Land Use
Congressional Bill to Expedite Transit Oriented Development
Cory Booker has introduced a railroad bill that will, among other things, expand financing for transit-oriented projects near train stations. The new law would also make it easier for TOD developers to apply for federal loans.
Op-Ed: Transportation Assets Should Generate Revenue
Scott Rawlins argues that public-private partnerships could help transportation departments turn assets into income streams. Underutilized land and data are two areas of interest.
Chicago Sources River Ideas from Citizens
The Metropolitan Planning Council of Chicago wants to get in on the recent upswing in crowdsourced planning solutions. They are looking to the public for input on the Chicago river system's future.
Urban Farming Gains a Foothold in Houston
Operated by a pair of brothers, Finca Tres Robles is one of several Houston farms coaxing fresh produce from unused urban land. Increasingly, urban farmers compete with developers for space.
A Tribute to Donald Shoup: Retiring from UCLA This Summer
Embedded in an article celebrating the career of Donald Shoup, so-called "parking guru" who has had an outsized influence on contemporary planning thanks to the arguments laid out in "The High Cost of Free Parking."
Weisbrod Op-Ed Makes the Case for Proposed Zoning Changes
An op-ed by Carol Weisbrod, chairman of the NYC Planning Commission, makes the case for the de Blasio Administration's zoning policy as the key mechanism in its housing policy.
San Francisco Waterfront Heights Lawsuit Moves Forward
The lawsuit would not restrict heights—just the opposite. Back in June, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly backed Proposition B to restrict building heights along the waterfront. The State Lands Commission sued.
Using Urban Observation to 'Ghost-Bust' Cities
Chuck Wolfe champions urban observation, emphasizing "ghosts" that are important to the authenticity of today's urban change, like oral histories among indigenous peoples passing on cultural traditions from one generation to the next.
Single-Lot Densification Faces Zoning, Economic Challenges
Small-scale development on single lots is an alternative to the centralized mid-rise norm. But this kind of classic infilling may not be as easy as build-it-and-they-will-come.
Study: Distance Between Homes and Jobs Increasing
A new study finds that the first decade of the 21st century exhibited a mass migration—of U.S. jobs moving farther away from where U.S. residents live.
Planning for Climate Change on the Shores of the Great Lakes
Two academic researchers explain the planning and landscape architecture opportunities offered by the "dramatic fluctuations" and "emergent shorelands" of the Great Lakes Coasts.
Pittsburgh Launches $32 Million 'Envision Downtown' Initiative
The Envision Downtown Initiative will focus on street improvements to improve public interactions.
The Trouble with Legalizing Illegal Units
The recent example of a dramatic rent increase in San Francisco may be less about loopholes in current housing laws and more about failing to consider all the implications of rushed legislation.
Groundbreaking for 'Plaza De Las Americas' Public Market Space in New York
New York City broke ground recently on the Plaza de Las Americas—a designed public space that will support market uses and pedestrian activity while replacing an existing roadway in the Washington Heights neighborhood.
Dallas Mulling Proposals for a Redesigned Fair Park
The future of Dallas is very much under consideration. Case in point: an effort to redesign and plan the 277 acres of Fair Park with the potential to offer improved public access to a critical area east of Downtown.
MonkeyParking App Is Back—This Time It's Legal
The infamous MonkeyParking app that last year ran afoul of public sentiment and the law is back with a new business model that offers residents the chance to auction that most precious of commodities—urban parking space.
Tech Giants Bank on Growth, Acquire More Space
To provide room for long-term expansion, companies like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn are buying up even more Bay Area real estate. Their flush cash reserves have them nudging out the traditional development and investment crowd.
MBTA Struggles to Furnish Parking for Commuters
Boston commuters report frustrations with a lack of parking at stations along the system—so much so that they sometimes abandon hope of finding a spot or catching a train.
Op-Ed: Austin a Shadow of its Former Self
An op-ed by David Heymann produces an elaborate, protracted metaphor of Austin as a former youthful "golden child" now showing the least attractive possible traits of middle age.
In Case You're Confused by the Two San Diego Climate Lawsuits
These are two similar lawsuits by environmental groups, one aimed at San Diego County, the other at the San Diego MPO, both based on CEQA and one also on SB 375. Enviros won both of them but only one will be heard by the California Supreme Court.
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
