Land Use
On the Benefits of Streetcar Suburbs
Peter Saunders knows of the Corner Side Yard knows a good thing when he sees it, and that is good thing is the streetcar suburb.
Meet Chicago's New Northerly Island Open Space
Chicago gains a new open space today, located on an island on Lake Michigan just across from Soldier Field and Burnham Harbor.
Land Sparing Protects Urban Ecosystems Better Than Land Sharing
A study of two cities at opposite ends of the urban spectrum demonstrate how density matters for a number of ecological services.
The Google Street View Perspective on Public Space Transformations
A recent trend in returning the use of streets and other public space to the use of humans and other modes of transportation other than the car is more striking with some historical perspective.
Lessons from Washington's Record Breaking Wildfire Season
The largest fire in the state history is burning in Washington. This year's particularly bad fires had predictable, perhaps preventable, origins.
Indianapolis Puts Design Ideas to the Test With Pedestrian-Friendly Pilot Project
As it works to gather the $60 million necessary to implement permanent changes to Monument Circle, Indianapolis is testing ideas for how to make the location more pedestrian friendly.
10 Keys to Making A Great City Plan
Too many city plans represent business-as-usual, sit on a shelf collecting dust, or miss the chance to reflect a truly game-changing moment in the direction of a city. Want your new city plan process to result in a great plan? Consider these 10 keys.
How Planning Can Contribute to Municipal Fiscal Health
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has launched a new campaign "to help cities confront an epidemic of insolvency and restore the capacity for local governments to provide basic services and plan for the future."
Florida Counties Alter Development Fees to Encourage Compact, Mixed Uses
Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, has already shifted its "transportation concurrency fees" to encourage compact development and a mix of uses. Nearby Osceola County is following their lead.
What If Seattle Had a Century-Old Subway?
Virgil Bogue's 1911 Plan of Seattle called for a centrally-planned metropolis with efficient transit, parks, and a cap on building height. It was voted down, but remains an interesting study on planning for the long term.
Gentrification and the Bay Area's Controversial Growth Management Plan
Is gentrification the inevitable result of land use planning that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by favoring infill development over auto-dependent sprawl? The Urban Displacement Project looks at the unintended effects of Plan Bay Area.
Big Money Floods Venice Beach
Is a gentrified Venice Beach still Venice Beach? With median home prices topping $1.4 million, the area's eclectic characters can't afford to stay. Investors and the tech industry say the change is only natural.
Tacoma Residents Reject Up-Zoning Proposals
A suite of zoning changes under consideration by the Tacoma Planning Commission provoked its "most well-attended" hearing in decades.
California Strategic Growth Council Revising Guidelines for Cap-and-Trade Grants
California recently awarded more than $1.2 million in cap-and-trade revenue to projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but also promote affordable housing or transit options.
Lawsuit Over Contract Planning Work Embroils Paterson, New Jersey
The city of Paterson, New Jersey, is suing the City-Council-appointed Board of Adjustment in a dispute over using in-house planners versus contract planners.
Despite Violations, San Francisco's Academy of Art Continues Acquiring Properties
Planning Commission hearings related to the SF-based real estate empire of the Stephens family shed light on a history of land use violations in a land-scarce city.
Planning the Future of Buffalo's Outer Harbor Waterfront
A plan to revitalize Buffalo's Outer Harbor as an expansive, fully programmed park was sunk by a housing component. A new draft is expected soon.
The National Park Service Turns 99 Today
The big birthday means admission is free to national parks today as well.
Federal Bill Would Enable Waterfront Community Resilience Planning
A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate provides a model for how the federal government could support resilience planning in waterfront and coastal communities.
Building a Better Suburb
Suburbs are changing. Instead of "green lawns, sprawling backyards, and lots of parking for cars," now there are "agri-hoods."
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
