Land Use

Witness a Car-Free Paris

We call them Open Streets events. In French it's Journée Sans Voiture. On September 27, the world saw a car-free Paris.

September 28, 2015 - Gizmodo

Editorial: Patience, Planning Needed as Trinity Park Takes Shape in Dallas

The Dallas Morning News argues for a full and complete visioning process for a park along the Trinity River in Dallas.

September 28, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Parking Requirements Among Changes in a Big Week for Planning in New York

Streetsblog NYC reviews new zoning and development rules proposed by the de Blasio Administration and finds incremental progress, not a major breakthrough, for parking policy.

September 28, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

Boston Mayor Considering Shoup-Style Makeover for Downtown Parking

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Chris Osgood, the latter Boston's new "chief of streets," are looking to San Francisco as a model of dynamic parking.

September 25, 2015 - The Boston Globe

Baltimore Crabs

South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan to Pave Way for Sports and Entertainment District

The Baltimore Planning Commission will soon consider the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, which lays out a 20-year agenda to support a wave of entertainment development coming to the neighborhood.

September 24, 2015 - The Baltimore Sun

Seaside Entrance

Thoughts on Seaside at 35

Seaside, Florida: what’s possible when vision, tradition, creativity, adaptation, and, yes, time converge in ways that allow for careful study and consideration.

September 24, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Community Improvement District Considered to Fund Atlanta Beltline Improvements

Stakeholders are considering the implementation of a Community Improvement District along the Atlanta Beltline to help pay for ongoing maintenance and other improvements to the ongoing project of building this singular public facility.

September 23, 2015 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Outsized Benefits of Transforming Parking Lots to TOD

Chicago's sale of three city-owned parking lots demonstrates how selling underused land for the purposes of transit-oriented development can benefit people and government.

September 23, 2015 - Metropolitan Planning Council - The Connector

High School Football

Op-Ed: Stop Attacking My Suburb!

A proud suburban resident defends her neighborhood from the criticisms of city-dwellers. It's not walkable, it's not perfect, but it's home.

September 22, 2015 - Star Tribune

Office Building

Why We're Not Meant to Live in Boring Cities

Features like blank street facades literally turn us off, decreasing mental stimulation and bringing on restlessness and stress. Research points to worrying consequences for people who find their city, well, boring.

September 22, 2015 - Aeon

Suburban Rowhouses

Visualizing the Housing Stock of American Cities

A simple chart allows an easy comparison between the varieties of housing that comprise the housing stock of U.S. cities.

September 22, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Editorial Calls for the Gentrification of East New York

Unsurprisingly, an editorial titled "Gentrify East New York" provoked a strong response from the public.

September 21, 2015 - Crain's New York Business

Changes to Detroit's Foreclosure Auctions Disempower Homeowners and Tenants

A new law makes it impossible for property owners delinquent on their property taxes to bid in a foreclosure auction to keep their homes. Larger, commercial interests are benefitting from the change.

September 21, 2015 - CityLab

A Positive Fiscal and Land Use Analysis for St. Louis Riverfront Stadium Plans

A group of business students completed an analysis finding reasons to support a proposal to build an NFL stadium on the riverfront in St. Louis.

September 21, 2015 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

San Francisco Street

Crises and Innovation Converge on San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim's Watch

The latest installment of the Planners Across America series interviews John Rahaim, planning director for the City and County of San Francisco, about the heightened passions and perpetual controversies of planning in the City by the Bay.

September 21, 2015 - Josh Stephens

Cities Honored for Smart Growth

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 13th annual Smart Growth Achievement Awards recognize communities that lead the way in compact, walkable growth.

September 19, 2015 - Better Cities & Towns

Atlanta Georgia Dome

When Publicly Funded Stadiums Gut Neighborhoods

In Atlanta—and throughout the country—city politicians have proven willing and eager to support stadium construction. But though these facilities are marketed as economic drivers, they often cause steep declines instead.

September 18, 2015 - AlterNet

Unintended Consequences Predicted for de Blasio's Inclusionary Zoning Policy

According to New York Yimby, Mayor de Blasio's proposed inclusionary zoning policy could do more to protect small market-rate developments, without affordable housing, than it will to create affordable units.

September 18, 2015 - New York YIMBY

RFK Stadium DC United

D.C.'s RFK Stadium Losing its Last Tenant—What's Next?

An ongoing planning study by Events DC, commenced by a previous mayoral administration, could conflict with the desire of the current mayor for the site of RFK Stadium

September 18, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Tin Pan Alley in London

Small Clubs Make Creative Hubs: the Importance of Live Music Venues

Cities like London are losing their creative edge because the small music venues that foster it are being pushed out.

September 17, 2015 - The Guardian

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.