Land Use

How Planning Can Help Dogs and Humans Co-Exist
Not everyone is sold on the idea of dogs as "man's best friend," and not everyone is comfortable navigating a public realm where dogs are crowdsourcing their marks. What are planners to do?

Concern Grows Over the Fate of the Country's 'Largest Land Conservation Feat'
Western governors are concerned with signals from the Trump Administration about its intentions to kill a compromise deal to protect 165 million acres of habitat for the sage grouse.

Op-Ed: Slow Growth Fails the Paris Accords Too
Many local leaders spoke strongly against President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, but local land use and transportation policies still sorely lack any consideration of climate impact.

Residence in Chicago's TODs Come With a Major Caveat: No Parking Permits
One big idea behind transit oriented residential developments is that residents will be liberated from their cars. New developments in Chicago are making sure residents won't be parking on streets to get the best of both worlds.

Explained: The Many Definitions of Rural
Wisconsin provides a case study in the varied methods for defining rural, and why that matters. "Rural is not simple to define, perhaps because the real question is rural for what purpose?"

RFK Memorial and Redevelopment Plan Proposed for Old Stadium Site
RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. lost its last tenant in late 2015, and now D.C. leaders have a new plan for the site.

Credit Suisse Says One in Every Four U.S. Malls Will be Gone by 2022
More apparel sales will move online, and department stores will continue to struggle in 2017.

New Report Plans Toronto at Kid Scale
Toronto has released draft urban design guidelines that put families with children at the center of the city.

Land Grabs and Inequity in the New African Mega Cities
Callus city builders in Africa must account for the poor as well as the rich argues Mathias Agbo Jr. in a piece for Common Edge.
Infill Comes to Atlanta's Single-Family Neighborhoods
The Atlanta metropolitan area is facing an estimated 2.5 million new residents by 2040. Some current residents are surprised at some of the neighborhoods accommodating that growth.

Mayor Duggan Lays Out Eight Principles for Detroit's Redevelopment
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made a splash this week by pronouncing a vision to create a Detroit that is 'one city for all of us.'

Commercial Developers Favoring Transit Access
While the debates around transit-oriented residential development continue, commercial TOD is picking up speed. Offices with nearby transited to fetch much higher rents than their car-only counterparts.

Only High Cost Premiums Can Make Urban Farming Pencil Out
Throwing cold water on the latest "techno-optimism" for indoor, urban agriculture.

Beuvron-en-Auge: 15th Century Town Planning Stands the Test of Time
Another reason European placemaking has North American applications: it wasn't always perfect. Hazel Borys looks to simple town planning lessons from a village in Normandy.

Canada's Growth Trending Toward the Suburban
According to this opinion piece, the tales of urbanizing Canada are overblown. "We're a suburban nation," says one of the sources quoted in the article.

A Relentless D.C. Zoning Activist
Chris Otten says change doesn't come from "being nice to decision makers," so he's comfortable being confrontational with developers and City Council members he sees as taking advantage of the poor.

Santa Monica Proposing Balanced Approach With Downtown Plan
After residents soundly defeated the anti-growth Measure LV in November, city officials are still trying to propose a plan that addresses the traffic and livability concerns that led to the initiative being placed on the ballot.

David Beckham's Big Idea: A New Soccer Stadium in Miami, With Zero Parking Spaces
A group led by David Beckham is working to build a stadium in Miami that would house a Major League Soccer team. There are two twists (besides Becks): the stadium would require zero public financing and the stadium would build zero parking.

The Hidden Costs of Free Parking for Teachers
Bill de Blasio's decision to hand out more than 10,000 parking placards to school employees incentivizes driving and costs the city money.
Reclaimed Garden Models New Economic Development Strategy
A garden in Pittsburgh has become the model for a movement to combine environmental reclamation with economic development.
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 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