Land Use
SPUR: The Bay Area Has A Sprawl Problem
SPUR states its case clearly by announcing, “We believe cities are the key to our future” at the opening of a new report called “SPUR’s Agenda for Change.”
Ritzy Neighborhoods Struggling Against Infill
The market forces that push developers and landowners to build “more” and “bigger” have cropped up in some of the swankiest neighborhoods in Portland. So far, neighbors who oppose the projects are finding scant legal recourse to prevent the changes.
The Theory Behind NIMBYism
Why should people have veto power over anything built in their neighborhood?
Rethinking Suburban Parking Lots
Fast Co.Exist presents the work of the Long Island Index, which recently undertook a creative problem solving exercise to explore ways that suburban parking lots could encourage more walkable conditions.
Questioning the National Flood Insurance Program’s Repeat Payouts
The National Flood Insurance Program is unable to keep up with the pace of storms and sea level rise since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and is now $24 billion in debt. Why then, do the same houses receive repeated payouts?
Historic Examples of 'Urbanism Without Government'
We’ve all heard the question “but who will build the roads?” put to libertarians. In a recent article, Emily Washington examines historic examples of urban settings that developed without the guidance of a government.
Providence Proposes Comprehensive Zoning Code Update
The city of Providence has announced the first draft of a comprehensive zoning code update—its first since 1994.
How to Fund City Growth? Value Capture
Governments should look to land value tax to fund large city-building projects.
Why Urban History Matters
Chuck Wolfe's recent reconnaissance of Edinburgh provides a foil for his rallying cry: Going forward, let’s not discount the influence of history’s recurring themes in how we redevelop the urban realm.
A New Coalition for Urban Place
Who benefits the most from synergistic growth, where the parts of the built environment are brought together to create a strong community and sense of place?
Let Love Rule: Resilience in Mesquite
Are your local planning tools supporting a thriving and resilient future? Andrew von Maur shares a little inspiration from Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Comparing Public Space in New York City and Paris
A recent article examines the ways New York City and Paris support large-scale pedestrian use and support the shared use of public space.
Clarifying the Conservation Subdivision Design Approach
After a recent scholarly article raising questions about the definition of conservation subdivisions, Randall Arendt, author of "Conservation Design for Subdivisions" and "Growing Greener," wrote the following response.
Defending Urban Freeways At All Costs Ignores the Potential of Cities
When freeways are dismantled, economic, and social benefits often follow. A mid-20th Century mechanistic view fails to understand such outcomes.
D.C.’s Code Rewrite Doesn’t Remove its 'Zoning Straightjacket'
The City Block examines the ongoing zoning code update in Washington D.C. relative to a zoning code tradition of maintaining restrictions on growth.
Proposed Ordinance Would Rework Dallas’ Conservation Districts
Dallas is mulling changes to the process by which neighborhoods can seek and obtain conservation district status. As city staff considers the changes, one former councilwoman for the city asks, “if it ain’t broke…”
After Legal Setback, Oregon Acts to Reset Urban Growth Boundaries
Earlier in February, the Oregon Court of Appeals threw out a 50-year growth plan approved in 2010 for Metro and Portland area counties. Oregon legislators reacted with House Bill 4078, which has broad support.
A McDonald’s Case Study for Land Use Policies in Providence
James Kennedy examines a proposed development of a McDonald’s and a Family Dollar store in Providence, Rhode Island, for lessons about the city’s land use policies.
How Agenda 21 Trumps Planning
Agenda 21, a nonbinding United Nations resolution signed in 1992 by 170 world leaders, was developed to encourage "sustainable development." Now it’s a political talking point that kills planning efforts all over the country.
Ambitious Open Space Proposal for Silicon Valley
The board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, based in Los Altos, CA, is considering a $300 million bond measure for the June ballot that would expand access to 62,167 acres of open space.
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
