Land Use
Stopping Development—How Far Is Too Far?
Fierce business competitors have to step lightly to avoid liability under American antitrust law and 'commercial interference' torts. A recent report takes a comprehensive look at where the line is when it comes to stopping a development project.
Cities Where Density Benefits Transportation Efficiency
A simple demonstration of one of the benefits of density.
How Much Does it Cost the Public to Build Housing in Loudoun County, Virginia?
A wealthy county in Virginia has a reputation for prohibiting the construction of new housing. Development interests, however, are fed up with anti-development arguments.
Battle Cry of the Suburban Majority
According to Joel Kotkin, the next culture war will be fought over how and where Americans choose to live. It's suburbs vs. cities, again.
Memphis Residents Weigh in on Fairgrounds Redevelopment
Consultant teams collaborate to provide both in-person and online engagement opportunities, and the city sees an impressive response.
Guidance for Good Urban Density
A new report by the Urban Land Institute, "Density: Drivers, Dividends and Debates," examines the concept of density, its impacts, and how it can best be achieved in cities around the world.
The End of Single-Family Housing? Seattle Housing Committee Creates a Stir
A draft report, by the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) Advisory Committee created by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, includes language about single-family zoning that has provoked debate.
Suing for the 'Civil Right' to Develop Housing
A developer is claiming that the New Jersey borough of Upper Saddle River violated its "civil rights" to provide housing in a New Jersey community.
Canton Creates Roadmap for Right-Sizing
In its first comprehensive plan since the 1960s, Canton, Ohio, is setting a bold new course that could influence planning in hundreds of small and mid-sized American cities with weak real estate markets.
Maryland Parking Lots Go Underground
For a long time, surface parking lots blanketed Maryland's Montgomery County. Developers and county officials now prioritize mixed-use infill with parking concealed underground.
Architecture Critic Finds Faults in Chicago Placemaking
Architecture Critic Blair Kamin wants more from Make Way for People, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's placemaking program, and finds faults with the Lincoln Hub as an example of tactical urbanism.
How Risky Lending Hollowed Out Detroit
Over one half of Detroit's foreclosed homes are blighted or abandoned. Buyers who purchased the homes for as little as $1 have little incentive to keep them in good shape—or pay taxes.
Planners Across America: Raleigh Makes Room to Grow Under the Leadership of Ken Bowers
In this interview for the "Planners Across America" series, Ken Bowers, AICP, discusses how the city of Raleigh will rely on the city's new comprehensive plan and development code to accommodate 100,000 new residents by 2030.
New Orleans Public Housing in Decade-Long Stall
In the aftermath of Katrina, President Obama's Choice Neighborhoods initiative promised thousands of new affordable units. But so far the Housing Authority of New Orleans hasn't proved up to the task.
Unpacking the Idea 'More Housing Equals Lower Prices'
It makes economic sense: increase supply in desirable areas to match demand. These articles look at some of the factors complicating that story in on the west coast.
Friday Eye Candy: Full-Color, HD Videos Taken from Space
For the first time, full-color videos of the earth's surface will be made available to the public, with added options for paying customers. The imagery comes from two cameras on the International Space Station.
Three City Builders Name Los Angeles' Key Assets and Flaws
Capturing the complexities and competing forces at play in major metro areas stumps many writers who face the challenge.
How to Plan Large Communities While Avoiding the 'Tract Home Effect'
EfficientGov recently delved into one of the age-old questions of planning.
A Unique Planning Partnership Leading Redevelopment Efforts in Queens
A non-profit called the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corp. will employ the New York City Planning department as a paid contractor as it creates a plan for the neighborhood of Flushing West.
Should City Planners Worry About Water Supply?
It’s a big question being tackled by land use planners and water providers in Colorado, where the traditional disconnect between water realities and land use decisions precludes a sustainable balance between water supply and urban growth.
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
