Land Use
Somerville, MA to Test the Benefits of Self-Parking Cars
Audi and Somerville will begin testing self-parking cars in 2018. Imagine the possibilities.
Don't Blame Supermarkets for Food Deserts
Quartz makes the point that supermarkets alone won't solve the problem of poor diets among low-income Americans.
Charles Marohn: Not Your Typical Urbanist
From his home in Brainerd, Minnesota (population 13,500), this fiscally conservative engineer leads a growing movement. His slow-and-steady approach to urban development has real bipartisan appeal.
From the Ashes of the 710 Extension: A Bold Plan for Southern California
An architecture critic spots an opportunity to think big after Caltrans finally ditched a plan to extend the I-710 Freeway through several Southern California cities.
How to Teach About Sprawl (and Law)
Describing a seminar on "Sprawl and the Law" at the University of Pittsburgh.
Local Parks Provide $140 Billion in Economic Activity
Parks aren't always justified in economic terms, but a new report finds $140 billion reasons why parks are a positive addition to local communities.
Water Resilience in Dry Climates
How can cities in dry climates become self-sufficient in terms of water? California based Dry Lands Institute is creating a digital design tool called Hazel that aims to address just that.
Have We Got a Game for You: 'Bay Area Regional Planner'
Some people like to leave their work at the office. But maybe you're the kind of planner who likes to turn the largest challenges of the profession into a game to be enjoyed in your free time.
Balancing the Need for Housing Supply with Need for Office Space
London is the stage for one of the problems that arises when encountered with a dearth of accommodations for housing and offices.
Planners Need To Be Less Polite Sometimes
It's one thing to oppose development and rail against local planning policies. Plenty of policies, plans, and political processes are pretty lousy. It's another thing to disrupt and dominate a meeting designed to make these processes better.
Fix Housing Supply, Save the City: Is it Really That Easy?
Planning wonks might have felt all warm inside when they noticed zoning topics wedging their way into broader conversations about community affordability and equity. Bring it on. Finally.
Anchorage Changes Policies for Cell Towers in Neighborhoods
Draft regulations under consideration in Anchorage "would prohibit building large cellphone towers next to homes in dense urban settings."
Gondola Monorail Could Ease Mexico City Traffic
Mexico City is considering a novel transit idea: two-person gondolas gliding along an aerial track. The costs of such a system may be far lower than extending the subway system.
Ranchers and Activists Face Off Over Wild Horses
Tens of thousands of wild horses still inhabit the western states. The Bureau of Land Management is caught between two camps: ranchers who want them contained and advocates who want them to roam free.
Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals
One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.
Too Many Cities Relying on 'Plan and Forget' Climate Adaptation Strategies
A highly critical article suggests that the experts drafting climate adaptation plans should re-evaluate their assumptions about what works and what is likely to collect dust on a shelf as the sea rises.
The Citizen Kane of Parking Cartoons
The City of Ottawa (Canada) has produced an animated video to engage the public as it goes about reviewing its minimum parking standards, some of which date back to the 1960s.
Coming Soon to Detroit: An Urban Livestock Ordinance
Planners and citizens in Detroit are wrapping up a year's worth of research and community engagement before drafting an urban livestock ordinance.
Atlanta Has Plans to Lead the New South
The latest installment of the Planners Across America series interviews Charletta Wilson-Jacks, director of the Atlanta Office of Planning, who focused on new strategies to engage community members in the city's planning efforts.
Neighborhood Planning for Investment, Protections from Gentrification
The neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh, PA is poised is poised for new investment but is still far from a gentrification tipping point. A proposed "cluster plan" walks a fine line for the neighborhood's future.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
