Land Use
Is it a Suburban Exodus Yet?
A new report finds that suburban areas are losing residents to urban areas like New York City and Washington D.C., even well past the point when people would have traditionally made the choice to return to the suburbs.
Friday Funny: Goats Love a High Rise
Part funny, part amusing, and part just plain cool, goat towers are vertical structures with winding ramps that goats love to climb. They are also are “an idea whose time has come” according to a recent article in Modern Farmer.
Urban Planning for Public Health in California’s San Joaquin Valley
The American Lung Association is making an “urban planning push” in three San Joaquin Valley counties, according to a recent article in Associations Now. The idea behind the efforts to reduce public health risks: promote walkable communities.
Pittsburgh Land Bank Approved—With Compromises
Pittsburgh recently approved a land bank to acquire properties when owners fall behind on property taxes. The question about how much control to grant an independent authority, or maintain with the City Council, remains controversial.
New Urbanism Gets a New Leader
Lynn Richards, formerly of the U.S. EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities, is set to become President of the Congress for the New Urbanism in July. In this interview, Richards says that forging new alliances will be a key goal for her.
A Comprehensive Examination of the Bay Area Housing Crisis
The Google Bus protests got the media’s attention, and the Ellis Act has politicians' attention, but the Bay Area’s current tech-housing-gentrification crisis is a big, complicated mess.
CA Court of Appeals: Some Projects Require 'Urban Decay' Mitigation
When a new shopping center may leave existing retail areas short of business, a California court has ruled that mitigations of "urban decay" must be spelled out up front.
A Special Focus on Planning for Healthy Schools
SAGE has provided free access to material from the Journal of Planning Education and Research's focus issue on Healthy Schools.
Can Detroit Fix its Parking Enforcement Mess?
In a recent column for Detroit Free Press, Nancy Kaffer responded to a proposal by Detroit Mayor Kevin Orr to raise the price of a parking ticket in Detroit by $20 to $45.
Making the Case for the Downtown Athens Master Plan
University of Georgia College of Environment and Design Professor Jack Crowley has taken to the pages of a local publication to explain some of the thinking behind the proposed Downtown Athens Master Plan.
A Call to Undo the 'Cul-De-Sacking' of St. Louis
A recent nextSTL.com editorial makes an impassioned plea to open the city’s closed streets.
Parking Lot Tax Considered Among Portland’s Downtown Plans
A proposal to tax and eventually prohibit parking lots in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown is pitting two powerful figures in Portland’s downtown land use politics against each other.
Will ‘Worst Parking Crater’ Award Produce Policy Change?
Streetsblog doesn’t pull any punches with its “Golden Crater” award—an award for the worst parking crater in the country, selected by a March Madness style tournament. This year's winner/loser: Rochester, New York.
After Mayoral Scandal, What Next for Charlotte's Permitting Reform, Streetcar Project?
Former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon resigned after taking bribes in exchange for zoning and parking privileges. Will the fallout affect the city's streetcar plans or its efforts to streamline permitting and code enforcement?
Moving the Hollywood Fault to Suit Developers
Morris Newman sees the lighter side of complaints over a new state geology map that puts an earthquake fault under some big real estate plans.
'People Habitat': Kaid Benfield Takes Smart Growth to a Higher Level
Kaid Benfield has a new book out, which Scott Doyon found positively uplifting. In ways beyond what you might be thinking.
Charting the 'Urban Shift' Among Technology Start-Ups
Once upon a time, tech start-ups located almost exclusively in the suburbs. New data reveals the extent to which this pattern has been reversed.
What's Wrong With Walk Score's Food Desert Map
Walk Score’s new food desert map is a potentially powerful tool in the ongoing policy debate about access to healthy foods. But it’s still a work in progress.
Come Together Locally for Smarter Growth
Connecting competence to organized support is key to reversing the Sisyphean cycle of urban placemaking.
How Easy is Walking to the Grocery Store in Your City?
Angie Schmitt shares news of an effort by WalkScore to rank cities based on the ability of residents to access grocery stores on foot. WalkScore invites planners all over country to use their data to improve walkable access to food in cities.
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 Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
