Up Where the Great Recession Left Off

Despite the environmental effects of exurban sprawl, Northern California's housing shortage is being alleviated on the extreme edges of the San Francisco Bay Area.

September 24, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona.

Clean Water Rule's Repeal Could Have Consequences for Sprawling Development in Arizona

A recent decision by the Trump administration regarding the Waters of the United States Rule is changing the legal calculus of a plan to add 28,000 homes in the city of Benson, located southwest of Tucson.

September 24, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Texas

Plano Tomorrow Survives Legal Challenge; Debates About Planning Remain

Planners might have won a battle in city of Plano, but the war isn't over.

September 24, 2019 - Community Impact Newspaper

Hilton Hotel Harbor Island San Diego

'Grand Central Station' and Airport Connector Take First Steps Forward in San Diego

Of the trips to the San Diego International Airport, 99 percent are made by car. That could change if an expensive and ambitious project moves from concept to reality.

September 24, 2019 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Concord, California

'Heartening Promise' Found in a Massive East Bay Area Redevelopment Project

The city of Concord, home to 130,000 but often neglected in the public consciousness of the San Francisco Bay Area, could set new standards for master planning practices.

September 23, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Car-Free Public Space

New Car-Free Public Space Remains a Challenge to Create

A new study from Drexel University's Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation surveys the obstacles and challenges making it more difficult to build car-free public spaces, like plazas and parklets, in Philadelphia.

September 23, 2019 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Forth Worth, Texas

Budget Worries Threaten Vision for Fort Worth Riverfront District and Flood Control Project

An ambitious stormwater infrastructure project in Fort Worth would also include a mega-project development of a new riverfront district. Funding has become a problem, well into work on the project.

September 23, 2019 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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.