Land Use
Golf's Physical Footprint Shrinking Quickly in Michigan
The real estate boom that brought about a boom in golf course construction is a thing of the past. Now golf courses are closing around the country as the sport recedes from its peak popularity.
Community Engagement Highlights from APA 2016
As I do every year at the APA National Conference, I did my best to catch as many community engagement sessions as possible. Here are highlights, takeaways, and the common threads I noticed this year.
South Bend Reactivating Vacant Lots
Formerly vacant homes are now vacant lots in South Bend, Indiana. Returning the lots to productive uses presents a new kind of challenge for community groups and local officials.
What Eminent Domain Means in North Philadelphia
A panel discussion convened in Philadelphia recently to discuss the effects of eminent domain, that critical and troubling tool that makes redevelopment possible.
Better Parking, Better Cities
Reformed parking regulations will improve the quality of urban environments. They might even allow to once again construct building types we appreciate only in older cities, but could never imagine building with today’s parking requirements.
Four Land Use Features for Better Health
The latest from a growing body of research on the connections between land use and public health identifies four characteristics of land use that produce beneficial public health outcomes.
Vision for an Urban District Approved for Denver's I-25 and Broadway Area
The Denver City Council approved, with a 13-0 vote, the I-25 and Broadway Station Area Plan.
New York Eliminates Some Parking Requirements in 'Transit Zones'
In a substantial part of the city, parking requirements will be eliminated for subsidized and senior housing.
Kansas City Program to Turn Vacant Lots Into Urban Forest
The Kansas City Land Bank has the funding to back up plans to begin transforming blighted, vacant lots into thriving groves of poplar trees.
Charlottesville to Begin Charging for Parking in Downtown
The city of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, has approved a controversial measure to begin charging for on-street parking in the city's downtown.
Austin Waterfront District Due for Big Redevelopment Investments
The city of Austin is hoping to avoid a "piecemeal, haphazard" approach to redevelopment in the South Central waterfront district.
Planning for a Network of Trails in the Heart of the Silicon Valley
San Jose, California's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services has begun the process of updating its Trail Strategic Plan.
A Utopian Solution to NIMBYism and High Housing Costs
The housing shortages caused by restrictive zoning are easy to solve in principle—even if the solutions are politically impossible.
Museum Park Reflects Changing Preferences
Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Art is redesigning its extensive grounds with an eye toward how public interaction with museums is shifting. Inclusion, sustainability, and brand development are paramount.
Los Angeles River Restoration Going From Grassroots to Glam
As excitement around the L.A. River revitalization heats up, neighbors of the once-neglected channel wonder who will benefit from the billion-dollar redevelopment.
In Long Island City, a Glimpse of the Future?
According to critic James Russell, Long Island City has come to resemble the new metropolises of Asia. A frenetic jumble of old and new, the area's "dystopian" qualities aren't all bad.
In Pictures: Havana's Public Spaces
The recent thaw in U.S. relations with Cuba, as well as President Obama's visit last month, have spurred conversations about Havana's future. Its public spaces are worn, but they're busy and well-designed.
Op-Ed: An 18-Lane Street Is Too Complete
Rockville, Maryland has plans to create a king-sized complete street along Rockville Pike, incorporating lanes for cars, bikes, buses, and more space for landscaping. But can a street like that still serve pedestrians?
Canada Is Looking Better and Better
Alan Mallach unpacks a remarkable project currently underway in Toronto, suggesting that sometimes higher, rather than lower, density may be the best way to go.
Parking Shortage Tied to Convention Center Woes in Cleveland
The idea that there isn't enough parking around Cleveland's FirstMerit Convention Center, site of the 2016 Republican National Convention, is likely debatable, but local officials are looking for solutions to the problem regardless.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
