Land Use

Open Space

'Unprecedented' Sale of Public Land Concerns 'Even Some Republicans'

As the Department of the Interior auctions off 'vast swaths' of American wilderness to oil and gas companies, fiscal conservatives and conservationists alike wonder if it’s the right thing at the right time.

April 24, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Michigan State Capital

And the Parking Crater Award Goes To…

One of the biggest days of the year on the urbanism calendar took place on April 20. No, not marijuana day—the awarding of the Golden Crater award to the winner of Streetsblog's annual Parking Madness competition.

April 24, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Sonny Perdue

Under Zinke, Land in Montana Is Still Somehow Protected

Though he’s opened land all over the U.S. to industry, the Interior Secretary is actually pushing to conserve even more of his home state.

April 24, 2018 - The New York Times

San Francisco Bay

How SB 827 'Cleaved the California Environmental Movement'

Even before the bill was defeated, it exposed a major generational divide between anti-development environmentalists and their pro-density, pro-housing heirs.

April 23, 2018 - San Francisco Magazine

LA Ciclavia

Public Space Arms Race

Battles for inclusion and exclusion in the life of the city more often end in stand-offs than in skirmishes.

April 23, 2018 - Urban Omnibus

Texas

Dallas Housing Proposal Aims for Equity, Finally

Not only does the plan promise more affordable housing, it’s also supposed to deliver “access to more upwardly mobile communities."

April 23, 2018 - Next City

Coastal Flooding

Study: Climate Change Concerns Taking a Toll on Home Values in Miami

Ordinary homeowners are beginning to factor climate change into the home-buying decisions in Miami.

April 23, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Chicago Coach Houses, Legalize 'Em

Coach houses could provide affordable housing and revenue for home owners if they were more widely permitted in the city.

April 21, 2018 - Chicago Cityscape

San Francisco

Homes, Not Parking

The Balboa Reservoir is the perfect spot for housing in San Francisco, Nicole Lindler argues, and the notion that it should remain a surface parking lot shows badly disordered priorities.

April 21, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Seattle Freeway Park

Seattle Plans Remodel of World’s First Freeway Cap Park

The Brutalist design by a famed landscape architect will be preserved, but not without better visibility and improved lighting.

April 19, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

California State Capital

California's 'Aggressive' Housing Bill Dies Quickly, Not Quietly, in Committee

SB 827, the controversial housing bill proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener, had a very brief run in the California State Legislature.

April 18, 2018 - Curbed LA

Dallas skyline

Dallas Breaks Ground on Yet Another Downtown Park

Pacific Plaza will the fourth park built in the center of the city in the last decade, and there are still plans for three more.

April 18, 2018 - Dallas Morning News

Home For Sale Signs

No Two Property Taxes Are Alike

The annual "50-State Property Tax Comparison Study" is available examines the imbalances across jurisdictions, and even within jurisdictions, when it comes to property taxes.

April 17, 2018 - At Lincoln House

Riverfront Open Space

Mayor Emanuel Wants to Open More of the Chicago River to the Public

Plans to double the length of publicly accessible riverfront will be included in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's State of the City address tonight.

April 16, 2018 - Chicago Sun Times

Seattle

Regional Planning for Growth on Display in the Pacific Northwest

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) released a new "Regional Centers Framework."

April 16, 2018 - The Urbanist

Boise Idaho

Growth and Change Take Hold in Boise

Rapid growth is now the trend in a region that faced some of the worst effects of the Great Recession.

April 16, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal

Tysons Corner Station Redevelopment

Revisiting the 'Edge City'

Lessons from Edge City, after the world changed again.

April 16, 2018 - CityLab

Seattle Sound Transit

How Much Parking Near Transit Is Too Much Parking Near Transit?

Faced with the expensive costs of adding park and ride facilities along its expanding transit system, transportation planners in the Seattle region wonder if it's money well spent.

April 15, 2018 - Crosscut

Legislation Would Ensure California Housing Construction Keeps Pace with Population Growth

A companion bill to the controversial SB 827, also introduced Sen. Scott Wiener (D-S.F)., could have a similar impact on housing production but hasn't gathered nearly as much attention. SB 828 makes critical changes to the state's housing supply law.

April 14, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Coal Extraction

New Evidence of Coal's Evolving Place in the Economy

Contura Energy paid Blackjewel Inc. $21 million to take ownership of the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr coal mines in Wyoming.

April 14, 2018 - Casper Star-Tribune

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.