Land Use
Downtown Portland Ready for Maine's Tallest Building
The city of Portland anticipates a major new urban development addition called the “Old Port Square” project.
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments
The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.
Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants
The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.
Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law
The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”
The Trouble With QUIMBY
The idea of “quality urbanism in my back yard” has its uses, but should not be used to limit housing supply.
Downtown Los Angeles Gears Up for Growth
A new report highlights Downtown L.A.’s ongoing revival through major housing projects, adaptive reuse, hospitality growth, and preparations for global events in the years ahead.
Car-Centric LA Suburb Looks to a Train-Oriented Future
City leaders in Rancho Cucamonga, the future western terminus of the Brightline West rail line to Las Vegas, want to reimagine the city as a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly community.
New Jersey Duplexes Elicit Mixed Reactions
Modern, two-unit residences are proliferating in northern New Jersey communities, signaling for some a boon to the housing supply and to others a loss of historic architecture.
Supreme Court Ruling in Oil Railway Case Guts Federal Environmental Law
The decision limits the scope of a federal law that mandates extensive environmental impact reviews of energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects.
May Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Mall redevelopment, saving California’s high-speed rail, and a provocative rethinking of the concept of redlining.
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Nine Ways to Use Curb Space That Aren’t Parking
California’s new daylighting law bans parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. How can cities best use this space?
ADUs for Sale? San Diego Could Legalize Backyard Condos
As one of 25 proposed amendments, San Diego may soon allow accessory dwelling units to be bought and sold as individual homes.
Dallas Ditches Parking Minimums in 14-1 Vote
The sweeping city council decision removes set parking requirements from developments downtown, near transit, small businesses and more.
High Housing Costs Driving Down Transit Ridership in LA
When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
