Land Use

Tax Abatements for Residential Projects Under the Microscope
The Cleveland City Council is considering legislation that would launch a process of re-examining the city's tax abatement program.

Who's to Blame for Gentrification? Planners, Apparently
Capital City casts planners as lackeys, serving the forces of capitalism.

Apartment Units Fill Fastest in Seattle
Demand for housing in and around Seattle is way up—so much so that the region led the entire country in the number of apartments it has filled so far this year.

Middle-Income Density Bonus Working Toward Approval in San Diego
The San Diego City Council's Land Use and Housing Commission approved a density bonus program to provide incentives for developers to build middle- and low-income housing.

Housing Starts Hit Two-Year Low
Housing starts and permits are slowing nationwide. The current pace of construction would have been considered a trough in pre-recession economic cycles.

Montreal Plan to Ban Cars From Major Park Doesn't Stick
Following a fatal collision between a motorist and a competitive cyclist, Montreal tried closing a stretch of roadway through Mount Royal Park. The pilot encountered fierce opposition.

Elizabeth's Warren Plan for Public Lands
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) recently published a detailed plan to protect public lands.
New Transit Center Coming to Cincinnati's Northside Neighborhood
The Cincinnati City Council this week approved zoning change to allow for the construction of a transit center at the second busiest bus transit hub in the city.
A Sci-Fi Novel About an Urban Planners and a War Over Gentrification
The Municipalists, a new novel by Seth Fried, will definitely appeal to fiction-reading urban planners.

Texas State Legislators Aim to Reduce Their Own Housing Sway
Current Texas law grants state representatives significant power over whether affordable developments receive federal tax credits. Controversially, several representatives have proposed the reduction of their own authority in that regard.

Eminent Domain Concerns Raised Over Missouri's Hyperloop Plans
Critics are pointing to a discrepancy between the plan and the reality in terms of how much private property must be acquired through eminent domain to make the state of Missouri's Hyperloop dreams come true.

New Spending, Planning Approved to Address Affordable Housing Crisis in Columbus
Columbus approved an emergency allotment of capital improvement bond funding for housing, and the launch of an affordable housing strategy process.

New Tool Puts Miami Development Opportunities on the Map
There's plenty of vacant or underutilized land to be found in Miami-Dade County, if you know where and how to look.

An Alphabetical Compendium of the Gentrification Blame Game
When it comes to identifying and repairing the underlying causes of gentrification, there's plenty of blame to go around.

In L.A., With a Reputation Sprawl, Homes Near Transit Selling at a Premium
Homebuyers are looking for locations with quality transit access in Los Angeles, and they're willing to pay more for the option having transit nearby.

Trails and Rails Battle in San Francisco Bay Shoreline Park
Can freight trains and a scenic shoreline park along San Francisco Bay coexist, or are they incompatible uses? The East Bay Regional Park District voted to remove old rail tracks that BNSF Railway wants to reactivate. A local court may decide.

$50 Million Esports Arena on the Way in Philadelphia
Set to begin construction this summer, the 65,000 square-foot Fusion Arena is set to be the nation's first built-from-scratch professional video gaming arena.

Searching for the Essence of Planning at the National Planning Conference
With so many applications and intersections, planning can be hard to define. Planetizen Managing Editor James Brasuell is in San Francisco searching for meaning.

The 2019 National Planning Conference Is Underway
Couldn't make it to San Francisco for the 2019 National Planning Conference? Live vicariously through the magic of the Internet.

The Economic Defense of Sprawl (And What's Wrong With It)
Defenders of suburban expansion argue that government should build more roads in order to open up more land for housing. What's wrong with that argument?
Pagination
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