Land Use

San Francisco

Leading San Francisco Architect Picks a Fight With the City's Planning Department

Architects and planners have to work together, as everyone on both sides of the equation knows. Even though the fields often speak the same language, there still seem to be many moments and ideas lost in translation.

April 5, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Oceanside

Removing California's Costa-Hawkins Act and the Future of Rent Control

In an attempt to combat prohibitively high housing costs in California, some look to repeal the 1995 state law that limits the power of local rent control ordinances. However, removing those restrictions would likely exaggerate current problems.

April 5, 2017 - Reuben Duarte

Surface Parking

Critiquing the First Woonerf in Minneapolis

You be the judge: is this innovative land use in Downtown Minneapolis a woonerf or a glorified parking lot?

April 5, 2017 - MinnPost

Philadelphia

Philadelphia's Freeway Cap Park Almost Fully Funded, Ready to Start Planning

March was a momentous month for the Central Access Philadelphia (CAP) project. The project would build cap over I-95 at Penn's Landing, among other improvements.

April 4, 2017 - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

The Villages Florida

How About Walkable 'Small Town-ism?'

With the high cost of land and housing in most major cities, why don't we just make the hundreds of "walkable" small towns in the United States more desirable places to live for average earners?

April 4, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Los Angeles City Hall

Sent A Strong Message, Los Angeles Leaders Respond With Planning Reforms

In the aftermath of the Measure S vote, members of the Los Angeles City Council have responded by pushing for expediting community plan updates and finding a sustainable source of funding for updating the region's plans.

April 4, 2017 - The Planning Report

L.A.'s New Planning Framework Starts Now

After the defeat of Measure S, Los Angeles Planning Director Vince Bertoni explains how a slew of new planning reforms will help move the city forward.

April 2, 2017 - The Planning Report

Shotgun Homes, New Orleans

Restore Old Affordable Homes, Or Build Anew?

Fighting a plan to develop new affordable housing, some residents of Apalachicola, Florida prefer an effort to restore the town's dilapidated, though historic, housing stock.

April 2, 2017 - The New York Times

Expo Line

L.A.'s Complicated Dance Between TOD and Displacement

As the Los Angeles metro area expands its transit options, transit-oriented development is following suit. In some neighborhoods, lower-income residents are being displaced.

March 31, 2017 - UCLA Magazine

Hudson Yards

Surveying Developers for Answers to New York City's Housing Crunch

Developers have a lot of opinions about how to fix New York's housing market (probably not a surprise) and not all of them consider themselves to be evil (maybe a little bit of a surprise).

March 31, 2017 - City Limits

Fresno State

FresYes: How Fresno Fueled and Funded a Comeback

Recently termed-out Mayor Ashley Swearengin sits down for an exclusive interview about how she planned for high speed rail investments, championed sustainable water management, and took steps to rebuild the local economy.

March 30, 2017 - The Planning Report

Garment District

Op-Ed: Lift Garment District Zoning Restrictions

Greg David argues that zoning rules limiting Manhattan's Garment District to manufacturers are obsolete. Without them, underutilized space could be put to better use.

March 30, 2017 - Crain's New York Business

San Francisco Residential Neighborhoods

San Francisco's 'Green Connections Plan' Prioritizes Wildlife

An article and video by Chicago PBS station WTTW explore San Francisco's uniquely ambitious approach to sharing the city with wildlife.

March 29, 2017 - WTTW

Point Dume

Coastal Erosion Could Devastate Southern California Beaches

Researchers from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have produced a model of coastal erosion based on the impacts of expected sea level rise by the end of the century.

March 29, 2017 - USGS

Habitat Protection in Mind With Big Land Purchase Near Louisville

By purchasing 954 acres of forested land, the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest has added to its swath of the map in the neighborhood of Louisville and Fort Knox.

March 29, 2017 - Courier-Journal

Down Payment

Advocates: Gowanus Rezoning Must Address Affordability

As the supply of affordable housing in Gowanus continues to diminish, a new coalition demands that any rezoning plan fill the gaps.

March 29, 2017 - The Real Deal

Indiana City Votes to Restrict Drug Treatment Centers

The city of New Albany approved a plan to keep where opioid abuse clinics can locate.

March 28, 2017 - News and Tribune

Downtown Dallas parking lot

Dallas Parking Lot to Become $15 Million Green Space

Pacific Plaza is the first of four new parks planned for Downtown Dallas.

March 28, 2017 - Dallas News

Never Built New York: The Pier 55 Park Project for the Hudson River

The Pier 55 proposal made a big splash in New York when it was proposed in 2014, but now it appears headed for the trash bin of history.

March 28, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Staten Island Ferry

State Legislation to Pressure New York City for Property Tax Reform

New York City's property tax system is a growing source of political consternation, and now state legislators have entered the fray.

March 27, 2017 - SI Live

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.