Land Use

How AI Envisions American Neighborhoods
How well does artificial intelligence ‘get’ U.S. cities?

Urban Golf Courses: Publicly Subsidized, Privately Enjoyed
City golf courses, paid for by public dollars, are rarely used by the vast majority of residents. Some advocates want to see them opened to the public as parks or repurposed for housing.

Sun Sets on Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan
After losing a court battle with environmental groups, the city must revert to the land use regulations in its 2030 plan.

Austin Ends Parking Minimums
The city approved changes called for by a May resolution that eliminate parking requirements in all neighborhoods.

Boston Could Introduce Parking Benefit Districts
The approach offers a way for cities to free up curb parking space while boosting revenue for local infrastructure.

From Department Store to Apartments
A former Sears store has a new life as a housing complex.

Reno Revisits Zoning Reform
After roundly rejecting a proposal to legalize granny flats in 2018, the city council is revising it and other zoning reform proposals that could increase the city’s affordable housing supply.

How Cities Can Support Urban Gardeners
Urban agriculture can provide green spaces, fresh food, and healthy activities, but urban gardeners and foragers face many obstacles.

Parking Reform Pays Off With Lower Rent Costs
Research continues to show that adjusting parking requirements to align with demand can lower the cost of housing.

Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan
Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.

In Praise of the Endangered ‘Third Space’
The public spaces where people can spend time among strangers without buying something are crucial to healthy cities—and are quickly disappearing.

More Cities are Shifting to Demand-Based Curb Parking
Largely used for free car parking, urban curb space is becoming a more precious commodity.

State Trust Lands Offer Opportunity for Affordable Housing
Western states that hold millions of acres in land trusts are working to turn some of them into affordable housing.

Ohio Suburb Reenvisions Car-Oriented Shopping Center
Garfield Heights wants to transform a 1960s complex nestled in a sea of surface parking into a walkable, mixed-use development.

Federal Agencies Update Rules to Support Office Conversions
New grant rules make it easier for local governments to acquire commercial properties for conversion to affordable housing.

Placemaking on the Halifax Waterfront
How small, incremental changes can create vibrant places.

Arizona Town Looks for New Water Sources, Insists Development ‘Full Steam Ahead’
While many Southwest cities are looking for ways to conserve water and limit growth as water supplies become strained, one town is pressing ahead with rapid development.

California State Law Calls on Coastal Regions to Create Resiliency Plans
Cities and counties at risk of flooding and erosion from sea level rise can access state funding to implement coastal resiliency plans.

San Francisco Required to Change Restrictive Housing Approval Policies
State agencies want the city to speed up its alarmingly slow permitting process.

Goat Blocks: A Blueprint for Urban Placemaking and Walkability
How one development harnesses placemaking tactics to build community at the street level.
Pagination
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions