Land Use

A New Downtown Master Plan for Everett, Washington
The city of 108,000 is preparing for major growth in the next 20 years.

Anatomy of a Shortlist: Chasing the Design for Dix Park
Raleigh, NC has hopes for turning 300 acres of land near its downtown into a beautiful park. Elite landscape architecture firms are eager to help, and selecting the right one for the job won't be easy.

Obama Designates Two New National Monuments
Before this week, President Obama added more acreage to national monuments than any previous president. The final 1.35 million acres, designated this week, are a controversial final flourish.

A New Method to the Planning Vision for Bethesda, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland is pursuing significant changes for Downtown Bethesda. The proof is in the draft Bethesda Downtown Plan—a long-range land use plan that would allow a new approach to density.

Legal Bow Hunting in a Suburban County
Large swaths of Fairfax County, Virginia allow bow hunting of deer in park spaces very close to where people live. One writer wonders if the benefits of "urban archery" are worth the risks.

Expected for Approval Today: The New Buffalo Green Code
The Buffalo Common Council is expected to approve a highly anticipated overhaul of its zoning code. Known commonly as the Buffalo Green Code, city planners tout the new code as deliberately contemporary and progressive.

The Smart Growth Movement: A (Partial) Success
Has the smart growth movement succeeded? It depends how you measure "success."

Op-Ed: Exclusionary Zoning Worsens Education Gap
Pete Rodrigue pulls from multiple studies, arguing that zoning contributes to an education gap between rich and poor students. Housing costs lie at the heart of the problem.

How Rising Seas Threaten the NYC Metro Area
A report from the Regional Plan Association maps out what might happen under 1, 3, and 6 feet of sea level rise. In the worst cases, several dense and populated regions are affected.

Holiday Cheer from Detroit: Downtown Office Vacancies Have Rebounded in a Big Way
A new report on office vacancies in Downtown Detroit shows just how far Downtown Detroit has come in ten years.
City Streets Signed Over to a Developer in Downtown Atlanta
In a move that will enable the $350 million redevelopment of Underground Atlanta, the city has agreed to hand over ownership and control of public streets to the developer.

Inclusionary Zoning Now the Law in Portland, Oregon
Portland's new inclusionary zoning policy will go into effect in February.

Friday Eye Candy: Mapping All of New York's Shadows, in All Seasons
New York's lack of sunlight might be overstated, but the New York Times mapped the shadows cast by every building on every block of the city just to be sure.

$3.5 Million Awarded to Further the Demise of the Robert Moses Parkway
The state of New York this week took another step toward removing two miles of the Niagara Scenic Parkway (formerly known as the Robert Moses Parkway).

TransitLink to Use $440 Million Real Estate Windfall to Fund Transit Projects
A transit funding formula, courtesy of Vancouver, British Columbia: Sell 13.8-acre property for $440 million; use cash to finance transit improvements.

East Harlem Rezoning Could Add New Retail to Public Housing Projects
East Harlem Rezoning Could Add New Retail to Public Housing Projects

Bill Would End Tax Breaks for Second Homes in California
AB 71, originating from the California Assembly, would raise funding for low-income housing construction by ending an existing tax break for second homes.

The Evidence for Houston as a World Class City
Houston is famous among urbanists for many reasons: its lack of traditional zoning, its perpetual growth, and its position in the oil industry are just a few examples. Here, Wendell Cox argues that the city is still under appreciated.

A Grid Balancing Act for Vibrant, Varied, and Sustainable Places
An analysis of three essential attributes of urban grids reveals a preferred layout for the desired effect of a vibrant, active community.

A Culture Change Takes Hold at the Detroit Planning Department
For all its troubles, Detroit has undertaken some of the greatest urban success stories of recent years. New leadership at the city's Planning Department is hoping to expand those narratives to long-neglected parts of the city.
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