Land Use
American Dream for Sale: $1,000 for an Empty Lot in Newark
In a bid for revenue and rejuvenation, Newark is selling vacant lots for $1,000. Buyers promise to build a home and stay for at least five years.
Exploring the Unique Geography of Detroit
One of Detroit’s most defining modern characteristics—and most pressing dilemmas—is its huge amount of neglected and vacant land.
How Los Angeles Will Update its 1946 Zoning Code
Tom Rothmann explains how and why Los Angeles is updating antiquated language governing land use in the city.
Renzo Piano on the Potential of Suburbs
In an interview, architect Renzo Piano says European suburbs are not desolate. He argues they shouldn't be treated as such in the quest for cohesive cities.
Denver's Building Boom Happening on the Fringes
According to a Denver Post article, the Denver metropolitan area has 31,000 homes in the development pipeline. All but 2,600 of those homes would be built in suburban counties surrounding Denver.
Finding the Right Mix of Uses for Former Industrial Sites
The Philadelphia City Council is tinkering with a novel land use created by its 2012 Zoning Code update to help guide mixed use development on former industrial sites.
The Four Phases of New Urbanism
Robert Steuteville discusses the slow, phased emergence of the New Urbanism. We are only partway through a change that will take generations. We are now immersed in the revitalization of cities. More phases will come.
New York City Proposes Parking Requirement Overhaul
The New York Department of City Planning is working on an overhaul of its parking requirements with the potential to impact hundreds of developments.
San Francisco Resets the Bar with New Online Approvals Database
The online documentation of the San Francisco Planning Department's approval process received a huge upgrade.
A Deep Dive into Suburban Retrofits
An interview with Ellen Dunham-Jones, co-author of "Retrofitting Suburbia," and Hazel Borys.
Women Redefining the Boundaries of Urban Design
There is increased call for inclusion and diversity in architecture. This London exhibition profiles five female architects and urban designers at the forefront of their profession.
How Driverless Cars Could Affect Suburban Land Use
Successful driverless cars might lead to "mini mass transit," a distinct mode from public transit and the private automobile. The consequences for land use could reshape suburbia.
The Impressive Story of Florida's 15-Year-Old Citizen Planner
Dylan Gentile, a 15-year-old resident of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, offers inspiration in the form of proactive, positive engagement with the built environment, and already an impressive resume of accomplishments.
Evaluating California's SB 375 Implementation So Far
Julie Pierce, city of Clayton councilmember, chair of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and president of the Association of Bay Area Governments, evaluates the effects of SB 375, California's key land use law to address climate change .
On the Benefits of Compact Development
The environmental think tank environmental Sustainable Prosperity has created a handy infographic describing the benefits of dense urban development compared to sprawl.
Exploring the Planning History of Downtown Oakland
Oakland, as the urban counterpart to San Francisco in the Bay Area, is on a lot of people's radar as a place to improve on some of the lessons of recent waves of urbanization. What planning precedents shaped the city on the other side of the Bay?
Where and How 'Agrihoods' Work
A post on the Lexington Streetsweeper blog examines the idea of Farming Community Subdivision, or "agrihood," and the plausibility of such a community being created in Central Kentucky.
Are You Getting the Change You Want from the Status Quo?
That question may seem like a contradiction, but it couldn't be more pertinent to communities and land use—existing codes and policies generate change by shaping investment.
'Center for Opportunity Urbanism' Think Tank Launched in Houston
A new think tank to promote suburban growth has been established in Houston by arguably the media's highest-profile supporters of suburban growth.
Colorado Development Spells Demise for Local Prairie Dogs
Castle Rock, located between Denver and Colorado Springs, has approved a massive shopping and residential development. The project will be built on top of a prairie dog colony.
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
