Land Use
California Strategic Growth Council Revising Guidelines for Cap-and-Trade Grants
California recently awarded more than $1.2 million in cap-and-trade revenue to projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also promote affordable housing or transit options.
Lawsuit Over Contract Planning Work Embroils Paterson, New Jersey
The city of Paterson, New Jersey, is suing the City-Council-appointed Board of Adjustment in a dispute over using in-house planners versus contract planners.
Despite Violations, San Francisco's Academy of Art Continues Acquiring Properties
Planning Commission hearings related to the SF-based real estate empire of the Stephens family shed light on a history of land use violations in a land-scarce city.
Planning the Future of Buffalo's Outer Harbor Waterfront
A plan to revitalize Buffalo's Outer Harbor as an expansive, fully programmed park was sunk by a housing component. A new draft is expected soon.
The National Park Service Turns 99 Today
The big birthday means admission is free to national parks today as well.
Federal Bill Would Enable Waterfront Community Resilience Planning
A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate provides a model for how the federal government could support resilience planning in waterfront and coastal communities.
Building a Better Suburb
Suburbs are changing. Instead of "green lawns, sprawling backyards, and lots of parking for cars," now there are "agri-hoods."
Terms and Concepts for Understanding Land Banks
Clarifying some of the jargon that drives the land bank process in Cuyahoga County, Ohio reveals the importance and scale of neighborhood stabilization in some parts of the country.
Should Architects Be Citizen Scientists?
Can self-contained urban food systems exist in the core of our cities? Architect Darrick Borowski of New York based firm ARExA developed a model to determine just that.
Why the McMansion Isn't Really Back
Joe Cortright criticizes reports linking high median new home sizes to a renewed demand for McMansions. The market for single-family homes, he argues, locks out buyers of modest means. Only the well-off are buying.
Smart Planning for Economic Opportunity
The Center for Opportunity Urbanism has a wonderful goal—to improve economic opportunities for working class households—but uses terrible research to reach confusing recommendations about which policies are best. Please do better!
Kentucky Landfill No Longer Accepting New York's Trash
East Coast states will no longer be able to send their waste to a landfill in Kentucky—where regulators and residents clearly got more than they bargained for.
TIF Shifts to the Suburbs in Minnesota
A common and sometimes controversial funding mechanism is growing in popularity in suburban Minnesota, even as its use in the urban core decreases.
Density Bonuses Proposed in High-Demand San Francisco Neighborhoods
The San Francisco Planning Department is proposing new densities in certain neighborhoods in exchange for building new units for low- and middle-income residents.
Bay Area Town: 44 Single-Family Homes on a Site Once Considered for 315 Apartments
Lafayette provides a case study of the San Francisco Bay Area housing market.
'Digital Coast' Connects Planners and Data for Coastal Resilience
A new resource created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with the APA makes it easier for planners to access the data necessary to plan for climate adaptation, sea level rise, and other forms of coastal resilience.
Lesson from Seattle: Zoning Is a Political Debate, Not a Policy Debate
The swift rejection of a proposal to upzone residential neighborhoods in Seattle inspired The Urbanist to evaluate the lessons of the episode. One takeaway: don't demonize single-family homeowners.
Critiquing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
Much to the chagrin of Americans of conservative political stripes, the United Nations has adopted a set sustainable development goals. According to a recent op-ed, however, the left also has reason to fault the UN's efforts.
$1 Billion Master Planned Community Moving Forward on the Ohio River
A suburb of Cincinnati provides evidence of renewed demand for master planned communities.
Frank Gehry Hired to Plan the Los Angeles River—Controversy Ensues
Details are scarce—but reports are that Frank Gehry has been working behind the scenes to create a new vision for the Los Angeles River.
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
