Land Use

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.

New Center Integrates Land Use and Water Policy
A new branch of the Lincoln Institute will focus on water planning, especially in the western United States.

Nevada BLM Land to Stay in Federal Hands
The Honor the Nevada Enabling Act, proposed by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nevada) to transfer some Bureau of Land Management property to state control, will not be brought to Congress.

Partnerships Drove Napa Flood Control Project
The Napa River's Oxbow bypass doubles as public park space and an outlet when the river floods. The project brought together local environmentalists and the business community.

Comparing the Differences in Property Taxes Around the United States
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence have released their annual "50-State Property Tax Comparison Study."

The 'City Design Project' Aims to Make Atlanta an Intentional City
Two of the highest-profile planners in the city of Atlanta, Tim Keane and Ryan Gravel, have teamed up to lead a creative visioning process that could help lead Atlanta to a new era of planning and development.

As Big Box Retailers Fade, New Uses Are Springing Up
The end of the era of the big box retailer is leaving landlords with the difficult task of finding new tenants for the large, empty storefronts.

Back to the Suburbs: Most Metropolitan Are Getting Less Dense
A closer look at the data reveals a country that continues to sprawl.

Solving Homelessness: Title V's Shortcomings and Potential Explained
The Title V program makes the hard parts of solving homelessness—finding the money and the property—a lot easier. So why hasn't it been used at a much larger scale?

Mapping Chicago's Zoning Code Changes
A new interactive map feature launched by the Chicago Cityscape website maps all the zoning changes up for approval around the city.

'Plansplaining' and its Discontents
Yes, planners have expertise to share, but according to this rather pointed critique, they also sometimes forget that other people do too.
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.
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