Land Use
Parks—or Playgrounds for Billionaires?
New York may be the most famous example of the parks becoming the most conspicuous signifiers of neighborhoods for the haves, versus the have-nots, but Inga Saffron hopes that cities everywhere can find ways to even the playing fields.
Editorial: Florida Legislators should 'Stick to the Mission' on Conservation
A Miami Herald editorial expresses concern for a growing movement in the state legislature to raid the funding pool made possible by the recently approved Amendment 1, a statewide environmental-conservation funding measure.
Poll: San Francisco Loves the Tech Industry
San Francisco Mayor Ed lee is so far running unopposed for re-election next Fall, which means that voters won't be offered a chance for a referendum on his support for the tech industry.

The Real Loser in the Super Bowl: the Host City's Taxpayers
Mark Byrnes breaks down the math on this year's Super Bowl and finds the host city of Glendale, Arizona getting shortchanged.
Senate Bill would Repeal Presidential Power to Designate National Monuments
S. 228—the National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015—would limit the power of the president to designate national monuments.

Seattle's 'Urban Villages' Become Bedroom Communities
In a recent column for Crosscut, Knute Berger looks back on the 20-year history of the city's urban village strategy to inform its emerging reality as an "urban bedroom community."
Pedestrian and Bike Improvements Coming to Brooklyn's DUMBO Neighborhood
The New York City Department of Transportation is moving forward with a series of pedestrian and bike infrastructure improvements in a neighborhood built in the shadow of some of the city's most highest profile transportation infrastructure.

From Times Square: How Many Pedestrians Is Too Many Pedestrians?
Times Square stakeholders have begun to raise the specter of "too much of a good thing," as the crowds flocking to Times Square threaten to squeeze the life out of the place.
On the Value of Inconsistent Setbacks
A columnist in St. Paul makes an argument in favor of zoning variances as a driver of incremental growth and economic development.
Obama to Open Controversial Atlantic Region to Offshore Drilling
A mere day after the Interior Department announced it would permanently block drilling in much of the Arctic Refuge by designating it as wilderness, it proposed allowing drilling in the Gulf, along Atlantic coast, and surprisingly, offshore Alaska.
Critic Finds Merits in Brooklyn Public Library Redevelopment Plans
Two proposals for library makeovers in Brooklyn tie into a larger narrative about development, and architecture, in New York City.

3 Good Reasons SimCity Should Adopt a Form-Based Code
And an update from Codes Study about the 600 places that really are upping their game with form-based codes.
Obama Proposal would Close the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Drilling
Setting off a political firestorm in the words of one journalist, President Obama proposed to designate most of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, angering congressional Republicans.
How Parking Apps Could Shift the Parking Landscape
New apps have the potential to influence a fundamental shift in the political and physical realities of parking according to a recent Next City article.

Industrial Meets Residential in New Vancouver Zoning
Vancouver created its MX zone as a solution to a persistent challenge for planners—how to retain industrial jobs and affordable housing in downtowns.
New Taxes could Drive up the Cost of Conservation in Maine
Maine trails only three states in total acreage of land protected by conservation. A new plan to end the property tax exemptions for nonprofits, however, could make that work much more difficult.
Community Gardens are Collateral Damage in New York's Affordable Housing Plans
Here's a head scratcher: in its ambition to meet the affordable housing goals of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development has proposed the redevelopment of 15 community gardens on city-owned property.
Proposed Planning and Development Reorganization Stalls in Philadelphia
A drastic overhaul of the planning and development processes in Philadelphia is, at least for now, on hold so stakeholders can have more time to analyze the proposal.

The Challenge of Re-Orienting Strip Malls for Transit
Bill Lindeke writes of the daunting urban design and planning challenge presented by America's post-war fascination with the strip mall.

High-Rises and Streetlife
The common claim that "high-rises kill streetlife" is often incorrect.
Pagination
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